Chickens have picked the area inside the run bare

[rosemarythyme]

We just today found a sod place that sells a 2'x5' roll for $3.60. So 10 rolls is $36.00. We'll get a load of black topsoil hauled in, then run pick this up and set it in half of the pens, so they still have their dirt and dustbathing area.

It seems so cheap, and we're thinking if four/five chickens don't actually destroy it in a week, so it takes hold, great. We thought of building frames with HWC to cover half at a time, but at that price, we're thinking if they do destroy it, we'll just go get a few rolls for replacements.

We'll give this a try this year and see how it goes. The place should have sod May 1 so soon!

Couple things to consider:
- sod is usually heavily fertilized, which can be harmful to your birds
- sod may be grown on top of a netting that's hard to see and hazardous to birds: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sod.1428923/

 

[Debbie292d]

Couple things to consider:
- sod is usually heavily fertilized, which can be harmful to your birds
- sod may be grown on top of a netting that's hard to see and hazardous to birds: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sod.1428923/

It's an Amish-owned business and already covered this with them. They don't do chemicals. Beats me what they do. My guess is the Amish get together and the ones raising cows turn their cow poop to that liquid stuff we see them spraying next door to us.

We'll double-check when we go there though! Don't want nothing hurting my silkies!

 

[StinkyAcres]

@CharlesnBlue Is that entire yard the "run" you are referring to? How many chickens do you have?

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Run rotation. If you don't have enough property to give the run a break/ let grass grow back, then just accept that it'll never look the way it looked prior to chickens and use a run floor material like woodchips. It takes a year when I rotate, but all sorts of woodland shrubs and grass do grow back. Then chickens kill it again, repeat, etc.

 

[Sic]

To add to the other advice already given. Shrubs, like blueberry, or otherwise edible shrubs not harmful to chickens. Will also provide cover for the chickens. Protect with wire fencing until established (well rooted). Grass, unless it's very deep rooted variety, will not do well in a chicken run because they tend to scratch out the roots. Some weeds, like dandelions, have large and deep roots that can withstand chickens, will reseed themselves and are fairly nutritional.

 

[eworms]

This video gives some information on getting plants to grow inside a chicken run.

I'm also considering planting some vines and/or brambles just outside the run. If they're close enough that the chickens can reach through the welded wire fence, I can put up a piece of hardware cloth to hold them back. Any part that grows into the run belongs to the chickens. Any part that stays outside is mine.

 

[Oldyardbird]

We have six breeding pens. Four are 5' x 10' pens with a private coop entrance for each. We toyed with planting something as it's newly constructed, and there was nothing there to begin with but gravel and weeds.

We just today found a sod place that sells a 2'x5' roll for $3.60. So 10 rolls is $36.00. We'll get a load of black topsoil hauled in, then run pick this up and set it in half of the pens, so they still have their dirt and dustbathing area.

It seems so cheap, and we're thinking if four/five chickens don't actually destroy it in a week, so it takes hold, great. We thought of building frames with HWC to cover half at a time, but at that price, we're thinking if they do destroy it, we'll just go get a few rolls for replacements.

We'll give this a try this year and see how it goes. The place should have sod May 1 so soon!

We bought sod before we had chickens and discovered it was laced underneath with plastic mesh. I was so concerned that the birds would rip their feet in the plastic I tore it all up. Would suggest inquiring about pesticides on the sod too, just thoughts.