Grass seeds?

[Mamahen2104]

Hi all!
My girls free range in my backyard. They don't pull up/dig up grass at all and in fact are keeping it trimmed so we don't have to mow or anything. We think we want to put down some grass seed since our backyard was patchy and funky before we even had a flock. Any grass you recommend that's hardy? I want clover in there too. We live in Washington so it's very wet here. We probably won't plant until spring since the ground is starting to freeze

 

[aart]

Just be careful that you get something that doesn't have any fertilizer, insecticides, or herbicides in/on it.
You'll probably have to keep the birds away from the seeded area until the plants are well established or they will just tear them up.
Best time to plant new grass is in the fall, cool nights warm days...
...but yeah, might be too late now.

What is your goal n pretty lawn.... or plants the chickens can eat?

 

[Mamahen2104]

Our goal is a little bit of each. Our backyard has been spotty for years and the girls keep the length well maintained without digging any up. Would clover be a good choice? It grows like a weed and we just had some sprout in the front yard

 

[aart]

Our goal is a little bit of each. Our backyard has been spotty for years and the girls keep the length well maintained without digging any up. Would clover be a good choice? It grows like a weed and we just had some sprout in the front yard

If the chooks aren't digging it up, why is it spotty?
Too much shade, maybe...poorly draining soil?
Surprised your birds aren't digging it up.
Knowing your conditions there will help others make recommendations.
Sorry, I'm not much of a botanist.
I know you said you're in WA, but adding it to your profile so it shows up under you avatar will be helpful.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[Mamahen2104]

Oh thank you I'll have to do that!

Yeah it's always been spotty, we're renting from my boyfriend's mom and she never really took care of the backyard. He said this year is the nicest it's looked since I've been working outside with the chickens and ducks haha

 

[aart]

He said this year is the nicest it's looked since I've been working outside with the chickens and ducks haha

Fertilizer

 

[Sueby]

I overseeded with clover last spring because I wanted the bees for my garden & my lawn was patchy. We have wetlands & I'm a not a fan of fertilizer, weed killer & all the stuff that people use to have nice lawns. The chickens destroyed the clover in their pen before it could get established (of course) but it worked great in the rest of the yard! It comes up before the crabgrass & lives after the crabgrass dies, lol, so it was much less patchy.