Lawn seeds I can plant that chickens won't eat?

[HenHangout]

I moved my chickens from a large free-range area to a smaller but still decently sized pen. Over winter they scratched the ground and the dirt inside the pen while the grass is greener on the other side. I am not sure if the grass will recover in spring or if I have to plant something to encourage growth.

I have a bag of red clover seed, but my concern is that chickens will just eat the seeds and not let anything grow. Does anyone have experience with this? Will the grass inside the pen recover or will I have to plant some seed down and if so, is there concern for chickens eating the seeds?

 

[DobieLover]

There are so many variables at play here it is impossible to predict.

You need to consider the density of chickens in the space to which they are confined, the amount of sunlight the area receives, how nutrient dense the soil is or is not, and how vigorous the native plants are in the area.

But I can state with complete certainty that no matter what you plant there, even if the chickens don't touch the seeds, as soon as they sprout they will be torn up and eaten. The only way to get grass growing where chickens have removed it is to keep the chickens off until the grass is very well established. To the tune of many months of growing to establish strong roots. And then if they are let loose in that area at such a density that they can scratch everything to smithereens again, it will soon be bare.

 

[HenHangout]

The only way to get grass growing where chickens have removed it is to keep the chickens off until the grass is very well established. To the tune of many months

Thats what I feared. I narrowed the chickens foraging area down to a small closed off section for both hawk deterrence and livestreaming the chickens. I feel bad because the grass is literally greener on the other side of the pen and sometimes chickens stick their heads through my welded wire fence to get things on the other side.

I don't want to keep them in the run to wait for grass to grow. I feel bad that their foraging space looks bare and it looks bad on camera too.

 

[perkolator]

You'll likely never get any groundcovers to grow inside a chicken area, unless you cover it with "foraging screens" - elevated fencing that allows top grazing without scratching up the roots and killing plants.

 

[RoyalChick]

I always fence off new plantings so the chickens can’t get at them until they are established.

 

[paintedChix]

Also, consider other native plant & fruit trees/shrubs. Then mulch the run w/ wood mulch & other natural materials.

Your run will then provide snacks & shade. It will look better & be healthier. The DLM will "digest" any poop.

Here are 2 posts did recently. Many ideas & options.

- Post in thread 'Planting in the run' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/planting-in-the-run.1653400/post-28435161

- Post in thread 'Planting in the run' https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/planting-in-the-run.1653400/post-28435206