over easy Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 this might seem strange question but as i read chooks love to eat grass, can i assume that they will eat grass cuttings from the lawn (if you have any left) as i will have a section of lawn chook free can i just dump the cuttings for them to eat cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 You have to be careful about long strands. When they free range and help themselves to your lawn, they just peck small mouthfuls, which they can digest easily. If they get long strands in their stomach, a solid plug may form which the hen can't digest, even with adequate grit in her diet. This can lead to the hen getting an impacted crop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I think you will find that the chooks will cut the grass for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 My girls will not touch cut grass - they much prefer to decimate their own!! They take the 'pick your own' principal to extremes - still if the weather holds I am planning to get them back out onto the allotment imminently!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I would also be wary of any motor oil from the lawn mower being on the grass from where it is cut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I would also be wary of any motor oil from the lawn mower being on the grass from where it is cut Ooh.....that's a thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I know this may be a daft question but we have the tiniest lawn - would chickens peck at grass grown in a seed tray & put in a run? .....just trying find an answer to the OH's mutterings that the lawn would be trashed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 They definitely do. I have 3 trays of turf that were left over when a neighbour had their lawn returfed last summer. I rotate the grass trays through the winter when the chooks are in my very limited back garden. There are some pictures here somewhere that I posted at the week end. There you go - found the link http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18783 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Thanks for that - another one ofhis anti-chook mutterings sorted-we'll beat him into subission yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomdeane Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I havent got my chickens yet, but my local poultry suppliers (SPR centre - www.sprcentre.co.uk) gave me a leaflet on everything you need to know about keeping chickens... and on it it says: 'Please do not let us roam on cut grass, especially when dry, we cannot break it off as we can with growing grass, it may make us "crop bpund", there is no cure for this. We cannot deal with grass mowings as they bung up our grinding stomach (Gizzard) because we cannot grind it up quickly enough' Not sure if this is true or not, but I thought I would mention it as its in the leaflet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara123 Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Does that include not giving them hay in there house then? As I use hay for there bedding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomdeane Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 i have no idea, its just what it says on the leaflet. I also read somewhere that you should not give them hay as if it gets damp it can give off some toxic spores or something which affect the chickens. It said that you should always give them straw as bedding and never hay. Maybe you should go one the spr centre website and give them a ring or send them an email, if you are concerned, as its their literature that says all this stuff. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hay is bad for them. It harbours parasites that can damage their breathing (or something similar). Straw in the nesting box is fine - or shredded paper or hemcore - just not hay I think. I'm Sure someone more knowledgable will be along in a mo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 'Please do not let us roam on cut grass, especially when dry, we cannot break it off as we can with growing grass, it may make us "crop bound", there is no cure for this. We cannot deal with grass mowings as they bung up our grinding stomach (Gizzard) because we cannot grind it up quickly enough' Not sure if this is true or not, but I thought I would mention it as its in the leaflet! That is what I meant. Tara...hay can cause hens to become crop bound.....and it does harbour nasties as Chicken Licken says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I was told by 'an experienced breeder' to only use finest quality hay for bedding. Straw is hollow and can harbour red mites. After 1 day of watching my girls eat the 'finest quality hay', I took it out and now use aubiose in the nestbox. They eat hay, straw and shredded paper. I personally think its best to avoid straw/hay altogether. That way you can never have a problem. What was the original question?? Oh yes, grass. Mine decimated the grass within a couple of weeks. I now give them spinach/chard and curly kale (specially grown for them ) most days they get a small handful hung up in their run. The pellets/mash give them everything they need, but the like the variety I think Might look into the turf idea though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I gave them turf last year. It takes about 3 weeks to bed in and start to grow. It takes about 3 minutes for them to eat an entire trayful. I had about 30 seed trays lined up last year...conveyer belt style. To be honest I don't think I'll bother this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I grew a couple of trays of basil and lettuce last year that I forgot about. It ran to seed. They demolished the lot in 4 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 They do like their greens! Mine are getting very limited runs on the lawn at this time of year - while I still have some left The greens do give the yolks that lovely, orange colour so any way of getting them greens is good. My neighbour grew some chard in her flower beds but pests have given it the lacy look - so I now have free rein to go and pick some every day for the girls They love it. Will have to put some in the veg patch this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...