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alih

chickens mangling my lawn!!!!

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our 2 chickens have always been able to free-range when we are out and about and have always done so without being remotely interested in our lawn, preferring the bushes and shrubs....but today they have been raking up the lawn to such an extent I am going to put them back in their run...does anyone know why this is suddenly happening after all this time? will my lawn recover - don't get me wrong, I have 4 kids and a dog as well as the chooks so am not exactly lawn proud but I would like to have grass rather than mud come the summer... :?

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I just have a mud patch where my lawn used to be :(:( I'm really hoping it makes a recovery over the summer otherwise I will have to keep my girls in a lot more. It took them 6 months to demolish it but they did it in the end....

 

They love scratching about and the grass just disappeared :shock:

 

Chili xx

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hopefully now its spring and the sun is shining your lawn should recover :)

 

It wont however recover in the winter (as we have found out) we have just re-turfed, so you probably will have to take measures in Autumn to protect your lawn. Fencing/screening off is a good idea.

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yes Chelsea, I am coming round to that idea - it won't be too much work but the kids say the chickens need grass when free-ranging - is this true? I know they like it but is it necessary? If so I may have to sow some grass seeds especially...for them to rake it up :shock:

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I dont think they nescessarily need grass, they just love it! If you think about your typical farmyard with chooks in its mostly mud/dirt and chickens love to scratch around in dirt. They turned our lawn into a farmyard! :lol: they love scratching for the bugs.

 

You could buy them the occasional piece of turf if you feel guilty!! :lol: We had some leftover when we re-turfed and they had their own little "patch" then. :D

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You could buy them the occasional piece of turf if you feel guilty!! :lol:

 

lol-just as if your getting them a new rug! :lol:

 

You could try topdressing your lawn which might help it recover quicker.Brushing a mixture of sharp sand,compost and sieved topsoil onto an establised lawn makes them grow stronger with better drainage too when spiked beforehand.All the major football clubs topdress their pitches and think about the abuse they get!

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Hi. My lot have been confined to barracks today and yesterday. It's this non stop rain that means my grass doesn't get a chance to dry out and as soon as it's waterlogged the chooks rip it to shreds.

 

Yesterday, I knew it what would happen to the lawn but I thought the poor darlings needed some time out of the run. Well, less than 10 mins later and about 2 sq meters of lawn damage, I shut them away again.

 

I have a dedicated area of lawn fenced off with Omlet fencing for the chooks. Never had this problem last Spring/Summer so when it warms up and grass starts to grow, my lawn will look a bit better.

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You could try topdressing your lawn which might help it recover quicker.Brushing a mixture of sharp sand,compost and sieved topsoil onto an establised lawn makes them grow stronger with better drainage too when spiked beforehand.All the major football clubs topdress their pitches and think about the abuse they get!

 

That sounds like a good idea. I may have a go at that.

 

I think as long as they get some daily greens they don't need grass, although they did so enjoy the offcuts of turf from some of our recent garden exploits! Nothing gets wasted in this household!

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