debbie26pet Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 my garden over last few days, i know wether been awful, i have no grass hardly left, what is the best seed to regrass now i really want my grass back, my chickens aint out every day, so i cant blame them its all this rain its puddled in places. what can i do i have 4 kids who need to play on it im hoping soon. so can i start spreading grass seed over it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 End of march is best according to all the sites ive read but I did my lawn with some pound shop seeds already (saving the good seeds till april). Last week i put the seed down and have seen no shoots yet. If you dont want to risk wasting it I would wait till the weather picks up. But like I said the last 2 weeks of march are supposed to be the ideal time. If the mud sticks to your shoes then the ground is to wet so let it dry a bit....... so ive been told. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Getting it ripped up and new turf laid . (It needed doing anyway, so it's not the girls' fault entirely!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJuff Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Keeping them off it and hope it picks up with the weather!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roo4006 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 We have moved ours off the grass (well if you can call it that ) they ate all of it We have made them an enclosure, so they now have a bit of the garden to themselves. They seem happy enough as they can rummage about all day now. Its two weeks since they have been in their own run and the grass is starting to grow back,its a lovely colour of green, all that poop must have done it some good. Ruth x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 We've ordered a walk in run...it's the only hope for the grass in our garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffik Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 The chooks destroyed my back lawn so I've had it decked instead because it just looked awful Lol. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoice Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I'd wait till the tmperature rises a bit later in the month (I think it has to be above 5 degrees for the seed to germinate? ) Anyway, a member on another thread on here (Can't find the post but remembered the link) suggested Poultry Grass Look here I've also found this has a similar 'ingredients' of seed too. Hope it helps, will be getting some shortly as my garden is a muddy swamp too. I'm also going to get some stepping stones across the lawn to the girls so i don't have to keep treading on the grass and ruining it. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cordelia Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I'd love to say I have a walk-in run, however to now save the garden, my girls have been confined to their eglu run..with extender.. I cant say they are happy about it though, and I feel guilty, but they escaped under the fence to the front garden, and that made me do the deed..... I cant have them wandering off now Im at work all day.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 We re-turf every spring. Our patch is no longer grass but a brown farmyard. It is cheaper for us to returf every year though than to buy fencing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I am trying this http://www.thegrassseedstore.co.uk/500-poultry-grazing-pasture-p-309.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoice Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Ah-ha - it was you, DA, that posted that link. I couldn't remember who it was or from what thread. Have you sewn any yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Not yet it's too cold. We had quite a frost last night. I have bookmarked my original post and will keep you posted.... I am determined to out-chicken my chickens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurmurf Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 we sowed some poultry mix grass seed in the worst affected area of lawn in Jan (i know we weren't supposed to but it kept my OH happy and quiet) and it's growing already.... mind you the rest of my grass is regrowing beautifully too now that we've 'omlet fenced' an area of the garden off for them to free range on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 In the snow I had a muddy field(yes sounds grand but the nice lawned look was churned up by some 4 legged beasties and it become a mud bath)I am talking a foot deep of pure mucky mud...I live in mud all through the winter... I obviously had to move them off but I only rolled it back again after it dried a bit and if u saw it in such a short space of time(couple of weeks) it is green...grass. The spring like temp we had recently best time of year for grass to get growing As already mentioned it is indeed above 5 centigrade grass will grow again...Best to try to keep them off it for a while or just off when its really wet. Good luck indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 We are re seeding in April and I'm getting some Omlet chicken netting so the girls will still have a patch of erm mud (formerly lawn), to free range on. They wont be thrilled but we want a lawn back!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyber Chook Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 As well as the temperature needing to be above 5 degrees, I read that the next most important thing is for the seed to constantly have enough water, which is why it's best to sow in Spring or Autumn. Apparently you can sow in summer, as long as you water the growing lawn seed very regularly. I found a whole load of turf in a skip on a Christmas Day walk! We shot home and went straight back in my little Nissan Micra and stuffed it full to the brim. There was enough to almost completely cover the bare brown mud patch left by the Cube run, and now it's growing beautifully. Keep a look out on your local freecycle website, because I do see turf advertised fairly regularly and there's nothing like getting something for free Caroline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLK69 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Hi, I'm sure I read on here previously about, filling a black bag with a mix of compost and seeds and keeping it indoors till it sprouts then scattering in the garden - quicker results and stops wild birds eating the seed - going to try it myself, as I confined the chooks to one area and they have trashed over the wet winter. S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 The top half of the garden is fenced off now with Omlet netting and I sowed grass seeds about ten days ago. No sign of anything other than dandelions yet I'll wait until the grass is really really long before rotating the chooks to seed more of the mud patch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I've just had a lovely chat with Roy at www.bostonseeds.co.uk He's recommended the hard wearing grass seed so that's what I'm getting. The advice I was given was over 30% rye grass and creeping red fescue make a good hard wearing lawn! Buffie x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydie Griffiths Posted March 11, 2022 Share Posted March 11, 2022 The hens need a lot of room a being able to scratch the ground. Ideally, you divide your garden into 2 parts and allow the hens on one side while the other is recovering. Alternatively, in winter, if all the grass is gone and the place gets muddy, get some mulch or wood chips. That will soak the rain, look good, prevent the hens from roaming into wet poop contaminated mud and they love it because they can scratch again. Mulch is natural and will biodegrade. In spring, returf the garden suing rolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
