Tricky Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 My hens,along with the poor winter weather have reduced thier grassy area to a virtual mud flat. I intend to net the area off and fertilize and sow some grass seed. Has anyone had a similar issue and what is the best way acheive results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lougarbard Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Sorry, not very helpful !! But you could always do what we did and lay a patio instead of lawn!! lol Although, now, 2 years later, I would quite like a bit of lawn again. The hens area is just dirt and gravel now, i'm afraid grass doesnt seem to last very long when they are there scratching about, but they are very good for weeding!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metallica1 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Say goodbye to your grass. My garden is mud and the odd blade of the green stuff. We will try and net off an area and seed in the spring. I am so soft that I grow wheat grass in trays for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I think you've got the right idea, you need to seed it and most importantly keep the hens off it! My lawn has also suffered this winter, not from the hens who have hardly been on it, but from my wellies walking across it morning and evening as I go to sort the hens out. I'll be doing the same - reseeding and trying to stay off it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 If it's suffereing because of your footprints, try putting some slabs down as stepping stones. If you do it while the ground is wet, then jump up and down on them a bit, they'll be flush with the ground and the grass will eventually grow around them. All you have to do then is remember to use them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 GRASS....oh you mean that green stuff that we all used to have We had to returf the whole garden last year, and laid a path..things are much better this year, but I dont let the little darlings on my lawn at all now, hence I will have green stuff this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 sorry have'nt been able to get my grass to grow back my chooks wrecked it in the first 3 weeks and that was only them fr on it. To be fair to them though it was'nt a great lawn anyway, but would still love it back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jill the potter Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 When is the best time to sow grass seed then? I would have thought end of March. Our small patch of grass (as we have paved quite a bit of the garden and grow veg on other) is compacted bare earth which will all have to be dug over and raked flat . Could turn into a whole weekend job!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&T Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 When is the best time to sow grass seed then? I would have thought end of March. Our small patch of grass (as we have paved quite a bit of the garden and grow veg on other) is compacted bare earth which will all have to be dug over and raked flat . Could turn into a whole weekend job!!!! Would guess after all risk of frost, and when you can see the grass is beginning to grow (in other peoples gardens if not in yours!). We have learnt to keep the chooks off the grass in the winter. It copes in the spring/summer when it is growing, but not the winter. They instead have access to the veg patch and patio, and we buy cabbages and things to give them to supplement their mash. Another few weeks, and they will be fenced off the veg patch and onto the grass again, so I can grow lots of veg and salad, and the chooks can play on the grass again! The small bits we have had to "fix" we have bought turf for - on the basis it is instant and I am impatient! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 The box of grass seed that I have says you can start sowing it from early March . My problem is; how will I prevent my girls from eating the seeds? They're lightly coloured so they will show up well against the dark soil... I'm considering moving my chooks onto woodchips, too. At the moment the floor is just mud so I don't see any benefit of keeping them on it. Hopefully my lawn will have recovered by summer so that my bunnies have some grass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjandcpj Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 We had to completely re turf our garden (not to be recomended, hard work ) As between my 3 chooks and golden retriever pup the grass had turned to a mud bath. My ladies have been given a barked area for their Eglu & run and seem very happy there. Tracy Doris, Mabel, Nellie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 My hubby has just finished pegging down lawn protector over our muddy excuse for a lawn. Someone else here recommended it, we used six packs at £19.99 for a 6 x 1 metre roll from home base. The idea is that the grass will grow through so you can mow as usual but the chicks and dogs won't be able to dig. I'll post some before and after photos when it finally grows. Hasn't put the girls off as they have been scratching away all afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 If it's suffereing because of your footprints, try putting some slabs down as stepping stones. If you do it while the ground is wet, then jump up and down on them a bit, they'll be flush with the ground and the grass will eventually grow around them. All you have to do then is remember to use them! Thanks Jools, we're going to be having a bit of a garden redesign in the spring and stepping stones is definitely on the plan of things to include! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 You're welcome - it's really easy to do and well worth it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Have a look at omletina's post about grass - she got some great stuff from Homebase (I put some down today) that protects and allows the grass to grow through Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 If you're going to let the hens back on it then plant a poultry ley. It stands up to scratching very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txswanie Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 At the moment my chickens are re-enacting the Battle of the Somme. I haven't had growing grass for almost a year. It all went within a month of the girls arrival. I just buy strips of turf every couple of weeks and lay it around. They seem to have fun demolishing that. Good luck Colette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueandwhite Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 I decided a couple of weeks ago to reclaim a tiny bit of my garden and restore it. I fenced it off with tree posts and expanding willow trellis. Within two weeks I can see blades of grass - actually amazed given the weather. So I've thrown a bit of old grass seed and compost around and covered the whole lot with that white fleece stuff (got it from Poundland) and pegged it down. Hopefully keep grass seed warm and keep wild birds off. Phoebe, however, has found a way in - not sure how as despite watching for hours she only gets in when I'm not looking. Clever girl. If this old seed doesn't grow will get some more for Spring, failing that it's going to be turf (again!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 We are going to returf the bottom lawn - we had dug big veggie beds over most of it, but decided that one was too many. There's still grass down there but it's very sp"Ooops, word censored!" due to overhanging trees too. As it often resembles a paddy field we are going to have to make drainage ditches in there too. Sounds like a pretttttttttttty big job for Easter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nature Chick Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Hello all As the weather is improving we have started to prepare the girls half of the lawn for a summer of destruction as we need to reclaim the rest of the garden for our vegetables and plants! Having read the other threads about Homebase Lawn Protector I have bought one roll and will be getting another tonight (it turns out their run is bigger than Ithought!). I just wanted to see how people had got on with it as I am a bit worried they might catch their claws in it. I am putting down two strips of protector leaving the ends uncovered so that they can dig holes in selected areas! Any feedback would be very welcome! Also, I have a corrugated plastic roof on my eglu extended run and aubiose as a base layer. They have only been shut in this over winter but in the summer we are going away for a week and they will need to be shut in. They will have plenty of water but is there a danger of over-heating? There is a gap at the bottom of a couple of inches which allows airflow. I was thinking of erecting a temporary giant sun shade for while we are away..... Many thanks Sophie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
