The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Rosemary on February 24, 2025, 08:50:33 am

Title: Reseeding the poultry pen
Post by: Rosemary on February 24, 2025, 08:50:33 am
Our small flock of hens have two paddocks, one for summer, one for winter. Naturally the winter one takes a bit of a trashing.
The hens are due to move to their summer palace next month, so I want to reseed the winter paddock.
It's about 6m x 6m, hedges on the south and west side, sandy free draining soil.
I could just use the field grass seed but I'm wondering if there are better solutions (I know it will still get trashed again next winter but if there could be something useful until that happens, that would be good).
Title: Re: Reseeding the poultry pen
Post by: chrismahon on February 24, 2025, 10:20:50 am
It should be well fertilised already, perhaps too much? I'd tiller it over just using English Rye scattered and raked in. But cut it short just before they go back in to avoid crop impaction, because chickens will gorge themselves on fresh young grass.
Title: Re: Reseeding the poultry pen
Post by: Backinwellies on February 27, 2025, 07:34:10 am
What about mixing in some brassicas or herb seed?
Title: Re: Reseeding the poultry pen
Post by: Rosemary on February 28, 2025, 01:55:05 pm
I've ordered a kg of this mix. It's enough to do the winter pen twice. We'll move the hens middle March and get it sown. Contents ( 1.00 kg )