The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: suziequeue on June 05, 2012, 07:45:19 am

Title: Grass care in runs
Post by: suziequeue on June 05, 2012, 07:45:19 am

We now have the hans in smaller runs but can move them from one to the other once a run starts to look poached.


Once they have moved off the run, should I rake the thatch up from the grass to let the light get to the base? or leave it to let worms and insects accumulate for the next time the hens come in??

Title: Re: Grass care in runs
Post by: Rosemary on June 05, 2012, 11:08:00 am

We rake it, sometimes put some lime on the worst bits and reseed the bare bits with a poultry mix.

Title: Re: Grass care in runs
Post by: chrismahon on June 05, 2012, 06:00:44 pm

I rake out the excess poo and dead grass and leave it to grow. Occasionally grass seed a bit. But they don't go back to that area for a year. As Rosemary says lime is good to kill the pests and also to rebalance the ph of the ground. Chicken poo is a great compost when matured. Problem is it is acidic and grass can't grow above 6.5ph, which is only very slightly acidic. So the alkaline lime redresses the balance. Otherwise you just get a patch of acid tolerant weeds.