Grass

rick

rick

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The week before last there was a stock of turf rolls at the DIY store and I got one on a whim. Put it on the roof and watered it till it recovered its condition then cut off sections to put in the run. They went crazy for it and it also seemed to do them the world of good digestively. They don’t get grass normally as they stay in the run and when they do occasionally come out then there is no grass in the rest of the garden (only pot plants that have to be rescued!)
They have some cabbage every day of course.
Trouble is, the availability of a single roll of turf is quite rare. It all went from the DIY store that week and probably wont be back for months. So I was wondering if chopped hay would be OK - its normally not advised for chickens but is that only because of the length causing impaction problems?
 
Length and dryness/fibrosity, wouldn't bother risking it Rick. It's meant for ruminants really.
 
Me neither, hay is dry and it's the juiciness and no doubt vitamins/minerals/trace elements they go for in grass. Added to which hay, if damp, can cause aspergillosis through inhalation. Very unlikely if they are ingesting it, but you never know. plus it could lead to impaction if you are unlucky. Could you grow a patch of grass and cut it either as a piece of turf (best) or as very short mowings, especially for the chooks?
 
Thanks all. What I was looking at was fairly fine meadow grass but on closer inspection it does have quite a bit of heavier stalks in it, and is dry, smells wonderful though! I tried growing grass in trays last year, with mesh on the surface so they would eat the tops and not scratch it up but 3foot Sq is heavy, takes weeks to grow and is gone in a few hours!
Just have to look out for the odd roll of turf as a treat.
 
Turf rolls are usually available in Spring and late Summer in garden centres. I saw some last week, the first for a while.
I give my girls big handfuls of very fresh lawn mowings. However as we're still in deepest drought here, with the ground cracking open and the grass all brown, they'll have to wait until we get some much-needed rain.
 
You should only give them grass when you are sure they have already eaten Rick. That way they won't gorge themselves and get impacted. I agree with the others that chopped hay may cause major problems as they can't digest it, although ours do eat occasional strands of long dry grass which I think may be a mechanism for dragging out worms? Important they have access to grit as well.
 
Hmm. Thanks Chris. The difference between my arrangement and free range, or a movable run on the lawn, when they could take their pick between pellets or some grass is that the grass is a rare treat for mine and are more likely to pig out when it's available.
I put the ragged last piece of turf back on the roof this morning and gave it some water to see if I can get more than one day out of a piece.
 
What about alfalfa and micro-greens Rick. These grow more quickly than grass. I have a friend that gives her birds microgreens - a little a day - and they look great. I'm not sure they need soil either.
 
Yes, they're really good Chickenfan. I'm a big fan of sprouts and a bag of millet (pretty poor fair dry) is transformed and the bag lasts for months when germinated in a small jar.
I tried alfalfa in trays. They pull it up roots and all so it's a one shot crop but very well received.
 
Well, they don’t get to see the great outdoors much so I do try to come up with foraging/interest alternatives for them. Trade off is they are very sheltered and secure in their urban digs.
 
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