A simple way to supplement fresh greens for chickens!
One of the challenges of keeping chickens in a permanent run is that they can strip every blade of grass from the area surprisingly quickly. Given enough time, even a generous run can become little more than bare dirt, especially when enthusiastic scratching is added to the mix. That’s where a grass grazing trough comes in. It is one of the simplest projects we’ve built, yet it provides ongoing fresh greens, and a little bit of self-sufficiency for the flock. Well… that’s the theory!
A grass grazing trough is essentially a protected patch of grass. Ours is basically a wooden frame made from spare rough-sawn H3 wood (no base as it sits directly on the soil) and covered with aviary netting, allowing the grass to grow through while preventing the chickens from climbing in and destroying the entire crop in a single afternoon.
We’ve positioned the trough along the outside edge of the chicken run, where it receives natural sunshine and rain. As the grass grows through the mesh, the chickens can reach it from inside the run and nibble away to their hearts’ content. The key is that the netting slows them down. Without protection, chickens can pull out an entire patch of grass roots and all. With the mesh in place, they can graze the exposed growth while much of the root system remains protected, allowing the grass to recover and regrow.
Why Build One?
Chickens naturally enjoy grazing. Fresh grass provides variety in their diet and encourages natural foraging behaviour. While it won’t replace their regular feed (be it grain, pellets or food scraps), it offers a constant supply of fresh vegetation right where they live. ‘Constant’ until it needs refreshing, that is.
Anyone who keeps chickens knows they are curious creatures. They peck, scratch, investigate and explore all day long. Having fresh grass available keeps them occupied and helps reduce boredom.
The chickens do the fertilising for you. They are curious little creatures and love to jump up on the netting itself where plenty of manure falls through the mesh and onto the soil below. The grass receives a steady supply of nutrients without any effort on your part.
Maintenance
No matter how clever the design, chickens are determined creatures. Given enough time, they will eventually manage to pull out clumps of grass, roots included. Some varieties of grass seem more resistant than others, but sooner or later you’ll find patches that need replanting.
Fortunately, replenishing the trough is easy. Through the top of the netting simply top up grass seed, cover loosely with dirt, give it a quick water to settle in, and let nature do the rest. Fast-growing pasture mixes, ryegrass, oats, wheat and barley blends work well too.
The grass grazing trough isn’t complicated. It won’t win any engineering awards, and it certainly won’t eliminate the need for chicken feed. What it does provide is an alternative source of fresh greens and a practical way to bring a little more life into a confined chicken run. For a few pieces of timber, some aviary mesh, and a packet of seed, it’s one of those simple homesteading projects that pays for itself many times over.
And judging by how our chooks behave, they seem to think it’s a pretty good idea too.
