Chicken pen

[HeatherAtHome]

We might get chickens someday once we're settled in. We don't have enough land to let them free range and there are too many dogs roaming around besides. The idea of a scratched down, bare dirt pen is a little sad though. Would it work to have two separate pens to let them out into? I'm wondering if they're switched back and forth between two pens if the grass and other plants would live (which I imagine would be preferable?)

What plants could I grow in that section? (I'm thinking ground cover etc) What do chickens like? What should they be kept away from?

[WaitingForKiddos]

Chickens will munch or scratch any plant in their reach. Mine just decided that the middle of my blooming iris' are their favorite nap spot and I now have a chicen size flat spot in the center of each bunch! I've heard of people having movable tractors and dragging them around to get to new grass all the time but I have no idea how the ground recovers.

My 5 girls are in a run that's about 8x30. Before they got the run the area was nice green weeds and grass with a plum tree. 7 months later it's packed dirt with a plum tree. However, they love the dirt and take dustbaths in it daily. They also like to scratch the dirt to get at little bugs.

I think it would be less of a PITA to just decide that either they'll stay in their run 24/7 and make sure you provide mental stimulation. (you'll prolly end up doing this always because bored hens are loud hens and its also fun to watch them play) Or you could set aside a bit of time each day to have freerange with supervision.

Hens can be really fun and you might find that a dirt run doesn't matter much because you our your family is always hanging out with them. I sit in the run daily and find it's a great place to just relax. I've also been known to take a favorite hen into the house to watch tv with me.

[WaitingForKiddos]

Oh and chickens pretty much know what they shouldn't eat. I have poisonous plants in the backyard where they freerange and they've been left alone.