Hens and grass

[Yorky]

Our 4 chickens live in an enclosed run with chippings on the floor - they had grass for the first 2 days and then they mullered it so we put chippings down to help reduce the mud bath.
But each time I open the door to fill their food or whatever they desperately try to peck at the bits of grass in the doorway, yet when I throw cabbage leaves or similar leftovers for them they don't get so excited - do they need green or is it just novelty?

I can't free range them even for a few hours as our garden isn't secure enough, and the neighbour doesn't like them :(

mine love the grass. they eat bits of it. they also eat my plants and have ones that they love like crocus's and ones that they leave alone like geraniums. would suggest you look on omlet forum as the people on there could tell you why they like it more than me. can you move the run at all? even if you just do it say 3 or 4 times a year that might help and yes they are destroyers of the ground par excellence.

Ours have greens most days, usually it's just dandelions, milk thistle and stuff, but other times leftover cabbage, lettuce etc. You are supposed to avoid cut grass (according to my book) because it can get stuck in their crop but mine love raking through a big pile of lawn mowings. They had some beetroot leaves from the allotment this morning and seemed to quite like them.
I don't free-range either as we rent and I daren't let them trash the garden.

If it helps at all I got one of these so I could put them on the lawn for a peck around occasionally, usually just before it needs mowing so they can't do much damage. I peg a sheet over the top which does a good job of keeping them in (and gives shade in summer) but obviously wouldn't be any barrier against a fox so I only do it when I can be around to keep a close eye on them, if I'm working in the garden or sitting out with a book or whatever.

Thanks Pixel, that looks an interesting idea. I might look into it for next year, the grass isn't up to much yet as it had a tent stood on it for months earlier while we were having an extension built!

Well I've found that if you put it in a rectangular shape it is just the right size for a single fitted sheet. If you are short like me don't get one that's too tall to climb over as it makes it hard to catch the chooks .