Yes, Chickens Eat Grass

One of the goals of the mobile chicken coup, as I understand it, is to provide fresh grass as feed. It cuts down the cost of grain and makes healthier, less fatty, birds. (Since raising our own birds, we've had a very hard time enjoying the fatty ones that rule the market). Mobile coups are a way to provide a controlled free range. They are priceless for small acre gardeners like us with close neighbors.

We've been learning that some birds are more eager to eat grass than others. Freedom Rangers, as their name suggests, are much more eager grass eaters than say Cornish Cross, whose only desire is that you would place the watering dish so close to the feeding dish that they don't ever have to stand up.

This time we have Silver Cross. We were a bit unsure of this breed's interest in grass, especially because (like the Cornish) they're bred to be big birds.

One way to encourage grass eating is to present grass to the birds before they ever enter the mobile coup. (Chicks always spend the first 2 or 3 weeks of their lives indoors, under lights). While these Silvers were still in the shed as chicks, we plucked handfuls of grass and clover to offer an alternative to grain.

We've been surprisingly pleased with this breed. They've proven to be very active, attractive and voracious grass eaters. Our neighbor calls them the perfect lawn mower.

This is our tractor coup. It's simple, easy to move and quite effective for free ranging (except in wind storms!).

If you look closely, you'll see the path of the coup on the right. There are several rectangle patches. Each one is a day's worth of eaten grass.