Moving your flock around the yard is a simple yet powerful way to increase both your chickens’ happiness and the health of your yard. If you’ve ever wondered how to keep your flock engaged and your grass green, this approach may be the solution. Let’s dive into the top five benefits of moving your flock and why it’s easier than you think.
Better Soil Health
They might be little, but chickens are like your mini gardening helpers. They break compacted soil as they scratch the ground, allowing air and water to seep deeper into the soil, along with nutrients. Their droppings are full of nitrogen, making great natural fertilizer for your yard. Ever notice how green and lush the grass looks after they’ve spent some time in one spot? That’s their magic at work.
But the kicker is, it makes an awful lot of waste if left in the same place for too long, which no good can come of. Moving them around frequently avoids this and keeps a balance. Your land stays healthy, just like your vegetables. This is what people call “chicken manure composting.” It can be a real asset to garden soil, provided you do it right. The chickens contribute to increased microbial activity through the continuous turning of the soil, hence assisting the plants.
Moreover, chickens do help prevent soil compaction—a big problem in backyards because, as time goes by, the ground can get so firm. It is a fact that while walking, pecking, and scratching, chickens give natural aeration to the soil, which, in turn, allows easy expansion of roots and subsequent access to essential nutrients. After some time, you will observe that your plants are growing more robustly in those places where your flock has been pecking.
Natural Pest and Weed Control
Have you ever watched your chickens after a bug or weed? They are relentless! Moving your flock around allows them to peck at and explore new patches of ground where they can eat those pests that harm your plants—stuff like ticks, beetles, and various other insects.
But the best part? They love it! The bugs are just one grand scavenger hunt to them, and you get the added benefit of reduced pests. Plus, chickens help to control weeds by scratching at the ground and uprooting those pesky plants. Ditch the weed killers; your flock’s got it covered.
They are very good for the effective control of insect pests, which will reduce mosquitoes, flies, and ants in the area. Some studies have shown that chickens even help decrease populations of some injurious pests, such as ticks, which carry Lyme disease. Lastly, allowing them to scavenge the weeds reduces the need to apply chemical herbicides, keeping the garden more organic and environmentally friendly.
Speaking of weed control, chickens naturally avoid grass but go after broadleaf weeds like dandelions, clover, and even some grassy weeds. Their steady scratching uproots them, preventing weeds from growing again. You do need to be careful if you have any sensitive plants or flowerbeds, though—chickens can get a bit overzealous in their duties!
Prevent Overgrazing and Land Erosion
If you have ever let your chickens stay in one place for too long, you know what happens—bare patches of dirt where grass used to be. Chickens are enthusiastic foragers, and they can do some serious damage if left in one area. Rotating them around the yard prevents overgrazing and allows the grass to recover.
Another added bonus? It stops land erosion. With tools such as the mobile range coop, you can wheel the chickens around with ease to fresh areas, allowing time for the land to rest and rejuvenate. Kind of like crop rotation but for your backyard flock!
This overgrazing degrades the structure of the land, making it more prone to erosion through wind or water. Over time, it can develop runoff problems, particularly in sloping areas. This might also affect other plants around. Regular rotation of your chickens keeps this from happening because it allows the grass time to grow back and strengthen the ground.
A good rotation system mimics the balancing way of nature. In the wild, animals rarely overgraze a particular area for too long, and by rotating your flock, you’re bringing that natural cycle right into your backyard. Plus, you will notice that by spreading the activity around, your lawn will have fewer bald patches and more evenly lush sections.
Healthier, Happier Chickens
Much like us, chickens like a little change of pace in their day. When you move them onto new ground, they get new greens, different bugs, and a change of scenery to boot. This keeps them fit, both exercise-wise and mentally, translating to healthier birds across the board.
You observe that chickens do like to scratch, peck and dust bathe. Giving them new places to explore allows them to enact all those natural behaviors to their heart’s content. And let me tell you, happy chickens equal more eggs and better health later on.
Moving them around regularly prevents boredom, which might then lead to unhealthy habits, such as feather pecking or aggression within the flock. A change of environment keeps them curious and active, hence always acting in harmony. Variety is not only the spice of life for humans; chickens love it when they are afforded chances to experience new environments and stimuli.
But apparently, happy and unstressed chickens can produce more and better eggs. The possibility to enter different areas with different types of vegetation can also provide various types of food that could contribute to better health and productivity in laying eggs.
Cleaner Environment for Your Flock
Nobody wants to live in a filthy house, and chickens are no exception. Leaving them consistently in one area will certainly build up waste that translates into a filthier and less healthy area. This can create an accumulation of waste that’s not only unfriendly but may attract pests and lead to diseases.
In other words, each time you move the chickens, it’s another fresh beginning for them: they get virgin ground unsullied, and you are spared the hassle of having to work with nasty compacted soil. It’s a win-win!
A cleaner environment for your chickens also means fewer parasites, such as mites and lice, that can be found in dirty, wet bedding. Rotating your flock allows you to avoid areas where there would be waste buildup, thus reducing many of these pests. It will also reduce odors, which may be an issue with backyard chicken keeping, particularly in more populated areas.
If the chickens reside in a cleaner and more sanitary environment, then they will not be prone to any disease, thus reducing their veterinary costs. On top of that, it’s so much nicer for you to have a fresh, odor-free coop without the messy and constant mucking out. This way, your chickens will be healthy, and you keep your yard looking and smelling its best.
Conclusion
One of the most practical ways to tend chickens involves moving them around, but it is equally a way to tend yards. With healthier soil and natural pest control being some of the benefits, let alone happy chickens, this is definitely an approach worth considering. And, of course, with the help of the mobile range coop, it’s easier now than ever to make this part of your regular routine. Why not try it out and see for yourself how much better your chickens will do, and your yard?
You might just find that by rotating your flock regularly, you can raise a healthier and more resilient lawn that can tolerate heavy use. Overall, it’s an excellent, sustainable method of backyard management while keeping your chickens happy and entertained. Happy chickens, happy yard—who can ask for more?
