When is the best time to mow for chickens?
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2-4 Weeks Before Installing Chickens
For chickens mow 4-6” (or 10-15cm) about 2-4 weeks before you move chickens there.
Mowing a little higher leaves plenty of plant left to act as a solar panel to help with photosynthesis and regrowth. It also continues to shade the soil and provide housing for bugs, which will become a source of protein for your birds.
Mowing and leaving the clippings on the ground has several benefits. One of which is grass clippings act as a 10-10-45 fertilizer. A nice little boost to the plant that is about to feed your livestock.
0-2 Weeks After Mowing
When we mow or graze the field we hit a restart button on that plant’s growth cycle. We then let the plant rest so it can develop new leaves to feed our chickens.
During this time the plant is mobilizing stored carbohydrates from its’ roots up towards the leaves to support regrowth. If you develop stronger root systems in your pasture by building healthy soils, this regrowth period will get quicker, and your farm will become more productive.
During this time the nutrient content of the plant is low as it recovers from its trauma and begins to rebuild itself.
2-4 Weeks After Mowing
This is peak chicken grazing time. The plants have grown new tender shoots. Protein content is at an all time high at around 18-25% of dry matter. As far as chickens are concerned, this is when plants are at their most tasty.
This timing will vary based on your soils, your rain fall, your climate, your previous impacts, and your history over the years as a manager - good or bad.
This grass height is ideal for chickens. They…
can see over the top of the grass to watch for predators
can lay close to the soil that is kept cool from the shade of the plants.
have an easy time navigating and walking through grass this high, which makes moving chicken tractors easier.
have access to bugs which are living in the grass.
poop directly onto the ground where it will help the plant recover after the impact of this flock of chickens
And on and on….
5+ Weeks After Mowing
Grass that is over five weeks past mowing is not ideal for chickens. Sure, you can put them in it and they’ll survive just fine. But we want to optimize for happiness and productivity from our birds.
When your grass recovers from your chickens and it’s getting to be older you have two options:
You can mow or graze it again to restart the plant’s growth cycle.
Or you can let it get long and go to see to create more plants. Then trim or graze later in the season.
The choice is yours. Choose wisely…
TL:DR
Mow to 6in (or 15cm) roughly 2-4 weeks before you move your chickens out of the brooder and into your chicken tractor.
This can vary dependaing on your climate, but it’s a solid starting point.
We would like to cut down on our feed bill by optimizing our pastures for happy chickens. Chickens like diverse native forages that are low to the ground, tender, broad-leafed, higher in protein, and taste as good as grandma’s lasagna.
Mowing ensures that the grasses we want are not out-competed by the grasses we don’t want.