We put our main flock back on pasture today. Even though they have the whole woods to roam through in winter and early spring, the grass truly is greener on the pasture side of the fence.

Why? Good management. We kept poultry out of these areas while the plants were just starting to break dormancy, so grass and clover had time to get their feet under them before being pecked to death.

To maintain that healthy state, we'll rotate our flock into a new pasture in a week and continue through all four pastures before returning to this first location after nearly a month of rest. With the exception of extreme summer droughts, that should keep the flock happy and healthy all year.

Want the long version of this short explanation? My book Pasture Basics walks you through setting up rotational pasture systems for your flock that will keep your grass green and your chickens happy. Good luck!

Want more in-depth information? Browse through our books.

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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.



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