Paddock help!

[Killerbunny]

SO the turkeys live in about 1acre paddock split into 2. Looks like swamp right now poor things. What do you use to help the grass etc. grow better? The is there but that's not really balanced fertiliser.

[Robbie]

I have come to realize that rotational grazing is the only way to do it- even a few chickens destroy their ecosystem if they aren't kept off it, to allow the grass and plants to re- grow. My chickens have trashed everything, the closer to the coop the more trashed- even the stuff that's supposedly toxic. :-/
It might work to quarter the area, or keep them in a smaller "sacrificial" pen to allow stuff to grow out. I will buy a lot of fencing this year, for sure!

[Ontario Chick]

I find straw works best for me, I save inferior straw too rough to be used as bedding inside, works very well.
Spread fairly heavy layer by all the pop holes, and then more lightly further out.
They still get to scratch but the grass roots are protected and given chance to get a good start, and the generous supply of Nitrogen is somewhat balanced by the Carbon in straw.

[Epona]

The straw idea works well for me too, but I've used hay as well. The chaff off both can reseed the area. I do rotate so that gives the whole process time to work.

[Ontario Chick]

Hay adds more Nitrogen and tends to get moldy fast.
As the grass starts to poke thru, I rake roughly in to windrows, chickens "rake" it right back a gail :) and the straw eventually breaks down.