I have observed, however, that in many of the existing systems I have seen, the chickens tend to hang around the hen house, digging holes in the soil, than to use the whole area. I remember that my free-ranging chickens had a definite territory, and wonder if this is the case. The other possibility is that in the existing systems, low grass has been planted, and the chickens seem loath to venture into it ( as it is higher than they are), preferring to eat it away at the edges. Fear of predators hidden in the grass? (in this case, snakes...)
As I am now adapting these smaller backyard systems to larger commercial systems, I am looking for some clear data or personal experiences on this, because my doubt is , if we have more heads and a larger area, will they actually and effectively occupy this whole area, or just pile up ( as I have seen until now) near the henhouse, and leave the edges of the pens untouched..
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