7 Best Lawn Mower For Small Farm With Chickens Old Farmers Swear By
Managing a small farm with chickens requires a tough mower. Discover 7 models old farmers trust for durability, handling uneven terrain, and flock safety.
Mowing with chickens is a unique kind of dance. You’re trying to manage the grass while a flock of feathered supervisors darts in and out, convinced the mower is unearthing a buffet of bugs. The wrong machine turns this chore into a stressful, inefficient, and potentially dangerous mess. Choosing the right mower isn’t just about cutting grass; it’s about managing your small farm ecosystem safely and effectively.
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Mowing Safely and Efficiently Around Your Flock
The biggest challenge isn’t the grass; it’s the birds. Chickens are curious and fast, and a standard mower deck throwing rocks and sticks is a serious hazard. Your first priority is a machine that gives you control and minimizes flying debris.
Think about your terrain in zones. You have the "lawn" area near the house, the tight, obstacle-filled "coop zone," and the rougher "pasture" where the flock forages. A single mower rarely excels in all three areas. Many old-timers find the best solution is a combination of tools—perhaps a riding mower for the open spaces and a specialized tool for close-up work.
Before you even start the engine, it’s wise to confine the flock to their run or a specific pasture section. Even with the safest mower, accidents can happen. A simple roll of poultry netting can create a temporary, safe boundary that makes the job ten times easier and safer for everyone involved.
Protect your poultry and garden with this durable 50x50ft netting. The 2.4" mesh keeps out birds, deer, and squirrels, safeguarding chickens, plants, and fruit trees.
John Deere S120: The Reliable All-Round Tractor
A lawn tractor is the backbone of many small farms, and the John Deere S120 is a dependable workhorse. Its hydrostatic transmission is a key feature, allowing you to control your speed with a foot pedal for smooth, precise movements around feeders and waterers. There’s no jerky shifting that might startle a bird who slipped through the fencing.
This machine is more than just a mower. With its solid frame and towing capacity, it becomes a small utility vehicle. You can haul feed, move compost, and pull a small cart of tools, making it a versatile player in your farm’s operations. It’s the kind of machine you buy for the long haul.
The S120 isn’t the most nimble, however. Its turning radius can make navigating tight corners around the coop a multi-point affair. For wide-open lawns and light pasture duty, it’s fantastic. But for the intricate work, you might find yourself reaching for a smaller machine.
Ariens IKON XD: Zero-Turn for Tricky Coop Areas
When you have a dozen small obstacles like nest boxes, dust bath areas, and fencing, a zero-turn mower is your best friend. The Ariens IKON XD allows you to pivot 180 degrees on the spot, trimming right up to the edge of a coop wall and zipping around fence posts with unmatched agility. This precision saves a huge amount of time you’d otherwise spend with a string trimmer.
The speed of a zero-turn is a double-edged sword. In open pasture, it can cut your mowing time in half. Around the flock, however, that speed requires a skilled and attentive operator. It’s crucial to run it at a slow, controlled pace in tight areas.
Be mindful of your land’s topography. Zero-turn mowers are famously poor on steep slopes or slick, wet ground. If your chicken pasture is on a hillside, a zero-turn can be a genuine safety risk. They are masters of flat ground but liabilities on inclines.
Honda HRX217VKA: The Indestructible Push Mower
Every small farm needs a high-quality push mower. The Honda HRX series, particularly the HRX217VKA, is legendary for its reliability and cut quality. It’s the perfect tool for the manicured lawn near your house and for the delicate, tight spaces right around the coop that a tractor can’t safely reach.
The control you get with a walk-behind mower is its greatest asset. You can stop on a dime, gently nudge it around a dust bath, and see exactly what’s in front of the blades at all times. The Honda’s blade-stop system is also a fantastic safety feature, allowing you to stop the blades from spinning without shutting off the engine—perfect for when you need to move a stray chicken or a piece of equipment out of the way.
Of course, a push mower isn’t for your main acreage. But trying to use a large tractor for every little spot is inefficient and often damaging to the ground. The Honda is the specialist you call in for the detailed finish work, ensuring the entire farmstead looks tidy and well-managed.
Swisher Trail Mower for Pasture Maintenance
Your lawn and your pasture are two different things. Pasture grass is often taller, tougher, and mixed with weeds that would choke a standard lawn mower deck. A tow-behind trail mower, like those from Swisher, is built specifically for this kind of rough-cut work.
You pull a trail mower behind an ATV, UTV, or your lawn tractor. It has its own engine and a heavy-duty deck designed to power through thick vegetation. This is the tool you use to knock down a pasture after the chickens have rotated out, encouraging fresh, tender growth for their return. It’s about maintenance, not creating a perfect lawn.
The key benefit is saving your primary mower from abuse. Forcing a lawn tractor to cut three-foot-tall field grass is a quick way to destroy belts and spindles. A trail mower is a purpose-built tool that handles the tough stuff, extending the life of your more expensive equipment.
BCS 739 with Berta Flail: Safest Mower for Flocks
If safety is your absolute, number-one priority, nothing beats a two-wheel tractor with a flail mower attachment. The BCS 739 is a walk-behind "power unit" that can run dozens of different implements, but the Berta flail mower is what makes it a game-changer for mowing around livestock.
This 60-inch flail mower connects easily to 15-35HP tractors with a 3-point hitch, delivering powerful mowing. It features flail hammers for dense debris and front safety chains for protection.
Unlike a rotary mower that uses a single, fast-spinning blade, a flail mower has dozens of small "knives" that spin on a horizontal drum. This design pulverizes grass and weeds right where they stand. Crucially, it does not throw rocks, sticks, or other debris. You can walk right beside it without fear of being hit by projectiles, and your chickens are significantly safer.
This is a serious investment, far more expensive than a conventional mower. But you’re buying a system, not just a mower. The BCS can also run a tiller, a chipper, a snowblower, and more. For the homesteader focused on safety and multi-functionality, it is the gold standard.
Cub Cadet XT1 Enduro: Tough Mower on a Budget
For those who need the power and versatility of a lawn tractor without the premium price tag, the Cub Cadet XT1 Enduro series is a strong contender. It offers many of the same features as more expensive brands, like a hydrostatic transmission and a solid cutting deck, making it a capable machine for a small farm.
The XT1 provides a significant step up from a basic big-box-store mower. It’s built tougher, designed to handle slightly rougher terrain, and has the power to pull a small utility cart. It hits a sweet spot of affordability and capability that is perfect for a farm on a budget.
The tradeoff often comes in long-term durability and refinement. While perfectly capable, some components may not have the same heavy-duty construction as premium brands. However, for a few acres of mixed lawn and light pasture, it’s an excellent value that gets the job done reliably.
The Scythe: An Old-World Tool for Cutting Forage
Don’t overlook the utility of a simple, well-made scythe. In the age of engines, it seems archaic, but it solves specific problems with elegance. A scythe is completely silent, so you can work early in the morning without disturbing the flock or your neighbors.
Its primary role on a chicken farm is not mowing the lawn, but harvesting. You can use a scythe to cut long patches of clover, comfrey, or other forage crops to bring to your flock—a practice called "chop and drop." This allows you to manage forage areas without driving a heavy machine over them.
A scythe also gives you ultimate control. You can cut precisely around delicate plants or in wet, boggy areas where a mower would get stuck. It’s not a replacement for a primary mower, but it is an incredibly useful, low-cost tool for targeted, quiet work.
The best mower for your small farm is the one that fits your land, your budget, and your management style. There’s no single right answer, and often the best solution is a combination of tools for different jobs. Start by honestly assessing your terrain and your priorities—especially the safety of your flock—and choose the machine that makes your chores safer, easier, and more efficient.
