From Civilian to Chicken Rancher timeline. - Page 9

April 27

Before I cover the front of the run with wire fabric I want to fill the run floor with sand.  That would be easier then trying to carry the sand thru the 24" people door.

20' length x 6' width x .7' average depth = 84 cubit feet / 27 = 3.1 cubic yards.

Local Gravel Pit tells me about 1 1/2 yards = 1 ton.  So I needed about 2 tons to fill the bottom of the run.

Washed sand is 7.25 per ton.  Delivery charge is $35.

Cost $35 to deliver $14.50 worth of sand....hmmmm....if I double my order to 4 tons then I'm sure to have enough sand and I can do a paving brick type sidewalk to the coop too!  Done!  They will deliver this afternoon.

So for $64 I get 4 tons of sand and many many enjoyable trips with a wheel barrel hauling sand back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...

Word of advice.  Don't have sand delivered after a rain.  You will be paying for more water then sand!  Wait until several days of nice dry weather to before your have your sand delivered.

Local Lumber Yard sells bagged play sand for $3.53 in 50 pound bags.  That would be 160 bags and $564.80 for 4 tons.  Ouch!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackE 

Pine flakes in a big bag, less than $5. To heck with sand and all the maintenance that goes with it.

Jack

I think you miss understood the main purposes of the sand.  In some of the posted pictures you'll note that the run on one end is on the ground and on the other end is on a 8" block to level the run.

The main purpose of the sand is two fold.

1.  To provide a means to keep the coop level.

2.  To have the run floor higher then the surrounding area for good drainage.  My ground is heavy clay and I don't want a mud hole (I'm not raising hogs) for the chickens to spend their days in.

If your big bag of pine flakes weights 20 pounds the cost is 25 cents a pound.  I'm paying less then 1 cent per pound AND I'm also saving the cost of the Physical Fitness Center by hauling wheel barrel loads of sand back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...

Quote:

Originally Posted by canesisters 

I've got a question about using sand to 'level the floor'.

A friend is giving me an old wooden shed to use as a coop.  The site that I'd like to place it is really ... um.. lumpy.  There are dips and holes and some small stumps and knobs where little trees or underbrush used to be.  The ground is so full of roots that digging it level would be a HUGE task.  I was thinking that I could 'level' the site with sand and then set the shed on blocks.  I figured that if I built up a 'frame' of 2x6's around the whole thing and filled with sand/dirt it would stay dry and eliminate the holes & hills.  Would that work?  This is the first time I've done something this big and I don't want to get into it and realize that I'm stuck with something too big for me to fix.

 

Here's the site.  The house is about 100' to the east - close enough to run a hose and extension cord (until something more permanent can be done).  In case you can't read it, I was facing south when I took it. 

Yes that would work (IMHO).

Cover the sand on the outside of coop with something hard so the rain will not wash the sand away and undermine your coop.

April 27

8700 pounds were delivered as promised for a total (including delivery) of $78.73

Notice the stray cats are already using it as a giant litter box!

Well it didn't take me long to scrap the wheel barrel method of moving the sand to the run.  I brought out the big guns.

Plan is to fill the run to the top of the 2 x 4.  That will give me a sand depth of 3 1/2" on the "shallow" end and almost 12" on the "deep" end.  When the rains have washed enough sand under the walls to support them, then around the outside of the walls limestone to keep the sand from washing out further.

Here's a picture of how much the first wagon load covered on the "shallow" end.

I tempted to see how much the neighbor would rent his Bobcat with a Driver...but then the exercise will not hurt me...shovel in, drive in a circle, shovel out, drive in a circle, shovel in, drive in a circle, shovel out, drive in a circle, shovel in, drive in a circle, shovel out...nobody knows then trouble I've seen, nobody knows my sorrow...

Quote:

Originally Posted by destinidawn 

Thats a lot of sand. Ha. I want to put sand in my enclosed run... Hmmmmmm maybe this weekend. :)

 

I've got the shoveling experience and the means to haul it.

I'd be glad to come out your way and help you.

No charge for my labor but a slight insignificant charge for equipment transportation...