South Florida People, shavings or sand?

I am thinking of getting some River Sand for my coop.

My coop ( children's playhouse  8 x 10 schoolhouse) came today and will be put up over the next weekend. My peeps are due to come the week of April 23rd. ( a bit nervous about receiving  them alive) 

I am going to brood them right in the coop with heat lamps  to keep them toasty warm. I can't seem to decide what is better to use sand or shavings for this area (Loxahatchee)

I am free ranging them when they are old enough to go out. I hope the hawks will not be an issue, neighbor down the street has not lost any ever to a hawk. ( he is a lucky guy)

So, sand or shavings or something else? What do you think? 

My coop will have a plywood floor with linoleum over it.

How long did you have the sand before it got smelly like that?

I read an article that said once a year to change it. I think in a 8 x 10 space it would be more often that that. 

What do you use now? 

I am just trying to find the best solution for hot high humid conditions. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireTigeris 

I had sand- I'm in Jacksonville-

 

It became clay- it got clumpy and smelly.

 

Not sure if the shavings alone would be better- I'm thinking pea gravel with sand on top

Thank you I agree I will put up poop boards and I think I will try the sand.. if it doesn't work, I can remove it and try deep shavings.

I am getting so excited. We are building our coop this weekend and my peeps come the week of the 23rd.

I am going to brood them right in our coop and put in a heat lamp for the night time. It is very warm here in Loxahatchee so getting a chill is really slim.I am going to corral them in the coop at first to keep them closer together. I am trying to figure out the best idea on that. I guess if I could find a big box that would work. I do have some huge big rubbermaid tubs as well. 

Here is what my coop is going to look like when it is put together. We are going to add 8 nesting boxes and natural tree perches with driftwood. 

http://betterplayhouses.com/stratford.php

Quote:

Originally Posted by FireTigeris 

It was closer to 6 months -

 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/album/view/id/6177963/user_id/44847

 

My run/coop is 12*24*8 + 3*5*3  --- I had 2 cubic yards of sand in there put over 'construction sand' so that might be what happened.

 

On the bottom to prevent dig outs/ins I have vinyl lattice.

 

Rain gets in on the hardware cloth covered side...

 

In yours I would use poop boards and sand...

 

For

the moment I'm thinking of pea gravel and sand for the run and sand only in the coop. Or leaving the lattice it hoses of really nice.

Halfway done with the coop, the crowning glory will be the big bell on the roof. 

I hope to train my flock to come to roost by the bell gonging and meal worms waiting.

My husband has worked hard for the last two days on this. He is doing a great job.

My job will be painting, the primer looks like paint! But it is only primer so I am going to give it two coats of something very close to that, just a couple of shades darker to match our house. 

I am going to use a darker color for trim.

I am also going to get flower boxes and hand paint them cool looking. 

One will never be able to say these birds didn't have a great life. 

My turkeys are going to be pets, we named them Fred and Ginger. I have heard that they are wonderful flock protectors from Hawks which has been my greatest worry. 

Thank you. I have it now half painted as that photo is the house with just primer on it. I have painted it a light color to match out house. I painted the bell red to give it that school house look. We are adding builders fabric for all of the screens of the windows for added protection. 

We started the roof today and hope the entire structure will be done tomorrow. All I need now is to add the roosts and the nest boxes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ole rooster 

  Wow, what a nice place. I like that. If you clean the house and keep the sand dry you won't have any smell. I've had sand from the get go and never have I had a problem. I have 7 week old chicks in a brooder now with shaving in the house and can't wait till I get them outside in their own little coo/doghouse. I've added a door and a nest box since I took this. Sand in the run and in the coop, plus a roof over the run.  I figure this will do till I let them out. I give um 3 weeks and I turn um loose.