The scoop on sand as bedding!

katelk

Songster
6 Years
May 6, 2013
412
13
111
White Bluff, TN
I have heard about 50/50 positive and negative aspects of sand bedding in the chicken coop. I am dying to use it for its "cleanliness" and convenience. However, I have heard from some sources that it can harbor ecoli and coccidiosis.
I am all about convenience and having a sanitary coop, but also want the best for my girls.


Bottom line: is sand bedding good or bad?
What type of sand should be used?
What are the cons of sand in the coop?
 
I put construction grade sand in my chicken run. It helps keep the flys down some by drying the chicken poop out & it is easier to clean.
 
Any diseases in a coop are coming from the chickens, not their bedding. I think that if a chicken has a disease, pine shavings will hold (or aid in spreading ) it almost the same as sand will. I've used the washed construction grade sand (Quikrete, at lowes) for a while now, after first having tried pine shavings. The sand is very easy to maintain; I use a cat litter scoop attached to a longer handle, to reach the corners. I spread some PDZ (granules, not powder) over it occasionally too, and in the pan under my roost bar, I use only PDZ. My coop and runs don't stink, and (granted I only have four) neither do my chickens :) I still use pine shavings in my nesting boxes.
 
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Oook you guys are really making me want to run out and buy a bunch of sand this weekend lol.
So it definitely needs to be "washed construction sand"?
Another negative I have read about sand is that if the chickens eat it they can get an impacted crop from it clumping up in there?

How often do you add fresh sand on top and how often do you do a total clean out and add all new sand?
 
New question:

I was looking online for where I could buy sand. Turns out there are a lot of different types of sand. Ha. I know it needs to be washed, construction grade sand, but is it supposed to be medium or coarse grain? And I think it's is not supposed to have silica, and I cannot find where that is specified on any sand I have found.
Anyone use a specific product from Lowes or somewhere common that I could check out? They have a ton of different Quikrete!
 
Ok. The place I found said their sand is not washed. I am having a lot of trouble finding a place near me that sells proper sand.
As a last resort, is there a specific sand product I can go buy at lowes or somewhere?
 

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