Got sand? You should!

[poltroon]

I was in the same boat. Since I have a wood shop, wood shavings was the obvious choice. After a few months it got dusty and stinky in the house. I decided to try sand based on something I read here. In my situation, no comparison. Almost no dust, no smell, easy to maintain. A couple minutes a day with a kitty litter scooper and the floor is clean, and I have a bucket of henpoo for the garden. As for pea gravel, even if I try real hard I can't imagine that being anything but a headache. No absorption capability and no good way to clean it up.

Something to keep in mind is that quality, purchased wood shavings are actually kiln dried, not just swept up from a shop. You would also think that all shavings are similar, but as it happens I'm really particular about which shavings I use and am always unhappy if I have to substitute in a different brand. (This is true no matter which animals I have bedded on it.)

 

[busymadre]

Can anyone tell me how much a "cubic yard" is? Looking at buying river sand and they are selling it for $35/Cu. Yard.

 

[cknkids]

Can anyone tell me how much a "cubic yard" is? Looking at buying river sand and they are selling it for $35/Cu. Yard.

The amount of sand that fills a cubic yard or box (cube) measuring 36 inches on a side (36 inches = 1yard)

 

[Shewholovesducks]

How would that work if you wanted to compost? Wouldn't the sand interfere somehow? I dunno I don't have any yet just curious.

 

[busymadre]

Sand question:
Everyone on BYC (most everyone) thinks sand is the greatest thing for coops/runs/brooders. I put play sand (sandbox type) in the brooder (dog kennel) and after a week there was odor. The poo wasn't in nice clumps. Maybe the girls were scratching too much or something, but I am concerned about what to use now for the outside run. I plan on wood chips in the coop with PDZ on the poo board, but don't want to spend money on sand and then have to get rid of it in a month.
Did I use the wrong kind of sand? Were the chicks too small i.e. their poo too small?
Seemed to take forever to sift poo from the sand and still had more couldn't get up and odor.

Need some advice please

 

[kuntrygirl]

Sand question:
Everyone on BYC (most everyone) thinks sand is the greatest thing for coops/runs/brooders.  I put play sand (sandbox type) in the brooder (dog kennel) and after a week there was odor.  The poo wasn't in nice clumps. Maybe the girls were scratching too much or something, but I am concerned about what to use now for the outside run.  I plan on wood chips in the coop with PDZ on the poo board, but don't want to spend money on sand and then have to get rid of it in a month.
Did I use the wrong kind of sand? Were the chicks too small i.e. their poo too small?
Seemed to take forever to sift poo from the sand and still had more couldn't get up and odor.

Need some advice please

 

Sorry to hear about that. Not sure what to tell you. I use washed sand and I have not had to do anything to my sand run in 2 years.

 

[WinterLadyAK]

Sand question:
Everyone on BYC (most everyone) thinks sand is the greatest thing for coops/runs/brooders. I put play sand (sandbox type) in the brooder (dog kennel) and after a week there was odor. The poo wasn't in nice clumps. Maybe the girls were scratching too much or something, but I am concerned about what to use now for the outside run. I plan on wood chips in the coop with PDZ on the poo board, but don't want to spend money on sand and then have to get rid of it in a month.
Did I use the wrong kind of sand? Were the chicks too small i.e. their poo too small?
Seemed to take forever to sift poo from the sand and still had more couldn't get up and odor.

Need some advice please

I wouldn't worry about having the same smell issues in the run. A brooder is a much smaller space, and I assume you're keeping it indoors? So you're not getting the ventilation you'd get outdoors, so the whole room probably smells. I've never had trouble with odor in my run. It will help it the run is covered and kept dry, but you shouldn't have trouble even if it's not. Most of the poo will be on the poo board in the coop anyways, though of course chickens do poo everywhere. Just go for it, sand is great!

 

[blondietwostep]

where would i buy river sand?

 

[littlemama]

sand for nesting box too?

 

[littlemama]

the lady that sells eggs told me she puts lime down.Her coops and brooders did not smell even one bit.They can eat it,good calcium source too.Her chickens were all very healthy and happy.
You probably dont have to get all the poo up in that case. I'm looking forward to getting some of that sand in my horrible clay garden so it grows better.