Got sand? You should!

[csaylorchickens]

How do you all dispose of your old sand when you want to start with fresh?

Haven't had to worry about that yet hasn't been a year. But I'm guessing shovel it out and into the garden

 

[Couture Family]

I put it into one of the dormant garden beds or an area that I want fertilized. That poopy sand makes really good fertilizer. When we dump it out the girls go picking in it for any pieces of food they may have missed and while they do so they spread it out in whatever area I put it in. I sometimes just put it into the lawn and the girls along with the birds just pick through it and it gets spread into the lawn and the lawn gets fertilized for free. Yes, it does stink for a few days but if it's too bad I just add some DE to it and the smell isn't so bad. Once it rains after the girls have spread it the smell goes away.

 

[scobb]

Do you put sand in the nest boxes as well? I have a very small 4 chicken coop, 2 levels. The top is the roost and nest boxes. I have been using pine shavings. Should I change completely over to sand, even in the roost and next boxes?

 

[chellejeff]

I switched over to sand completely and it has worked well now for years. Initially I kept shavings in the nest boxes but the girls would kick it out onto the sand floor. Switching to sand was a huge improvement.

 

[jennyf]

Just wanted to mention, went to Home Depot yesterday, and the guy helping me load told me they'd sell me broken bags for half off! Might be worth a try at your store. Next time I'm bringing my duct tape tho...

 

[BruceAZ]

How do you all dispose of your old sand when you want to start with fresh?

compost ?

but garden with too much sand is not a good idea

since the soil will not able to retain water for long

and in this desert state it's a waste of water/money that way.

 

[Couture Family]

No, I don't put the sand in the nesting box. I just use wood shavings. The girls like to move the shavings around to make sort of a bed while they relax and lay. So I'd say no on the sand in the nesting box.

 

[lowrypt]

I WILL NOT be able to use sand in Indiana right? In my coop? Or can I and just add a heat lamp. I have a wired keyless light that I can
Put a heat lamp
On and using sand there won't be a fire risk. Please advise. I'm just starting and the coop
Is
Coming next week.
5x6 Amish style coop with 2 6 foot roosts.

the run is 8X12 and was
Going to be sand dirt leaves etc.
it get to 0 degrees herein winter. Thank you. I have 8 babies that will all be hens

 

[veganurbanfarm]

We had issues with deep litter straw last year. Too much clean up and maintenance, not to mention constantly buying straw and then finding a use/place for the manured stuff when cleaning up. Just cleaned out the deep litter from winter a few weeks ago and switched to sand in the run. It is already proving to be much better. It doesn't build up the way that straw did. It doesn't stay wet like straw and so far we are seeing fewer flies. Our coop has a pallet wood floor, so sand won't work in there, but I don't ordinarily have any problems with straw in the coop (aside from the dust when the girls decide to scratch around).

 

[lowrypt]

Yes I juts don't know if I can use sand in Indiana. For the run. I was hoping too. I'm in central
Indiana it gets pretty
Cold. Low single digits and tens for the winter.