Got sand? You should!

[Wednesday]

Currently have 40 chicks in two brooders on a sand bottom. It's working out great for grit and clean up. They are taking tiny dust baths too. Adorable!

 

[workaholic90]

how often do u change the sand? we have 6 hens and i change it quarterly but it does smell sometimes, any suggestion on a odor eliminator? i do kitty litter scoop very day!

 

[Wednesday]

Add more every few months in main run and coup. Otherwise I just rake it daily and dump it on compost pile.

 

[AnotherKim]

Quote:
I just scoop every few days and sprinkle DE in the coop. I've heard that Sweet PDZ is good for keeping smells away. I don't have personal experience so I can't say for sure. I only have three chickens so smells aren't a huge issue for me. Knock on wood.

 

[Andykronsch]

we switched to sand as well. will never go back

 

[Susique333]

how often do u change the sand? we have 6 hens and i change it quarterly but it does smell sometimes, any suggestion on a odor eliminator? i do kitty litter scoop very day!

I put Sweet Pdz in the coop sand and simply rake the sand weekly in the run. My sand is 8-10" deep (was a previous sand bed for a pool). Honestly very little smell.

 

[sunflour]

I have sand in the coop and run, but also in the nest boxes. When my gals started laying I tried pine shavings in the nest boxes, but they ate it....I mean a lot of it! So I tried the sand in the nest boxes and it has worked out very well. No broken eggs, no more eating shavings. I use a reptile cage sifter to clean the boxes. This does leave some sand on collected eggs which is easily brushed off.

I sift the coop poop once a week and add PDZ when under roost areas dampen.

Occasionally, when the run has some odor or is too poopy I sit on a bucket and rake and sift the sand. Add PDZ under water fount or other damp areas mixed with some new sand. The gals love the run clean out days. They look for treasures I might turn up, stand in my sifting pan, look thru my poop collection bucket, stand on my child size rake or shovel...And of course love to give love pecks to me.

And after an area is cleaned, it is their favorite sand bath spa..in the coop or run.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have sand in the coop and run, but also in the nest boxes. When my gals started laying I tried pine shavings in the nest boxes, but they ate it....I mean a lot of it! So I tried the sand in the nest boxes and it has worked out very well. No broken eggs, no more eating shavings. I use a reptile cage sifter to clean the boxes. This does leave some sand on collected eggs which is easily brushed off.

I sift the coop poop once a week and add PDZ when under roost areas dampen.

Occasionally, when the run has some odor or is too poopy I sit on a bucket and rake and sift the sand. Add PDZ under water fount or other damp areas mixed with some new sand. The gals love the run clean out days. They look for treasures I might turn up, stand in my sifting pan, look thru my poop collection bucket, stand on my child size rake or shovel...And of course love to give love pecks to me.

And after an area is cleaned, it is their favorite sand bath spa..in the coop or run.

I have now switched to sand in my nest boxes too. I love it! I scoop them out every morning with a kitty litter scoop since I have babies sleeping there still.

 

[pegm]

I throw scratch out every am along with meal worms. Will this just sift on down to the bottom if there is sand in the run? What they don't eat right away?

 

[eculver]

Ok so we are just starting out have a small coop designed to hold 2-4 hens we only have 2...we have it off the ground because we have 3 large dogs....but do you think sand on the bottom and then keeping straw in the nesting area would be good?