Got sand? You should!

[chiknhurder]

IMO sand is the better choice. BUT, different things work for different people in different places.

Sand does not harbor anymore bacteria than an absorbent shaving. Sand is excellent as far as drainage goes unless there is a plastic liner or maybe a clay soil underneath. Living near the coast I can say that on a cool day sand that is in the sunshine is warm, and on a hot day sand that is in the shade is cool. I will be using sand in my coop and run. Here in Florida we get lots of rain, and once the vegetation in the run is gone you're left with mud.

But, like I said what works for one may not for the other.

Jenniemig.... You're entitled to your own opinion and I respect that and I know about sand and Florida as I used to live on South Beach. If it works for you then I'm happy for you.

This is in part, my opinion and what I researched when I too was thinking of sand for my coop and run so I was just quoting articles on the subject that I've read about what the experts had to say regarding sand as bedding (DVM's, hatcheries and informed hobbyists). What I found, and realized, was that continuing to use shavings made a whole lot more sense.

Shavings dry out quickly and can be disposed of easily and they compost down into rich soil for use in gardens or on the lawn. Sand does not drain quickly. If it gets rained on, it can retain too much water, especially the sand in shady areas (the cool sand that you mentioned) because of the compacted soil below. Sand is not easy to shovel for any reason and it will never break down in the environment so it has none of the benefits of shavings except that it's easier for humans to keep it turd free. I don't use the words easier to keep clean because you can only remove turds, not the liquids, spilled water or decomposing food. I'm not about what's easier for myself. I'm all about what's best for the chickens. I give my coop a thorough cleaning about one every 4 to 6 weeks during the summer months and as I can in the winter time. Shavings cost me about $5 and that will do my coop and nest boxes twice. When I replace the shavings, ALL contaminants are gone, not just what I can see and scoop out with a cat litter shovel.

The featherless chickens that are being bred now so people don't have to pluck them after they're slaughtered are susceptible to sun burn, heat stroke, the inability to stay warm during cold weather and insect bites. This is all because of people who want to make things easier for themselves and are willing to sacrifice the animals needs in favor of their own and if you ask them why they would do such a thing, I can assure you that they will have a good argument to make their case. People are like that. Try to convince a smoker that smoking is bad.

**** EDIT: For your rainy/muddy problem in your run, you might consider mulch. It too breaks down into compost.

 

[edgband]

Just a few thoughts on sand! It's not the same as grit, it clumps! so if and when they eat it, the moister in there crop will cause it to clump not good! And as for temp sand transmits temp really well so exposed to cold it's going to be cold and say under a brooder lamp ouch!! Ever stepped on the beach sand on a hot sunny day? It burns! well what about the chicks tender feet?
Well just my opinion it did sound great but after looking at it closer I wouldn't risk it!

 

[AnotherKim]

I loved sand, but my asthma got the better of me with it. Even when I wore a mask I would be coughing for days after cleaning. I switched to deep-litter with straw and haven't had any problem. Different strokes for different folks. I highly recommend sand for those without lung problems, but I also like deep-litter.

 

[littlefamily]

I am getting ready to build my coop this weekend. I have chronic upper respiratory issues. I am worried sand will aggravate that. Any suggestions?

 

[dwgov]

I was a big advocate for sand. Easy to clean, easy to get, well until this winter. I'm in Jersey & it was pretty rough. I have 15 birds & February i needed to give the coop a good cleaning. It was no fun! The sand was very damp due to my chickens going out into the snow & bringing their wet feet inside. I used a shovel to remove it from the coop. It weighed a ton. I have a bad back & it was extremely tough. Well it changed my mind & don't think I'll be using sand again.

 

[chiknhurder]

Just a few thoughts on sand! It's not the same as grit, it clumps! so if and when they eat it, the moister in there crop will cause it to clump not good! And as for temp sand transmits temp really well so exposed to cold it's going to be cold and say under a brooder lamp ouch!! Ever stepped on the beach sand on a hot sunny day? It burns! well what about the chicks tender feet?
Well just my opinion it did sound great but after looking at it closer I wouldn't risk it!

I agree with you, edgband. There's plenty of information out there in cyber-space that tells why it's not the best choice for the chickens.

Part of the reason why I got into chickens was to keep me active when I'm not working. I have welded wire hoops in my coop that are 5 feet high and about 4 good diameter and all of the litter from the coop goes into. I get out there and turn them every couple of days and it turns into great compost for my garden. It breaks down into something useful whereas sand sits somewhere piled up after it's become useless because of the amount of bacteria that it holds and becomes a health hazard for pets or kids who might decide to play in it.

edited by staff

 

[jenniemig]

I think that everyone needs to remember that what may work for one person in one location may not work for another in a completely different climate. You have to keep an open mind, explore your options, do your own research, and sometimes learn by trial and error. Sand is not the cure all, but, given MY geographical location, climate, the location of MY coop and run, and my lifestyle it works for me. I have a well ventilated coop and a run that does not have a roof. I have 80% shade cloth across the length of the run over welded wire. My area is not in a low spot where standing water is a problem. It is also in a spot that gets morning sun, and shade in the afternoon.

I have done my research, consulted others with more experience than I have raising chickens, people who are from my area. One of my go to people has his PhD in poultry science, I email him often with questions, he is always happy to answer and give advice. He said that deep litter in the coop is great, and that having a dirt floor in the run is fine as long as it drains. He also said that sand is a good option as well and when you include the sand in the run you are avoiding the muddy mess that can cause problems. He said that damp or dry sand harbors no more bacteria than any other material that would be used in a coop or run. He added that it does not clump anymore than our naturally sandy soil here and should not cause problems if they consume some while scratching and foraging.

edited by staff

 

[4stakes]

Want some opinions. We are converting a 12 x 12 sand box into a coop. We were planning on leaving the 6" of sand on the floor. We live in the NW corner of ILL. What do you think?

Thanks

 

[AnotherKim]

I am getting ready to build my coop this weekend. I have chronic upper respiratory issues. I am worried sand will aggravate that. Any suggestions?

If you use sand, get a mask to cover your mouth and nose. That didn't work very long for me. I ended up switching to straw. The particles are to large to aggravate my lungs.

 

[CarolynF]

Want some opinions. We are converting a 12 x 12 sand box into a coop. We were planning on leaving the 6" of sand on the floor. We live in the NW corner of ILL. What do you think?

Thanks

I've been using sand in my coop and covered run for 3 years and I love it. I've learned that I need the coarsest sand I can find (smaller than pea gravel). Play sand has a lot more dust and costs more so I avoid it. Washed construction sand or C-33* from the gravel pit is what I get. In the coop I keep it only about a half inch deep. I scoop the poop every morning and as the sand sticks to the poop it finds it's way to the compost and I add a few scoops of clean sand as needed. In this way there is no heavy lifting on my part. If there's a spot that gets particularly wet from really wet droppings I just shift the sand accordingly. If I wanted or needed to get rid of the entire amount, being only 1/2" deep it would be an easy chore. Because it's coarse I don't have dust issues at all.

Outdoors it's 4" - 8" deep (because of how we built the run). If you can't keep it relatively dry most of the time (dry enough to scoop poop) it gets really nasty and smelly, then gets hard as rock. In the winter when we get a lot of rain the edges get wet for several days at a time, but it drains well and I just rake it up a bit to let it dry faster. It's not an issue. Although our land is sloped some we've had drainage issues that needed fixing and that's taken care of now. This is something to be very aware of... drainage during periods of heavy rain or snow melt. Coarse sand drains well, but there are limits to everything. There's a post on another thread that describes it very well, you might want to take a look here, it's post #10 on that thread.

Some folks have mentioned that wood chips, shavings etc. will break down. I like sand because it does NOT break down, rotting organic matter is not attractive to me. Sand never rots but it does stick to the poop so it gets cycled out a little bit every day. It goes into my compost and is a great addition to my garden soil. I've rarely had to shovel any out, when I did it was just a spot that got too wet for too long where the wind kept blowing the rain in. Because it's a covered run the sand never gets over heated even on hot days. Our soil is already acid enough, rotted shavings just make it more acid, and it's far bulkier than sand so requires more composting space.

For me it works really well, is low cost and low maintenance.

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*C-33: I don't know if other gravel suppliers use this term, but it was explained to me that it is the coarse sand component that gets used when they mix concrete. The coarse C-33 and the fines get combined once they arrive at the cement plant.