Got sand? You should!

[Hope49]

Well gee... here I was all sold on using sand, and we should get it delivered tomorrow (we don't have a truck). But now I'm reading on other threads about how much people's chickens DIG, great huge 9" holes to dust bathe in. We are only getting 6" of sand! How will we keep the hens from mixing it all up with the dirt below? Maybe if I just rake it daily??

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
You will get a little of that but it wont be the whole run. You could also take an old tire and lay it flat and fill it with sand on top of the sand to give them a nice dusting hole. I have an old tractor tire somewhere I used to use for training my draft horse.... Or you could get one of those hard plastic wading pools a small one fill it with sand and when they dig they will get plastic bottom.

Just wait till you see if its a problem then deal with it then... might not be much hole digging if any one can dust themselves every where.... Just a thought.

 

[hoppalongg]

Quote:
Great ?. I've been told "yes" and "no". The ones that said yes told me that grit is not sand but crushed granite that the gizzard needs. So I'm gonna put out some grit just incase.

 

[Noncentzter]

I've had sand in my coop for over a year and do not use any extra grit and haven't had any problems.

 

[Strader]

Was wondering if I use sand for perches and floor, what do I use for the nesting boxes? because it seems like I'll soon have a mixture on the floor of chips or hay from nesting boxes and sand from everywhere else? any suggestions. do some people build a small partition between floor and nesting boxes to prevent the mix of both area's.... or maybe chips get cleaned up with kitty litter scoop while cleaning the sand also.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I think you can use sand in the nest boxes too.

 

[PHarris985]

Ive used sand for two months now and wouldn't use anything else.

 

[Kudzu]

I just had a load (15.5 yards) delivered. It cost $128.40, now I have to get it from point A to the coop, point B.

 

[turbodog]

My hoop coop is just about ready to use finally. It has a gravel floor (already had that from it's former life as a greenhouse) I figured that would probably be good, but after reading so many posts touting sand I've rethought that and have decided to dump a thick layer of sand over the gravel. Should be good drainage and I can get all the sand I want for free.

Downside to it is I gotta haul all that sand by the five gallon bucketfull.

 

[wheresmypeeps]

This may be an odd question, but would cheap, basic clay cat litter work?