Sand as Bedding?

[mlowarren]

Hello everyone,

I can't find anything online about using sand as bedding for baby chicks, but it seems like it would be a good idea. Since a little sand is recommended for them anyway, it doesn't seem like it would harm them, and it seems like it would be easy to keep clean since you could just scrape off the top layer every so often.

Please let me know if anyone has tried this or if you know of any problems it may pose. I'm new to raising baby chicks and don't want to do anything to harm my adorable little babies!

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Melissa

 

[cobrien]

I am not sure what age this would be okay, but I don't recommend it for very young chicks (< 1 week) as they may eat too much sand and get an impacted crop. It happened to one of mine and she almost died.

Please get advice from an expert on what age this would be okay - I'm curious to know too!
Colleen

 

[sheeshshe]

ooooh, I don't know either BUT they would love it though... they'd be able to take their dust bath whenever they pleased! what fun!!! but yeah, not cool if they are eating too much of it though.

 

[Feathered Wings]

It was recommended to me last year to use for chicks and i'm sorry i did i had 2 choke to death on it.
I found both of them with their mouths full of sand apparently suffocated to death.
I only use thick paper towels in my brooder they absorb all the gooey poop and it's easy to change.

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

Thats all I use in my brooders. Its cleaner and I find it absorbs alot more of the oder than shavings. I had a baby duck die last year from eating the shavings so I was determined to find something better. I change the sand out once a week and it works out fine. I do put paper towels down the first day but after that its the sand. I use it in my coop as well and find it is much easier to clean than hay or shavings. I do not use the deep liter method as here in Florida it gets too hot and smells to badly It also attracts more flies.I go in and rake out the sand when it needs it. I use a screen to sift out most of the sand and only have to take out the feathers and poop its much easier for me to do by myself. I do use sand right off the ground as we have tons of it here at Sugar Sand Farms lol

 

[mlowarren]

Thanks to everyone for your replies! You've been very helpful!

Melissa