Sand in my coop and run! Love it but some questions!

[JessWebb]

I recently put sand in both my coop and run. I absolutely love it in the coop. I only have three hens so it is small and it takes 2 minutes to scoop out the poop with a kitty litter scoop. In the run it is great as well - I rake up the poop and then use the scoop to shake off the excess sand, it goes in a bucket then into the compost.

The one question I do have though is - is it safe for my hens to ingest the sand? It is a natural. washed sand. But when I put their daily treats in there, the fruits/veggies do get covered in sand as they spread it all over the run as they forage. Also the oyster shell/feed ends up all over the floor of the coop/run which they peck at too in the sand.

 

[vehve]

They actually need sand to process their food, it's usually referred to as grit when discussing their eating. They use the sand in the crop to grind the food smaller, since chickens don't have teeth.

*Edit* And if you feel they're wasting too much feed, you might want to look into some sort of feeder, like the "no waste feeder" instructions you can find in the forum.

 

[JessWebb]

Thank you for the advice! I just have to say how amazing the sand is in the coop and run!! I am just in love with it. It is so clean and dry and easy to maintain. And my hens LOVE it! They are so much happier. It was funny that at first they did not want to step on it. Then a few minutes later they were all having the most intense dust baths! It was so cute! The BEST choice I have made (besides getting chickens!).