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I had that problem. You can dry it out pretty fast if you use heat lamps or set it out in the sun. Try spreading it thinly and then stir it a couple times a day. It should dry out in a day or two. :) I've put chicks on sand that is still slightly damp, but I'd be hesitant to put them on really...

The dust was so bad for me that I had to not use that room in my house after about week 2 and couldn't go in without a dust mask... However, I used Sweet PDZ which added to the dust by a LOT, and they were also in the house til they were a month which was a disaster. They were only in for that...

kada6305 - That's an interesting set up! For what it's worth, the heat lamp does in fact make the sand hotter than shavings, but I've had no problems with it if I just use a lower wattage bulb or raise the lamp. You can find a height/watt that makes it a comfortable temperature for the babies...

Yes, reptile sand is safe for chicks! The only reason I used play sand at all is because it was SO dirt cheap in comparison to the tiny little bags of expensive reptile sand, lol. I much preferred the reptile sand, so much easier to scoop with no big rocks like the play sand has. missnu01 - I...

How old are your chicks, ready4thegirls? I noticed that when my chicks were really young, they seemed much more unaware of their surroundings and would repeatedly walk through their waterer. Once they were a few weeks old they stopped that. Keeping planter bottoms under the waterers is a good...

I had the problem with getting mostly rocks in the sand at first too, but after a few days of scooping the majority came out with the droppings. Now there's much less waste! I've noticed it helps to do a good bit of shaking with the scoop (if you're using something with a fine wire mesh) to make...

Yes, the sand holding heat is an important point! I had difficulty getting the heat just right for the first few days. Luckily I have a large enough brooder that they could move away easily if it was too hot. My 250 watt bulbs were too hot and I had to buy 125 watt bulbs to get the right...

Just a mini update, I've now been using the sand for three weeks now. There is still NO smell at all! A couple times it started getting a little "chicken-y" smelling... not really a BAD odor, just an odor... and I just added more Sweet PDZ to the sand and the smell went away. The only issue...

Thanks for your suggestion Aldarita! I was considering getting the nesting pads but I was concerned about them getting too dirty. I've always just used hay in nest boxes since it can be replaced easily, but I will definitely have to look into these more. You're right about the hay always...

CarolynF - I haven't seen them intentionally eating the Sweet PDZ, but it's safe if they eat a little. It's supposed to be natural and safe for all animals, and it's just little tiny white grains... it reminds me of clumping cat litter in appearance. I'm glad my post was helpful! What do you use...

Thanks for the comments, I hope it works for you guys too! The reptile sand/scoop should be available in a pet store, yes. I just ordered mine from Amazon since the Petsmart is pretty far away, but they are really common supplies for reptiles and I know those stores sell supplies for them...

I highly recommend it! I hope this is useful to someone. :)

One of my strongest memories of brooding chickens in the past is how badly the brooders smelled. I always either used wire cages with a tray for droppings (like a rabbit cage) or sawdust/wood chips in the past, but since it was about 10 years ago, I no longer remember the exact details. I just...