I am also not a big fan of bleach. This spring I used lemon Dawn (the lemon helps) and water to scrub down. All pine shavings removed and put in the run.
Sand holds liquid (ammonia etc) which attracts bugs and is unhealthy for chickens (think respiratory disorders).
But do what you think is...
well if the bugs are on the chickens, and i don['t know what the bugs are, consider permethrin dust or spray for your babies. i feel the same, they are precious to me.
I am not a big fan of sand but it works in certain climates.e
Also make sure your chickens have access to a dustbath: in a...