Converting Coop Area from Pine Shavings to Sand, Suggestions wanted!

So this is my coop, and on the left is the actual "coop" the right half and under the coop is the run area. In the run I already used river sand..

...and I love it, it keeps things clean and dry with relative ease. But in the coop I am currently using pine shavings...

...and they are driving me nuts! I want to switch to using sand here as well, but I have to figure out some sort of base to go in the coop to hold and keep the sand. I was thinking something simple perhaps taking a large tarp and cutting it to fit, maybe going up 2-3 inches or so on each wall as well and tacking it in? Someone else suggested I buy laminate flooring and caulk the edges and seems so that it's air tight. I just think I would need some sort of "container" or "base" to support the sand, and maintain it. I am 100% certain I want to switch to using sand in the coop area, just wanting some suggestions or advice as to how to make the switch!

Thanks in advance.

Not the best photo in the world. But I have shavings in my nests and sand on the floor of my run. I bought some plastic carpet protector plastic. That stuff that comes in a roll and has the little plastic nubs on the bottom to grab into carpet? I just cut that to fit in the house. And put about 2-3 inches of sand on top. Oh, put down a good sprinkle of DE between the floor of the house and the barrier.

Really, you are just trying to prevent the more liquid poops from soaking through the sand (which they do super easy) and then rotting out your floor.

I don't see the need to wrap it up the sides. If some sand get below, it wouldn't harm anything.

And I pull it all out once a year and start with fresh. But going through there every morning with a kitty litter scoop keeps my house super clean.

I'll never go back.

Hmm, will have to look into that carpet plastic, I guess they have that at Lowes? It sounds cheaper than a tarp would be..

Decided to go with vinyl flooring, got it finished today. Here are some photos!


I bought the cheapest flooring they had, 8 x 6 ft for $24.99, no one's going to see it anyway!


Covered that with river sand. Now cleaning the coop should be a breeze just like the run!

I have sand as well. I like it a lot.

Hi Folks,
Just thought I'd show you some pictures I took of my coop today after reading your thread, and what I tried. So far so good, I've been using Zeolite in the inside coop, play sand in the outside run, and have a coop very similar to yours Zak. This zeolite stuff is a bit spendy but I added it to my coop back in May and haven't had to change or replace any yet. Note the sifting tools, I posted on another thread "chickenventions" I purchased these at a restaurant supply store, the kitty litter scoop wasn't getting the small broken pieces of poo so i bought these stainless steel tools(washable + durable) for under $7 and now my coop and run are spotless in 20 mins or less. Also I just caulked the bottom edges of the wood floor inside coop, painted with a semigloss exterior paint, and dumped the zeolite right in. It's only less than two or three inches deep,and I've never had a problem with the wet poos soaking down through. It took two 40lb bags for my small 4x5 coop, i got ripped ones at the tack and feed shop for cheaper, and so far they have lasted great. We may need to add a little next month, but now that I have better sifting tools, I don't waste nearly as much. Also, there is no smell at all, the sand outside has very little, but the zeolite inside has near none! Like the spice girls, we use wood shavings in the nest boxes and added a couple of boards in front of them and the exterior door too, so as to hold shavings and or zeolite in or out. The sand and zeolite keep the girls feet clean, dry, and healthy, and the roosts and walls stay clean too. I scoop inside for about 3 mins every am, before work when i let the ladies out, and again in the afternoon for about 15 mins when I come home and let them out in the yard to eat grass and bugs. Biggest cons of the sand and or zeolite for us here in a very dry climate is dust. If you sift and scoop, it does kick up a bit of dust, I always wear a mask if I'm going to be sifting alot, and let the girls out so they don't get it in their lungs either. They dust bathe in the run but don't seem to do it inside in the zeolite. They do eat and peck it occasionally but it is totally safe, and compostable supposedly.

This has definitely made up my mind! I had read somewhere of someone else using sand in their coop and thought that was such a great idea! I have straw at the present, and it is such a
chore to clean out.. I am literally wore out, not to mention the bugs it harbors.... Thanks for the pictures.. I am going to make the switch!

Rhoise - I have never heard of this "zeolite" material, exactly what is it? I also use a scoop I purchased at a restaurant supply store and have had equal success with it! No more wasting sand, and no more only removing only parts of the poop!








I woke up this morning, and cleaned out the coop for the first time, it was wonderful. Compared to those pine shavings it was a dream!

ZaksGarden said:

Rhoise - I have never heard of this "zeolite" material, exactly what is it? I also use a scoop I purchased at a restaurant supply store and have had equal success with it! No more wasting sand, and no more only removing only parts of the poop!
I woke up this morning, and cleaned out the coop for the first time, it was wonderful. Compared to those pine shavings it was a dream!

Click to expand...

I know you gave me the resturaunt supply idea and i found the basket and spoon to be cheaper and faster than the laddle thingy

Zeolite I think are ancient ocean organisms that are mined around the US. If you google it you will see. Also search this web site it's where I first discovered it. They sell it as horse stall freshener, and/or cat litter now! it's coming down in price so look around your area at pet stores/feed stores see if you can find it. It also comes in granular or a more powdery form, I chose the granular it's much less dusty and is just like sand.

I wonder if it is similar to Sweet PDZ or Diatamaceous earth, I use both of those in conjunction with the sand.