“Chicks Dig it” premium Sand

[Alchemist]

Hi! I recently started using the premium sand called chicks dig it, in my coop. It’s amazing! Expensive but worth it so far.
Was curious if anyone has used it in their brooder. We have 7, two week old baby chicks in our large brooder and wanted to use the sand but wasn’t sure if it was safe.

Anyone else using it?

Thanks!

 

[nuthatched]

How does it compare to normal sand?
It doesn't look that impressive from the website, tbh

 

[Alchemist]

Normal sand is dusty, well because it’s sand. This is almost like the smallest pea gravel I could imagine. It’s dust free. I opened 4 bags and dumped them out, it wasn’t the poof of dust that normally occurs. I guess the best comparison would be standard cat litter vs the blue crystal litter.

I use hemp bedding in the brooder now. It’s just hard to clean, IMO.

 

[Sunni_Chick]

Hi! I recently started using the premium sand called chicks dig it, in my coop. It’s amazing! Expensive but worth it so far.
Was curious if anyone has used it in their brooder. We have 7, two week old baby chicks in our large brooder and wanted to use the sand but wasn’t sure if it was safe.

Anyone else using it?

Thanks!

I am! But I wouldn't use it in the brooder just because they might eat too much of it.

We are new to chicken tending and are just getting going. My husband and I took on the adventure of building our coop/run because nothing we could purchase was big enough for the long run. Ended up buying a small coop/run just to get the babies outside once they were old enough (you can see it to the left in the pictures - figure it will work in the future for a grow out coop). They are 12 weeks as of this week and are finally in the new run. It is 12X24 feet and has 127 bags of PCS (Premium Chicken Sand - Chicks Dig it) for a 3in deep bedding. We obviously need more but that will have to come AFTER we finish the coop. Inside the coop we have been using hemp bedding and will be doing deep litter in the new coop when done.

So far I have scooped the poo 3 times in the 2 weeks they have been in the run. I ended up getting a different scoop because the first one was letting too much of the droppings through...the new one works great and honestly is easier on my back

There is a 2ft predator apron all the way around with the mulch and stone on top of that. I just started landscaping this weekend while hubby works on the feeder hopper and the framing inside for the coop. There are 2 roosting bars back by the shade cloth for a short term solution until the coop is completed. As I said we are very close to completion.

 

[Alchemist]

WOW! Looks gorgeous and thanks for the info. I agree, I wouldn't use it in the brooder either. But in the run,
I am loving the sand, I wish I could afford that many bags! The only way for me to get it in Washington State at this time is to order it on Amazon and its $28 a bag. Once they start distributing it to our local farm store I will be thrilled! So will my chicks!

Beautiful Coop! Job well done!

 

[Sunni_Chick]

WOW! Looks gorgeous and thanks for the info. I agree, I wouldn't use it in the brooder either. But in the run,
I am loving the sand, I wish I could afford that many bags! The only way for me to get it in Washington State at this time is to order it on Amazon and its $28 a bag. Once they start distributing it to our local farm store I will be thrilled! So will my chicks!

Beautiful Coop! Job well done!

Thank you so much! It is certainly a project that morphed into a HUGE project. I became a little obsessed...LOL And my hubby just has tried to make my vision come to life. I'll post more pictures once he finishes the actual coop.

I spent $21/bag on Amazon and then it went up to $28/bag if you bought a skid. Then it went to $32/bag...I ended up calling Gulf Coast Sands to see if there was another way to get more. He told me about Bomgaars getting it in their retail stores to test how it did in a retail setting - they cannot keep it on the shelves. We drove down to Cincinnati to get another 20 bags so I can get the depth deeper before winter. Retail it is $10.99/bag - HUGE difference.

 

[Sunni_Chick]

Alchemist! I am not sure where you are located in Washington State, but I just looked at Gulf Coast Sand's site and found it in multiple locations in WA - Coastal Farm & Home.

Do call before going to the store to be sure they have it in stock.

https://chickensand.com/find-a-store

 

[thecatumbrella]

I use hemp bedding in the brooder now. It’s just hard to clean, IMO.

We used hemp bedding for one round of chicks. I really liked it, but found I needed to remove poops by hand vs scooping. Not a problem with just a few birds, but I could see it getting out of hand with larger broods!

I ended up getting a different scoop because the first one was letting too much of the droppings through...the new one works great and honestly is easier on my back

Do you have a link to the scoop you're using? One of the reasons I'm reluctant to switch over to sand is because I haven't found a great scoop to really get it clean. We only have sand boxes in the run right now.

Was curious if anyone has used it in their brooder.

That said, this is why I wouldn't use it in a brooder with actual chicks. I just couldn't see it getting clean with their very small droppings, and the sand will start to smell.

We are using the Chicks Dig It in a 3x8 brooder right now, but my birds are full grown and only use it to ride out heat waves. Cleaning is SO EASY! I have one of those cat Litter Genie's and can tidy up in about 30 seconds.

 

[Sunni_Chick]

Do you have a link to the scoop you're using? One of the reasons I'm reluctant to switch over to sand is because I haven't found a great scoop to really get it clean. We only have sand boxes in the run right now.

This is the scoop that I bought to start with. It is light but too much was falling through. The holes are multiple sizes.

12-Inch 2-in-1 Chicken Poop Scooper & Rake

This is the new one I bought...the handle moves/rotates on me but hubby is going to fix it for me once he has time - his focus is the coop right now and he is really at the end of his rope with this project and the changes we have made due to our measurements being off - so I am not asking for much extra right now

Chicken Poop Scooper & Rake 2-in-1, 304 Stainless Steel Shovel Head, Chicken Litter Scoop with Handle for Chicken Coop & Pet Waste Cleaning, Litter Sifting Shovel (35 to 65") US Patent Pending

This scoop does pick up much more - but I am finding that I have cut my scooping time in half by using a rake like this. It is extremely light and easy to maneuver. I rake the stools in the run into about 3 piles and then scoop those piles.

Since they are roosting in the run at night, that area is of course more heavily soiled...I think once they get into their coop, it will be much less than I have now. I plan to add the additional sand I bought once the coop is done.

Tru Tough Wood Handle Poly Rake

Inside the coop we are doing deep litter with hemp bedding - hubby has framed for a 12ft deep bedding area with a tailgate and doors for the clean out. For those like me that are more visual: Here is a picture of that (there is hardware cloth on the inside of the doors now).

 

[thecatumbrella]

Chicken Poop Scooper & Rake 2-in-1, 304 Stainless Steel Shovel Head, Chicken Litter Scoop with Handle for Chicken Coop & Pet Waste Cleaning, Litter Sifting Shovel (35 to 65") US Patent Pending

This is what I've been looking for, thank you!!