Alternative to sand for run?

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

Sand gets hard when wet/soaked, my concern was bumble foot and hard landings for the chickens. I sprinkle either Sevin 5% or Garden & Poultry Dust or DE periodically and when I add shavings. Being that my CH is 'open air' the ventilation is good and they get up on the roost when I'm doing it. They themselves get dusted monthly rotating the three dust I mentioned. Don't like critters, especially those that bite.

Okay last Q, this is helpful thank you! I’ve read DE interferes with deep litter properly breaking down. Guessing you don’t find this to be true?

 

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

^ or too much green. The chicken droppings provides the nitrogen rich source that makes the deep litter compost work. The brown, dried leafs provides the counter balance that keeps odor down and keeps the system working as intended.

You can throw kitchen scraps, etc onto a deep litter system and not whack it out of balance, assuming its sufficient size and there aren't too many chickens for its area - but if you start dumping bags full of grass clippings approaching a 50/50 green/brown ratio like a hot compost pile, you have the potential for LOTS of problems. Typically mildews and molds, mushrooms and the like. Sadly, our chickens have surprisingly delicate respiratory systems.

What’s a good ratio for leaves to greens? I do have straw and pine needles already I can swap in for the first layer, and then on top of that?

 

[InterestingChickens]

Sand is good if you can spend 5 - 10 minutes a day picking up the droppings. As others have already mentioned, it compacts when wet. I am using sand at the moment and they don't seem to forage in it very much. Staw mats easily, so I wouldn't suggest it by it's self, though it can work well in a deep litter system mixed with other materials. Soft mulch is a good option, as it can help prevent bumble foot. Good luck.

 

[badboyk1n9]

You can use wood shavings

 

[rosemarythyme]

What’s a good ratio for leaves to greens? I do have straw and pine needles already I can swap in for the first layer, and then on top of that?

Unless you're doing this mainly for garden compost, your base material should be chunky wood chips, aged if possible. Drainage trumps all. If you're in Seattle area you can find a tree trimming truck in any direction you can toss a pebble in, as long as you have room to take a load of chips that's a very efficient way to start your deep litter (aka "free" if you have tree service done like me).

 

[3KillerBs]

Okay last Q, this is helpful thank you! I’ve read DE interferes with deep litter properly breaking down. Guessing you don’t find this to be true?

DE is largely useless except for an extremely limited set of circumstances and becomes utterly useless when wet.

Additionally, being essentially fine glass particles, it's a respiratory irritant that, IMO, has no business being anywhere near birds and their delicate respiratory systems.

What’s a good ratio for leaves to greens? I do have straw and pine needles already I can swap in for the first layer, and then on top of that?

DRY fall leaves are a "brown". Fresh, living leaves are a green.

IMO a mix of materials is better than any one materials, but what @rosemarythyme said about coarse wood chips as a base is good advice.

Hot compost is all about getting the ratios right. Chicken litter is about making good use of the yard waste you have along with materials you can readily source to create a system that digests the manure without odor and without attracting flies.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Okay last Q, this is helpful thank you! I’ve read DE interferes with deep litter properly breaking down. Guessing you don’t find this to be true?

No I don't

 

[U_Stormcrow]

charlotte-and-the-bees said:
Okay last Q, this is helpful thank you! I’ve read DE interferes with deep litter properly breaking down. Guessing you don’t find this to be true?

Nor do I. Nor can I imagine any plausible mechanism by which DE would have any impact on decomposition.

 

[charlotte-and-the-bees]

Unless you're doing this mainly for garden compost, your base material should be chunky wood chips, aged if possible. Drainage trumps all. If you're in Seattle area you can find a tree trimming truck in any direction you can toss a pebble in, as long as you have room to take a load of chips that's a very efficient way to start your deep litter (aka "free" if you have tree service done like me).

We have a layer of pea gravel under the sand currently, under that is a bit of dirt and then we have pavers laid about 10 inches deep but not fully connected, just rodent back up defense. If I’m going to start deep litter, should I try to get all of the pea gravel out too or okay as the very base?

 

[Banana01]

I have two spots on the back of my house that when it rains, the sand gets wet and there is no sun to dry it. One spot I dont do any maintenance on, it is just sterile. I would have to shovel out all the organic material if it were wet.

The second spot on the back of my house also gets wet, but i built this light weight, movable platform on legs that is easy to clean and i can put a plastic sheet over in the rain to drain the water away. Some baby chicks sleep there now, and i also isolate sick birds on the top.

Im just wondering that if you have a problem with wet sand that won't drain and won't dry, how can composting decaying organic material that wont dry possibly be better?

Your setup sounds like it has ideal drainage materials already, but the drainage isn't working because either the terrain isn't sloped properly or there is nowhere for the water to drain. Some type of platform like i built may work for you.

Deep litter is intriguing, but i don't have the materials to try it, and it would not solve my problem. I am building more platforms above the sand as soon as i can.