I pooper scoop my coops every morning (not the runs).
The outside hoop coops, coops exposed to blowing stuff and all the runs have sand in them. I absolutely love it. It drains well, and can be turned over easily if it gets a little packed. Twice a year I add agriculture lime to the sand and turn it over with a rototiller.
Sand is easy to clean with a large cat litter box scoop and putty knife (picture using the putting knife to push the poop into the scoop). My inside coops have large flake pine shavings in them (not the stuff that looks like saw dust). Easy on the birds feet when they come off the roost each moring, and again easy to clean (two putty knives used like tongs).
The problem with sand inside closed coops is the awful dust it generates.
The outside hoop coops, coops exposed to blowing stuff and all the runs have sand in them. I absolutely love it. It drains well, and can be turned over easily if it gets a little packed. Twice a year I add agriculture lime to the sand and turn it over with a rototiller.
Sand is easy to clean with a large cat litter box scoop and putty knife (picture using the putting knife to push the poop into the scoop). My inside coops have large flake pine shavings in them (not the stuff that looks like saw dust). Easy on the birds feet when they come off the roost each moring, and again easy to clean (two putty knives used like tongs).
The problem with sand inside closed coops is the awful dust it generates.