Any long term ( <1yr) sand users in run, have input?

[cmom]

My sand is what is here. It is similar in texture to play sand. I have several acres on a hill of sand "Hilltop Farm". I have done some research in the past but at the moment don't recall the particulars. If your in a lower area where the water table is closer to the surface you may get some standing water. Then you would have to probably bring in some sand fill and make a berm.

 

[cmom]

I think sand is a good thing for the birds to scratch in. If I recall correctly there were a lot of mixed reviews about using sand. It probably depends partly on how large of an area you are talking about. My main pen area is around 200 feet x 60 feet. The chickens do poop in the sand but their areas are good sized and they are constantly scratching the poop into the sand (natural fertilizer). I think most of their pooping is done at night while they are roosting. I clean out under the roosts and put the poop in a compost pile. I have lovely gardens. During our growing season I grow greens for the birds. Right now we are harvesting and closing down the vegetable gardens. We plant in the fall here and harvest in the spring.
Where that compost pile is in the picture there is now a chicken coop and pens.

This are the coops now and we built a barn too.

This is the original chicken coop

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Do you mind me asking what type of "sand" do you use? Ive read that play sand, or beach sand is too thin, and need something closer to gravel?. Many thanks in advance!

Mine is washed river sand (granite I believe from our local river) I had a yard delivered by dump truck from our nearest bulk place that carries top soil, compost and such.

I don't see any problem with using it as a base and organic stuff on top.

As you can see people have different opinions and experiences. I have droppings boards also. I used to put a layer of sand on them. But it is easier to use a flat shovel and scoop all the poop away than the kitty litter sifter many are fond of.

No I can't and won't clean daily. I used to and it took forever. The poo/sand doesn't stink when dry. It's when it rain that it does.

Like so many things, what works great for some might not for others. I have found in locations that get tons of rain, they *usually* have ground that drains nicely and accommodates the weather, with exception to a few puddles here and there. Getting to know our land at our new location was one of the things I did when we first moved here from the desert.

To me sand... is just a big kitty litter box with poo juice left behind regardless of how much droppings you remove. Once I experienced that I switched it up and now have the organic stuff on top. No more sand on my poo boards, I just shovel it out weekly maybe sooner or maybe later depending on load and weather. I did a lot of research, and chose sand... I like using around here and there and having it available for grit... but CANNOT recommend it as an only base..
Yes the sand may eventually make it to the garden. But with enough (82+ birds), you have to start hauling that crap off your land! Some seasons I go through 250# of feed per month, that's a LOT of poo. Which means throwing away the sand. There comes a point when chicken poo is just garbage and not garden gold.

Now you have both sides of the story and can make a better informed choice for YOU.

Regarding the washed river sand... it is a lot like little pebbles with some fines. My birds do not dirt bathe in it. They like dirt to dirt bathe in.

Yes, my family would be fine to not chat about my chicken management issues either, especially poo. Good luck.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Having good drainage for your coop and run is essential; yours sounds good, just be sure. Adding sand or gravel to a low spot will help with drainage if it's going to be a problem.
Have a roof over your run will be a terrific improvement, when you can do it. No rain, no snow (do you get snow?), no standing water.
Scooping poo daily sounds like a miserable exercise to me, even with only four birds. That sand will smell anyway eventually, and then be miserable to remove. And it's not garden mulch! Deep litter, on the other hand, is great entertainment, easy to manage, and transitions to the garden very nicely. I wouldn't use anything else!
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Sorry, I stuck my nose into the conversation, without any long term sand experiences.
Mary

 

[cmom]

Mine is washed river sand (granite I believe from our local river) I had a yard delivered by dump truck from our nearest bulk place that carries top soil, compost and such.

I don't see any problem with using it as a base and organic stuff on top.

As you can see people have different opinions and experiences. I have droppings boards also. I used to put a layer of sand on them. But it is easier to use a flat shovel and scoop all the poop away than the kitty litter sifter many are fond of.

No I can't and won't clean daily. I used to and it took forever. The poo/sand doesn't stink when dry. It's when it rain that it does.

Like so many things, what works great for some might not for others. I have found in locations that get tons of rain, they *usually* have ground that drains nicely and accommodates the weather, with exception to a few puddles here and there. Getting to know our land at our new location was one of the things I did when we first moved here from the desert.

To me sand... is just a big kitty litter box with poo juice left behind regardless of how much droppings you remove. Once I experienced that I switched it up and now have the organic stuff on top. No more sand on my poo boards, I just shovel it out weekly maybe sooner or maybe later depending on load and weather. I did a lot of research, and chose sand... I like using around here and there and having it available for grit... but CANNOT recommend it as an only base..
Yes the sand may eventually make it to the garden. But with enough (82+ birds), you have to start hauling that crap off your land! Some seasons I go through 250# of feed per month, that's a LOT of poo. Which means throwing away the sand. There comes a point when chicken poo is just garbage and not garden gold.

Now you have both sides of the story and can make a better informed choice for YOU.

Regarding the washed river sand... it is a lot like little pebbles with some fines. My birds do not dirt bathe in it. They like dirt to dirt bathe in.

Yes, my family would be fine to not chat about my chicken management issues either, especially poo. Good luck.

I don't clean the pens and I pretty much agree with you.
I go through around 300 lbs of feed a week. When I'm growing out the chicks it's around 400 lbs a week. I compost all of the poop collected.
This picture was taken many years ago but we still compost and the trees are a lot bigger now. We put leaves, poop, grass, kitchen vegie scraps. We had to cut down a couple of huge trees so we put what we didn't burn through the chipper/shredder and added that to the composts too.

 

[Lelilamom]

We went with sand over a year ago - about 18 months ago now. We scraped it out once and replenished after a major storm washed out the bank behind the coop and alot of the sand from the run went with it. We DE the run once a month when we clean out the coop and have no flies and no smell. When it rains, the run turns to soup. About two hours after it stops raining, the run is dry again. I have hay in my raised coop that I scrape out once a month. But I'll always keep sand in the run. Even in winter, the girls can dust bathe because the run is partially covered and the sand doesn't freeze where it doesn't get wet.

 

[alexa009]

I agree with mulch, in the prevailing summer heat where I live sand would be a huge attraction for the flies.
I'm lucky that these chickens don't destroy the grass in their penned area.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm lucky that these chickens don't destroy the grass in their penned area.

That has a LOT to do with pen size and chicken load.

When it rains, the run turns to soup. About two hours after it stops raining, the run is dry again.

I guess that's OK if it doesn't rain heavily for 6+ months of the year and you don't mind yourself or your birds standing in soup at times.

I personally hate DE and that stuff ain't welcome here under any circumstances. I would use barn lime, PDZ, or something like that instead, if I felt the need. DE is an indiscriminate killer. So many time when I pick up poo there is already bugs working to eliminate it. I like balance better. Or at least it works for ME.

 

[kellylaurin523]

I think sand is a good thing for the birds to scratch in. If I recall correctly there were a lot of mixed reviews about using sand. It probably depends partly on how large of an area you are talking about. My main pen area is around 200 feet x 60 feet. The chickens do poop in the sand but their areas are good sized and they are constantly scratching the poop into the sand (natural fertilizer). I think most of their pooping is done at night while they are roosting. I clean out under the roosts and put the poop in a compost pile. I have lovely gardens. During our growing season I grow greens for the birds. Right now we are harvesting and closing down the vegetable gardens. We plant in the fall here and harvest in the spring.
Where that compost pile is in the picture there is now a chicken coop and pens. View attachment 1417359 View attachment 1417360 View attachment 1417362
This are the coops now and we built a barn too.
View attachment 1417375
This is the original chicken coop
View attachment 1417372 View attachment 1417373

Wow! You have my dream yard! My coop/run is only about 8'x10' with 4 girls...for now!