Anyone use SAND in the run/coop

[Hholly]

Are you finding any liquid / urine in the bottom of the sand? How are you handling that?

Nope. The poop never gets thick enough for any liquid to accumulate. My sand is on my dirt floor of my barn. I also catch the night poops in trays that get scraped daily.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I read the WHOLE thread, started last night & finished this afternoon...I'm sold on trying sand for the soon to be run. Right now my girls are sleeping in a "coop" that's under/enclosed my work table (8'x10'x24") in the patio that I used to raise hatchlings to 2 months (for a breeder). Mornings when I'm out running errands, they go in their run (mobile) that was also used for the chicks I raised for the breeder, just got a dog house for them to get out of the weather. When I'm home, they run the fenced yard; cats, hawks, mongoose & rats our major predators here...Oh we got a neighbor who has dogs that have tried coming through the fence

Having Hubby build a bigger run (8x10) with roofing, he'll raise the dog house off the ground, & put a roost in too. The weather side will put up tarp/plastic but thinking the other three sides we'll be able to leave open having plant protection. It's on the high ground with grass for now which I know they'll kill Once they do that want to put sand down for easy cleaning & it does rain here.

Live on the Big Island of Hawaii, east side so it rains ALOT! Have found Home Depot Quikrete Play Sand, Basalt Sand, Coral Sand, Coral Rock & Crushed Rock....The rock is coarse so plan on that going down first (drainage) with the "sand" on top. But what kind? Need to call the gravel company here to find if I can get "construction or mason" sand. Here in Hawaii we can't/don't get what you can on the Continental USA So I've got researching to do on the types of sand we have here....No, we can't take sand from the beaches anymore.

So any other advise? Below I got pictures of the set up I got going now, I stopped "raising" chicks for the breeder so I could have a few "pets with benefits" of my own. I got 2 EEs & 2 RIRs - They LOVE their "under the table coop", come in on their own every night or when something scares them.

 

[lynnehd]

Live on the Big Island of Hawaii, east side so it rains ALOT! Have found Home Depot Quikrete Play Sand, Basalt Sand, Coral Sand, Coral Rock & Crushed Rock....The rock is coarse so plan on that going down first (drainage) with the "sand" on top. But what kind? Need to call the gravel company here to find if I can get "construction or mason" sand. Here in Hawaii we can't/don't get what you can on the Continental USA So I've got researching to do on the types of sand we have here....No, we can't take sand from the beaches anymore.

So any other advise? Below I got pictures of the set up I got going now, I stopped "raising" chicks for the breeder so I could have a few "pets with benefits" of my own. I got 2 EEs & 2 RIRs - They LOVE their "under the table coop", come in on their own every night or when something scares them.

You definitely want sand that is coarser. Home Depot here does sell 'play sand', but they also, in a slightly different area, sell Quikrete masonry sand. You want there to be variation in the size of the sand particles, not all the same as with play sand.
Putting down some coarse rock first is a great idea, then the sand. And I think sand works best if the run is covered, so it doesn't get saturated. Having a clear tarp on the 'rainy' side, or the two most 'rainy' sides is also a good idea. That will still allow for lots of ventilation, which is the other key in a wet climate.

Good luck!

 

[ChickNanny13]

lynnehd - I was thinking that, will call the gravel company tomorrow. Should have asked a worker at HD about Quikrete Masonry Sand...I'm sure they have it, just out of it or I didn't see it. Thanks for telling me about the Masonry Sand. I love rain but not buckets full at one time

Hubby loves WA State, we were up in Port Angeles for a few days, it's beautiful. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, Wishing you a very Happy New Year. Thank you...

 

[DemonicJessica]

My pap has bags of sand in the bed of his truck for winter.. He said I can have it for my chickens in the spring/summer. It's All Purpose Sand by Quikrete, and I've seen that it does have different sizes of grit/pebbles' in it.. Will it be ok for my chickens??

 

[Hholly]

My pap has bags of sand in the bed of his truck for winter.. He said I can have it for my chickens in the spring/summer. It's All Purpose Sand by Quikrete, and I've seen that it does have different sizes of grit/pebbles' in it.. Will it be ok for my chickens??

Most likely it will be fine. They will love dust-bathing on it.

 

[peahenry]

DE works by getting on the outside of the bugs and they ingest it by licking it off their antenna and legs. It then kills from the inside not the outside.

 

[dthompson]

I used this in my chicken house. I use it both on the floor, about 4 inches, and also on the 'poop board' with PDZ mixed in to help keep the smell/ammonia levels down. I have VERY low humidity in my chicken house and our temps have been VERY cold her in VA this last week. All seems good with the girls. It is very easy to clean too... I just use a kitty little scoop and clean up after them each morning.

 

[dthompson]

My pap has bags of sand in the bed of his truck for winter.. He said I can have it for my chickens in the spring/summer. It's All Purpose Sand by Quikrete, and I've seen that it does have different sizes of grit/pebbles' in it.. Will it be ok for my chickens??

I used this in my chicken house. I use it both on the floor, about 4 inches, and also on the 'poop board' with PDZ mixed in to help keep the smell/ammonia levels down. I have VERY low humidity in my chicken house and our temps have been VERY cold her in VA this last week. All seems good with the girls. It is very easy to clean too... I just use a kitty little scoop and clean up after them each morning.

 

[dthompson]

I read the WHOLE thread, started last night & finished this afternoon...I'm sold on trying sand for the soon to be run. Right now my girls are sleeping in a "coop" that's under/enclosed my work table (8'x10'x24") in the patio that I used to raise hatchlings to 2 months (for a breeder). Mornings when I'm out running errands, they go in their run (mobile) that was also used for the chicks I raised for the breeder, just got a dog house for them to get out of the weather. When I'm home, they run the fenced yard; cats, hawks, mongoose & rats our major predators here...Oh we got a neighbor who has dogs that have tried coming through the fence

Having Hubby build a bigger run (8x10) with roofing, he'll raise the dog house off the ground, & put a roost in too. The weather side will put up tarp/plastic but thinking the other three sides we'll be able to leave open having plant protection. It's on the high ground with grass for now which I know they'll kill Once they do that want to put sand down for easy cleaning & it does rain here.

Live on the Big Island of Hawaii, east side so it rains ALOT! Have found Home Depot Quikrete Play Sand, Basalt Sand, Coral Sand, Coral Rock & Crushed Rock....The rock is coarse so plan on that going down first (drainage) with the "sand" on top. But what kind? Need to call the gravel company here to find if I can get "construction or mason" sand. Here in Hawaii we can't/don't get what you can on the Continental USA So I've got researching to do on the types of sand we have here....No, we can't take sand from the beaches anymore.

So any other advise? Below I got pictures of the set up I got going now, I stopped "raising" chicks for the breeder so I could have a few "pets with benefits" of my own. I got 2 EEs & 2 RIRs - They LOVE their "under the table coop", come in on their own every night or when something scares them.

Nice Job. I put sand in the chicken house and under poop board (w/ PDZ) late summer. I love it. I have extremely low humidity and there is relatively no odor in the chicken house. The run is another story. I did not put sand in their run b/c they have full access to the dirt. It does get to be a muddy mess in the rain though. I tried putting sand down in one area and it just got 'mixed in' with the earth. So I felt it was a waste of time and money. But I LOVE it in my chicken house. if you have not already experienced it, they will eat your grass down to NOTHING in the area of your mobile run. I did that whiel I was building my attached run... they scratch and dig up everything. So if you can, limit their time in any one area.