Anyone use SAND in the run/coop

[jenneverett]

depends on your location but for food grade look at your local farm supply. i.e. orchelns, tractor supply, ect. you can find non food grade at most lowes home improvement stores

 

[jtbass2756]

Newbie Question....where do you find DE?

Got mine at Tractor Supply but probably at any farm supply because it is used with a lot of farm animals...'.I'm a newbie from last May or so....anyway that's when I first got my pullets

 

[lisa7780]

Thanks...I will call the local feed and farm supply store and see if they have it in stock.

 

[kschicks2013]

Yes at different feed stores or building supply. Do not get non food grade. Always get food grade diatomaceous earth.

 

[lisa7780]

I found DE at my feed store! Yay!! How much do I use and is there a certain age chicks should be before I start using it? Thanks in advance!!

 

[jenneverett]

just add 1 teaspoon to the feed once a week, if the birds have mites then dust them and sprinkle some on the bedding. if they don't have mites but your playing it safe then sprinkle it all over the coop and place in the bedding and there shouldn't be any problems. the DE is really small grains of sand that has broken edges that cut the mites and other insects into pieces but the grains are so small that they wont hurt any person or animal that ingests them. i know people that put some in yogurt daily to cleanse their bowels and digestive tract.

 

[kschicks2013]

No age limit. Take a cup and sprinkle it in the coop including the nest boxes as well as the run. You don't have to mix it into the bedding the chickens will do that. Also sprinkle some in their food as well. Make sure it's food grade. This helps in preventing parasites inside and out. You can also dust the chickens under their wings with it to prevent fleas and mites. I've never had any parasites on my chickens ever. Use it once a week or so.

 

[jtbass2756]

No age limit. Take a cup and sprinkle it in the coop including the nest boxes as well as the run. You don't have to mix it into the bedding the chickens will do that. Also sprinkle some in their food as well. Make sure it's food grade. This helps in preventing parasites inside and out. You can also dust the chickens under their wings with it to prevent fleas and mites. I've never had any parasites on my chickens ever. Use it once a week or so.

Thank you...I have been using it with my adults and now have chicks and very young EE. Wondered if I could use it...I know to be be careful about the respiratory thing....

 

[kschicks2013]

If your chicks are separated from your hens you don't need to use it. If they are together you can but not a lot of it. I use a plastic cup and fill it half full and that's good for the coop and run. Doesn't take that much.

 

[ABlackDogRanch]

On the advice of the folks in the Texas forum, I put sand as my open coop/run base. I LOVE IT!

I clean out the run twice a day with a kitty litter scoop and rake once to turn over the sand.

So far, so good!