Anyone want to trade tips or tricks they use to make chicken care easier?

[azygous]

I get my sand by the pickup truck load at my local sand and gravel yard, where they make cement to send out in those mixer trucks. It's regular construction sand, not beach sand. It costs around $14 for a half a yard. Or I could have them deliver it if I wanted a whole dump truck load.

 

[jomoncon]

Where do you get your sand? A garden center? I'm toying with the idea of sand in my coops, and pea gravel surrounding them.

I originally got sand from one of the big box stores, but that quickly became expensive. When I do a thorough cleaning this spring, I plan on getting a cubic yard of sand delivered.

And please skip the pea gravel. I tried a little of it & it was terrible. You can't get the poop off it I the chickens will eventually dig through it & you'll have a mixture of sand/dirt & gravel. After almost a year, I'm still raking pea gravel out of the area where I put it.

 

[orumpoultry]

Okay, so pea gravel is a no go. But, I'm definitely looking into sand for inside my coops. My runs I'm leaving natural, as I'd have almost an acre to cover total if I didn't. Bah. But my coops, I'm looking around my local areas at the idea of sand for easier cleaning. Shavings are a pain.

 

[dkosh]

I use sand instead of wood shavings in the coop. That way I can scoop it out with a reptile scooper daily (u don't have to do this daily) I just find that 10-15 minutes a day keeps my coops nice and clean and also I only have the poop to compost and not all those shavings all the time. Less waste to dispose of and much cleaner coops. I do still use shavings in the nest boxes.

How many chickens do you have? I have about 250 +/-. That sounds like a good idea. My husband seems to think it would turn to mud with all the chickens I have. So I was wondering how many you have. I currently use pine chips and change them out once a week.

 

[audrey02026]

I only have 21 but I have heard of others with larger numbers using sand as well the only difference for them is they have to make a scooper that has a longer handle so it can be done easier. I have heard of others taking a pitchfolk type and somehow attaching some type screen material to it. I just use a reptile scooper but my coop is much smalled than yours would be. I don't know how it would turn to mud Chicken manure isn't really wet.