Beach sand for the run?

[Chicabee19]

There is a lot of beach sand around the Columbia Gorge that we can easily load up and bring home.

Would beach sand be OK for a run?

 

[Buff Hooligans]

We live near beach sand too, but I refrained from using it because of the salt content. The chickens would eat it for grit, and I didn't know if the salt concentration would mess their little systems up. I'd be curious as to what other's think.

Duh, is your sand from a freshwater beach? Our would have been from a saltwater beach.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

double post, sorry...

 

[Chicabee19]

thank you... I should have defined my question better!

The sand is from fresh water areas, so it has no salt content, but it is finer than some sands you can purchase - that's why I was wondering if it would work.

 

[keljonma]

We don't live near salt water, but are surrounded by fresh water lakes. We don't use beach sand because of the gull and wild bird populations that do use the sand. We did not see the point in bringing home any germs and/or diseases.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Hmmm... I hadn't thought of wild bird droppings or parasites, etc.

 

[Chicabee19]

hmmm... food for thought.

Perhaps laying out the sand, then using a watering feeder to soak it with 50% solution bleach water?

 

[fullhouse]

Quote:
You can sanitize sand. I have had to do it when our neibors cat started "going" in our 10' x 10' sand box. I think we did 1/10 ratio. It's not a little plastic one, so replacing the entire thing wasn't an option.

 

[Chicabee19]

oh, thanks! I'll keep that ratio in mind.

I use this sand in my proprietary potting soil mix without doing anything to it, so I know it's good stuff- doesn't harm houseplants.

 

[fullhouse]

For houseplants you can bake sand

. Don't forget to let sit and rinse, rinse, rinse. If you could sanitize in a Rubbermaid totes as you go you could use less bleach and dispose of waste water better. For container sanitizing 1/4 cup per gallon water, sit 5 minites, rinse. I learned that for aquarium use, so you should be A-OK for chickens with it.