Cat poop, sand and chickens

[LexChix]

We are starting to turn a solid play structure into a chicken coop, run and storage. The bottom level of the structure was/is a children's sandbox and had become a giant litter box for outdoor cats. In preparing it for chicken use (as an extension of the outdoor run), do we need to remove ALL cat poop? Alternatively, if we remove 1-2 inches of sand and cat coop and add 2 inches of pine wood shavings, will this be okay for the chickens? And, is dog poop dangerous for chickens? Thanks!

 

[thomasboyle]

You should remove it all. Leaving it will attract cats, and that can be problems for the birds. Chickens like sand, so I would dig down to the bottom or 6 inches (whichever comes first) and fill it back with new sand. Make sure the sand can drain properly (not sure if the sand area is like a sand box with floor, or if it just has sides) and does not fill up with water. I use sand in my 15x15 run, and while it is not completely maintenance free, I only have to clean it up and add new sand once a year.