Coop/Run Envy

winekntrychicks

Pooper Peeper
11 Years
Jul 26, 2008
570
3
149
Sebastopol, CA
I am new to chicken rearing. I am recently having a chicken health related issue (see my other posts) which is forcing me to re-evaluate my coop/run set up. I have seen a lot of beautiful set ups on these threads. I need ideas for type of sand to purchase for my run. I looked yesterday and I have the option of real river sand or sand they make from the earth, which she said packs. Any thoughts and pictures of what really works?? Thanks
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i am not sure which sand is 'better', but i think i remember folks saying to put a layer of gravel down first then the sand. maybe this note will trigger the set-up and someone can post about it.

hope it all works out!
 
This is a good question.

We just replaced the shavings in our run with sand, but we (oh, okay, I) bought the cheap plaster sand. Not good. If you read the fine print, it says that the sand contains silicates which are not good for the lungs. If it is not good for my lungs, I'll bet it's not good for bird lungs, which are very sensitive. Besides, when I rake in there, it gets dusty.

We are going to replace it with beach sand for children's sandboxes this weekend. It costs about a buck more per bag. The beach sand does appear to pack down more than the regular kind of sand (someone help out here, what's it called? You know, the stuff you buy scoops of for mixing cement?). Nevertheless, I like it because you can buy it in bags and it is very clean.

I like the sand better than the shavings, because I can scoop out the poop with a kitty litter scooper.
 
Be careful with the beach sand, I read somewhere that too much salt is not good for the egg making part of the bird. You know that what ever we put down they will eat some of it.
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Hi, thanks for the post. Would you be willing to explain stone dust. I went to the rock quarry to see what they had. They had something called "1/4 minus" it looked like tiny blue shale (sp?). They had that and as its sieved you may purchase the finer grades as well. She said it packs and is hard. I guess it comes from the shale rock from the quarry. Would that be stone dust. Does stone dust pack? I'm not sure if I want it to pack. To pack or not to pack, that is the question.
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Get fill sand that is used as a base for concrete. It's the cheapest and has many fine grit sized pebbles in it. Works great. I have a couple area where I have placed much finer sand the the birds love to dust there. When they have excavated a dusting bowl I sprinkle a cup of DE in it. That way the chicken dust themselves for mites.
 

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