Coop sand - smelly?

[3KillerBs]

May I please join this thread? 6 Rhodes Island Reds.

I appreciate the explanation of sand, need to decide asap what to put in our newly built walk-in 6.5ft by 8ft coop. We're at the stage of adding a piece of vinyl flooring on the raised pallet floor, then roost and nest boxes, ramp and a chicken yard or run or day tractor.

Sounds like we don't want sand as there's no drainage.

Can someone please recommend an article here on bedding and poop boards?

Welcome to BYC. If you put your general location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice. Climate matters.

I don't use poop boards, but this is my article on Deep Bedding: Using Deep Bedding in a Small Coop

Excellent ventilation makes it all much easier.

Repecka Illustrates Coop Ventilation

 

[R Wind]

Welcome to BYC. If you put your general location into your profile people can give better-targeted advice. Climate matters.

I don't use poop boards, but this is my article on Deep Bedding: Using Deep Bedding in a Small Coop

Excellent ventilation makes it all much easier.

Repecka Illustrates Coop Ventilation

Ty. Finally found how to edit my location. Ty for the article on bedding. We are going to try deep litter, to relieve our schedule of chores at this time.

Friend alerted me that the vinyl sheet roll we put down might poison our chickens if they peck at it and ingest. I read some more threads. It makes sense, I'd not thought of them taking in micro bits of plastic from pecking. But it's a done deal for now. Might help to lay in a layer of cardboard sheet between vinyl and shavings?

 

[aart]

I'd not thought of them taking in micro bits of plastic from pecking.

Only if you buy cheap vinyl that falls apart.
I've had vinyl on my coop floor and poop boards for 9 years....they haven't pecked into pieces.

 

[R Wind]

Only if you buy cheap vinyl that falls apart.
I've had vinyl on my coop floor and poop boards for 9 years....they haven't pecked into pieces.

That's good news. Ty! This was good flexible Tarkett ( to flex over the slightly uneven oak pallet floor boards). I'd have no problem installing it in my kitchen.

Sorry, just realized I have gone astray from sand as topic. We considered a sand layer under the raised coop to serve as a dust bath...

But we only set this coop up 16inches high ( two concrete block high piers) and a friend just told me to close it off because eggs will be laid under there... Unless we like raking eggs out. And there might be crushed eggs in sand.

 

[aart]

I've had vinyl on my coop floor and poop boards for 9 years

I tested store samples by bending over a corner, many cracked or broke.
This one didn't....0.085" thick...foam backed.
Smooth, no molded patterns which I've learned can expand and contract at pattern edges.

 

[suzrwin]

We are currently building this exact coop. My plan is to put sand in the actual enclosure, with some Saturday Lime sprinkled in, and then use deep litter method in the "run" area (we live in WET between 2 major rivers, high water table etc. Sand would be a bog) In our current too-small coop and run, we use deep litter method layering shavings, dried leaves, small amts of straw, and it works GREAT. Doesn't stink, isn't boggy at all. I will need to scoop out underlayers later this year to use as compost for the garden so it doesn't get too deep..

Would wood shavings and other natural layering items work in your area? We have an old extra large litter box we use as a sand bath in our run, and the chooks love it and use it frequently. Keeping that run and will add a second box to the new chicken coop when it is done.

 

[R Wind]

The most important thing to think about with sand is it drains down. There is nearly zero evaporation from the surface. It's just like gravel that way.

So the key to whether sand will work is what's underneath it.
In my environment that's more and yet more sand. After torrential rains everything drains off in an hour. That makes sand the perfect substrate here.

FWIW.
Rereading this thread from the top, I am reminded something I learned this last year about Sand.

I found a research video that compared the wicking ability of several substrates. (We built self-wicking raised beds for a new garden.)

The guy had tall clear poly tubes, several inches in diameter, filled with various substrates. He measured how high the water would wick; don't remember but think he also measured how fast?

The result was that sand is the top wicking substrate, beating out all types of mulch and potting soil and gravel/pebbles/rocks. So if there's water under your bed of sand, it's going to wick up higher and faster than any other material.

 

[SourRoses]

FWIW.
Rereading this thread from the top, I am reminded something I learned this last year about Sand.

I found a research video that compared the wicking ability of several substrates. (We built self-wicking raised beds for a new garden.)

The guy had tall clear poly tubes, several inches in diameter, filled with various substrates. He measured how high the water would wick; don't remember but think he also measured how fast?

The result was that sand is the top wicking substrate, beating out all types of mulch and potting soil and gravel/pebbles/rocks. So if there's water under your bed of sand, it's going to wick up higher and faster than any other material.

Interesting! I wonder what ratio the sand would have to be in say, an African Violet pot (keepers often use cotton rope) to keep the mid-level moist?
I wonder what kind of sand he was using?

 

[R Wind]

Interesting! I wonder what ratio the sand would have to be in say, an African Violet pot (keepers often use cotton rope) to keep the mid-level moist?
I wonder what kind of sand he was using?

I can't find the video I was referring to, with the tall poly columns of various media and that experiment, and you're right, it surely matters what sand he was using but I just do not remember.
But here's another in my watch history where the man also concluded that sand was the medium they'd use:

[ This is off topic but @SourRoses, you could look into biochar or vermiculite to keep moisture in your planting mix. I can tell you that all of our self-wicking beds, "Earth Box" look alikes and large IBC totes made into planting beds, all have kept nicely moist soil. Not too moist to drown the roots, though. With or without the sand layer or the vermiculite to hold moisture/nutrients. ]

Sand is an amazing wicking material. You could run a little experiment, several clear Solo cups containing varying amounts of dry sand and soil/planting mix. And see for yourself how quickly it wicks up and how wet it stays before drying out. Sand is easy, it shows wet. Keep one cup dry nearby to compare color.

 

[R Wind]

I don't think good washed sand should smell on its own. It's silica granules, right? But maybe there's also nothing in there to mask a strong smell.

So the ammonia is the smell, right? And that should evaporate if not held in or absorbed by the sand? What is it about sand that gets "wet" so easily, that absorbs moisture so easily?

What could you add to the sand to prevent odours? I did note that sand is best for a very dry environment.

We have taken a composting toilet semi-primitive camping and used pine pellets to absorb urine and it never smells, long as we cover solids. And it's not heavy when wet like sand. Does anyone use this instead of sand on poop boards? (I'm a total novice.) I'd say it's expensive, but we stop in at Tractor Supply at intervals and if they have bags that were torn open, they sell them for a dollar or two instead of between 5 and 6 US dollars here. We use pine pellets for compost browns in the tumbler. High carbon rating. I'm trying to decide if they are also useful in the deep litter bedding.