Creek Sand

[charleston]

I am hoping to use sand in our coop. There is a local company that has Creek Sand available. This is what they said and pictures they sent. Do you think this sand is the correct kind to use?

“In regards to it containing silica, we are honestly not sure if the creek sand has that in it. We do know that it does come directly out of a creek where we get it from, but are not sure if it has silica in it or not.”

 

[perchie.girl]

Looks good I love the fact that it has particles of different sizes. Just ask if they sterilize it. Some companies run it through a steam sterilizer. They look like cement mixers but run steam through them to kill off seeds and small critters.

I use Decomposed granite in my coops. Looks somewhat like that. I also use rice hulls where they hop off the roosts. Just to protect their feet. Of course a few of my roosts are up around five feet high hence the need. Even my big birds get up on the highest perch and come down in a flappy flutter. Takes em about six feet to come down.

A caveat here Rice hulls are available in California as horse bedding. They compost well but do not compact and eventually work their way down into the sand. They are also an excellent bedding in that they dont absorb moisture till they start decomposing. They rake very easily for clean up but the sand under the roosts is better.

My next coop will have a different set up Mostly sand except in broody enclosures. And Catch trays under the roosts. Here in the dry desert they make more sense for clean up since most of the poo happens at night.

Happy Chickeneering (Chicken Engineering)... We all do for our birds according to climate and ease of keeping the coop clean. Sand makes so much sense in almost all climates.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Oh to address the silica issue. All sand has it. Its just the particle size that is a concern. Creek sand has had the very fine particles pretty much washed out of it. I am talking the dust sized ones that can be breathed in.

deb