Do any of you have sand in the coop and deep litter in the run?

Boise-girls

Songster
May 26, 2021
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Boise, Idaho
I currently have deep bedding in the coop (dry) and deep litter (composting) in the run. I love the deep litter in the run. The deep bedding is also working well except for one thing.

The coop is on a layer of pre-existing concrete, topped by those rubber things that go under pavers, then pavers, and then one of those rubber mats for foot fatigue, covered by 4-5 inches of bedding (chopped straw and hemp). It works great from a management standpoint, but the girls are always scratching down to the mat, so they're not always getting cushioning when they jump from the roost.

I was thinking that sand might stay in place better and thus provide more cushioning. (No worries about keeping the sand dry here.) However, I'd expect some transfer of the run's deep litter into the coop sand when they're flinging it around, and wondered if that would make the sand less effective.
 
I thought the coop would stay drier if it was elevated a bit - it doesn't have a floor. The concrete was already there - former back patio and dogs in. Water sits on it sometimes if we get a lot of snow melt - the bottom of the dog houses we used to have there rotted over time (20 years or so). The underlayer was a lazy/tidy alternative to sand. The layer on top of the pavers was to cushion their surprisingly not-so-little feet. 😊
 
Elevating the floor over an area that holds standing water is a good idea but I'm concerned that you might end up with water infiltrated underneath all the layers where it would get trapped and cause mold and stench.
 
I currently have deep bedding in the coop (dry) and deep litter (composting) in the run. I love the deep litter in the run. The deep bedding is also working well except for one thing.

The coop is on a layer of pre-existing concrete, topped by those rubber things that go under pavers, then pavers, and then one of those rubber mats for foot fatigue, covered by 4-5 inches of bedding (chopped straw and hemp). It works great from a management standpoint, but the girls are always scratching down to the mat, so they're not always getting cushioning when they jump from the roost.

I was thinking that sand might stay in place better and thus provide more cushioning. (No worries about keeping the sand dry here.) However, I'd expect some transfer of the run's deep litter into the coop sand when they're flinging it around, and wondered if that would make the sand less effective.
Twin Falls are girl here. Great Question! I have my coop area on a concrete slab as well. I like the idea of creating a soft area for them to land. Currently that area is muddy from their dust bath pots and the water mister. I will start adding the chips and hemp bedding to the front. I wonder if I should put sand down first?
 
Glad to hear from another Idahoan! Everything I read says sand works best in dry conditions, so it might not be great if you're using a mister (so danged hot!). Sounds like it turns into concrete when wet. I don't know how it would be mixed with dry organic material, though.
 
This heat is awful. I think I will just keep putting layers on top of the concrete. This should help with a softer place to land. Also I have the dusting pots under the daytime perch area. So they do land in them too.
 

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