Got sand? You should!

[JBaff]

Sand is not something that works in our climate.


Pine shavings 8-10" is all we use.

Great heat source, and awsome fertilizer.


Nothing goes to waste.


We save the sand for mixing concrete.

It is only $5.00 per yd pick up, here in the midwest.




just my .02

I live in the middle of MO. I can't imagine sand staying dry like other posts say? My coop is in the shade and slightly angled down a slope. What prevents the sand from washing away. We have a lip around the base to border and hold the hardware mesh but still one good heavy rain and I'd think it'd be all over the place outside the run.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think that everyone needs to remember that what may work for one person in one location may not work for another in a completely different climate. You have to keep an open mind, explore your options, do your own research, and sometimes learn by trial and error. Sand is not the cure all, but, given MY geographical location, climate, the location of MY coop and run, and my lifestyle it works for me. I have a well ventilated coop and a run that does not have a roof. I have 80% shade cloth across the length of the run over welded wire. My area is not in a low spot where standing water is a problem. It is also in a spot that gets morning sun, and shade in the afternoon.
...

X2

I live in the middle of MO. I can't imagine sand staying dry like other posts say? My coop is in the shade and slightly angled down a slope. What prevents the sand from washing away. We have a lip around the base to border and hold the hardware mesh but still one good heavy rain and I'd think it'd be all over the place outside the run.

I'm in MO too and while I have used it in a couple of covered runs, I can't imagine it working well in the coop.
My place was more like a lake this week and the rest of the winter the sand would be frozen to a solid rock. The shavings stay loose. My first post on this thread, I mentioned that it would be like concrete and someone jumped on me that I didn't know what concrete was.

 

[justmeinflorida]

Great idea about the sand. I'm gonna have to try this when we get the coop finally built. Living in Florida my yard is mostly sand anyway so if it goes everywhere it won't matter and BONUS it's FREE

 

[JBaff]

X2

I'm in MO too and while I have used it in a couple of covered runs, I can't imagine it working well in the coop.
My place was more like a lake this week and the rest of the winter the sand would be frozen to a solid rock. The shavings stay loose. My first post on this thread, I mentioned that it would be like concrete and someone jumped on me that I didn't know what concrete was.

Had an idea once my run is slopped, I was thinking put sand on the concrete to level it up building a wood baseboard at an angle. So, only sand at the back of the coop. This is where I will put some off the ground perches? Then the other half and in the coop would be thick pine? Thoughts? Suggestions on cheap 'cover' for the run? Cost? Still concerned that it's located in the shade under a thick canopy of trees. Nice for summer, Not enough light for laying, protected more during bad weather.

 

[birdlady79]

I just switched to sand and I love it so far... So easy....I clean it twice a day... I will still prob do DL in winter for warmth but sand in spring, summer and fall... I hate those pine chips flying everywhere....

 

[Pepper storm]

I use sand in the inside upper level where the perches are and underneath in the run. So easy to scoop out poos and have a cleaner and better smelling coop. We use straw in nesting boxes though. It's a cheaper alternative and great when it rains as the sand drys out and we were throwing out too much straw underneath before. Highly recommend it.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Turning Trash into Treasure: SAND as Bedding Material for Rearing Broilers - Volume 47 Number 1 Spring 2000 - Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station

This is such an excellent post...am quoting it so you can see it if you haven't already.
Thank you to jonalisa for pointing this post out in another thread. (post #352 in this thread)

 

[jonalisa]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/09/chicken-coop-bedding-sand-litter.html
Here are some additional benefits of sand in the coop.
(Credit to Kathy Shea Mormino, The Chicken Chick)

 

[Manda-Christine]

I am curious about actual river sand. We have a creek with an island full of pebbles and sand..... can I use that or do I need to buy some? If so, what brand do you guys recommend/use??

 

[Mrs Beasley]

I live in central TX so heat inside the coop is a major issue. It can get to 100+ degrees inside small spaces even with 8 windows, vents, and 3 doors. Therefore we use sand with DE. Our coop is 5'x4' and our sand is only about 2" deep and is really only there to make cleaning up the poop less of a hassle.

Here is how I do it. I have two doors on either side towards the back. I take out and scrape the upper and lower roosting bars then use a 3' strip of metal gutter mesh and pull it through the sand from one end to the other a few times alternating sides. All of the poop is pretty much in a single pile now. I take a flat shovel and scoop that pile up. That gets dumped "into" a 5 gal bucket with hardware cloth over the top. Poop on top, sand in bucket. "Filtered" sand goes into the coop, poop goes into the compost or the "fertilizer water" bucket.

I have nearly zero waste of sand and I don't have to wait for shavings to compost (wood is a substance that requires the most amount of time to decay and steals valuable nitrogen from composted humus to do so). BUT!!!! I keep a small amount of shavings in my nesting boxes to make things soft and cozy on cool days. That gives me a small amount of "large grain" stuff for the compost and will help create air pockets for aeration.

Just my two cents.