Got sand? You should!

[lm84]

This may have already be touched upon, but can't sand impact the chickens if they eat too much? And also, even with cleaning the poop out, isn't the sand itself becoming a breeding ground for bacteria and other nasty stuff? There isn't really a way to clean or sanitize sand, right?

 

[jenniemig]

This may have already be touched upon, but can't sand impact the chickens if they eat too much? And also, even with cleaning the poop out, isn't the sand itself becoming a breeding ground for bacteria and other nasty stuff? There isn't really a way to clean or sanitize sand, right?

Initially I had that concern and have been keeping a close eye on my chickens and ducks for impacted crop. They really don't eat the sand. I give them their treats in a feed bowl and they do carry it around the run dropping it in the sand, so I am sure some is consumed but no more than dirt if they were allowed to free range.

As far as the breeding ground for bacteria, sand is no more likely to harbor bacteria than regular soil. Actually I believe that because it drains so well that it would be a less hospitable medium for the bacteria to grow than say a muddy run. I don't think there is a way to sanitize any coop or run flooring unless they were on concrete.

 

[lm84]

Thanks for the input! I am receiving my order of chicks next week and we just started building the foundation for the future coop. Maybe sand would be a good choice for my run.

 

[jenniemig]

Thanks for the input! I am receiving my order of chicks next week and we just started building the foundation for the future coop. Maybe sand would be a good choice for my run.

You should do some research on what works best for your climate. I have read someones post, I believe they lived in New Jersey, that said it didn't work for them because of the cold weather. By the way I was born in Toms River;-)

I was worried that when it rains the poo washes through the sand and can't be scooped out. But, like I said so far no smell and there isn't a gross layer under the sand on top of the nursery fabric. Now, maybe that will change the longer the sand is in the run, we'll see. When it is dry the chickens run does clean out just like a cat litter box, so if I had a roof over my run it would be even better. I kind of blew my budget building the coops and runs so a roof is on my list for next spring

Good luck with your new chicks!

 

[mychickchick]

What a great looking run! The sand makes the coop look clean. I was also concerned about chickens getting compacted from the sand but it seems yours are doing OK . like the sand idea.

 

[birdlady79]

In my brooder I used sand mixed with barn lime.  My basement was smelly after 2 days with the wood shavings.  Switched to sand and barn lime and I clean it out once a week.  The chicks also love dust bathing in it.  My chicken coop floor will be sand, barn lime and some DZ.  The wood chips get everywhere and its hard to clean the carpet.

Where do you purchase barn lime from?

 

[MamaGallina3]

Has anyone had a problem with ants? We live in FL and have found just recently the run area (that is sand) has an ant infestation! I was cleaning the run area of poop out daily and it was super clean, and no problems. But I got pretty sick (about 3 weeks) and couldn't get out there everyday. My hubby took over, but by no means was the run getting cleaned daily. We ended up with big time flies too. He raked the area and sifted what he could find of poop, and sprinkled food grade DE. The flies are gone, but the ants are awful. I have been letting them out of the run as much as possible. B/C I imagine the ants would bite the chickens as well. Any suggestions?? The chickens are about 10-12 weeks old.

 

[chellejeff]

Imagine my surprise when I found that my post from 2011 was still alive. For any that are interested, I am still using sand and loving it. Maintenance is very low. I change out the sand about every 6 months, ideally (ok, probably less in reality). No smell problems, low dust, very little poo stuck to my boots. There have been no health problems with the girls and housecleaning is literally less than 15 minutes a week (combined daily time). 3 years later I still stand by my original statement.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Love your coop

 

[ArmstrongRanch]

We have a Welsh Harlequin drake and his two duck hens in with our chickens. He's fine with the chickens, and a whole lot quieter than a rooster.

Wetness is an issue, though. Ducks don't have to have ponds but I find they can splash water out of waterers and make muddy messes quickly. They can empty a chicken waterer in an hour, and they need their water at least 3 inches deep so they can clean their eyes and noses, so you can't just use a nipple system and keep them healthy. With a "pond" they never run out of water.

I am debating whether it is safe to put in sand to help make the yard they're in drier or if that would just be a breeding ground for bacteria, etc. or cause problems with digestion or crop impaction?

Previously we had the ducks separate from the chickens (except the momma Silkie hen that hatched them from eggs was with them). That coop had a rubber mat, and just enough slope that the duck "pond" - a 20 gallon cement mixing tub from Home Depot filled half full with water - could be dumped daily and filled fresh. Dumping it out washed most of the poo off the rubber mat, the ducks tended to poo mostly next to their pond, and any poo that was missed could be hosed off easily making clean-up really quick and easy. The ducks couldn't dabble mud into the water due to the rubber so it stayed cleaner than otherwise. The lawn looked FANTASTIC where the washed poo drained to and there was no muck in the yard with the ducks attracting bugs and disease etc. Unfortunately I didn't figure out how to predator proof that space and we lost all the ducks and the hen that hatched them to coyote... So now the ducks are stuck sharing predator proof quarters with the chickens, but it's flat, and the duck pond end is becoming a soggy mess. Last Fall I dumped 10 contractor bags of raked leaves in there over top of corn stalks, so it took a few months to compost and finally get yucky/ wet but I need to do something to dry it up... and I don't want to take away the duck's "pond" in the heat of summer...