Got sand? You should!

[ben is a terror]

I found it on catsrule.com 12.99

 

[CarolynF]

Hi,
I just wanted to say that after using sand in the run and coop all summer I'm very happy with how clean and nearly odorless it stays and how easy and inexpensive it is to maintain. I use a long handled cat litter scoop that I bought a PetSmart. I hang in on a nail nearby for quick access. Thanks again for this informative thread. Your humorous Original Post was very effective!

 

[Hope49]

Okay, well I think we've been taking everyone's opinions above our own and have made a strategic error. I hope you can make some suggestions for us.

We really dug the idea of having sand in the run. But in building the coop/run, we listened to everyone's worries about the heat and dryness in California summers (which is true) and put a full roof over the run to protect the little ladies. And it's true that they are not sun-worshippers after all. Even the rays of sun that reach the edge of the run don't thrill them for long, and they retreat into the cool coop. And it's rarely over 85 here in full sun.

What's happening is that the run stinks, because it's in the shade, and in the fog of the night, it gets damp. Also, we heard you folks talking about washing the sand, and forgot that ours wouldn't dry out unless we uncrusted it after washing and turned it for several days afterward. So then we got the moldy smell...but turning and turning and now it's gone.

I admit I have a sensitive nose, but these little darlings poop incessantly. And trying to scoop it, with a horsey rake thing - - well it just falls through - they are still only 4 mos old. So we shovel and waste a lot of sand, sometimes we try to sift it a bit.

Truthfully, we just ignore it for 2-3 days at a time and then buckle down and work on it.

What are we doing wrong (many things, I'm sure), and, do you think we should switch to hay after all? The coop/run are only about 15 feet from our patio!

 

[Buugette]

Definitely not hay... but I don't know what to tell you. I love my sand run and coop. Hope someone has an answer for you.

 

[Chicklette 1]

I use sand and I mix DE (food grade diatomaceous earth) and mix it into the sand. It tends to dry things out (poop and insects,etc.) and keep the odor down. There is also a horse product that comes in a large bag that is called Sweet Peedz. It is for keeping urine odor down in the stalls. Your sand should drain so I do not see why it stays wet. The DE is also good for preventing mites on your birds when they roll in the sand. Hope it helps. Sweet Peedz will work even after it gets wet but I have heard that the DE doesn't work well once it gets wet.

 

[AngelzFyre]

Hope49,

Have you tried either a finer grade sand or adding DE to it to help with the smell?

Some grades of sand are very heavy and harder to dry out, that may be some of your problem.

I've got sand in my runs, but it's also got what we call crusher run in there and it drains very well. I do scoop leaves and add shavings from time to time to give them stuff to scratch through and I've not had any problems with odor.

Hay is definitely going to be a headache for you if it's at all wet. It's not that absorbent and it stinks to high heavens when wet and molds quickly.

Pine shavings would be better than hay if you decide to forego the sand.

I've got pine shavings inside all 3 coops, sand/crusher run in the runs.

 

[AngelzFyre]

Sorry Chick Lette 1!
You type faster than me

. We must've answered almost the same time.

 

[Chicklette 1]

Well, between the two of us they got some input! LOL

 

[Hope49]

Thank you for your thoughtful replies. I will put hay out of my mind completely then. We use pine shavings in the coop and just love it in there.

Yes, we used DE in the sand though maybe not enough - just a few cupfuls, I think. More next time?

After scouring the area thoroughly, we bought the only sand we could find, that was recommended to us. I think it's plaster sand. It did crust over, and now that we know it does this, we will get right in there and break up the clods. Once the mold smell made us realize something was wrong, a few days of turning it dried it out very well. Methinks it's just a bit of a learning curve.

I was just wondering if we'd made the right decision and needed to hear from you all. Funny, the chickens truly enjoyed the wet sand and weren't appalled by it like I thought they would be. I see now that "easy care" doesn't mean "no care at all".

I'll look for Sweet Peedz. That could help. We considered putting stones down before the 6" of sand, but read some people's posts that they lost a lot of sand under the pebbles. I think we have this under control for now, but I am concerned for the possibility of another wet winter. Last year was quite rainy and that "never" happens here. I guess we could tarp the sides of the run to keep it minimal.

 

[julnjake]

Sorry if this has already been asked (32 pages is too many to read!) My concern with sand is that we have cold winters and thought the heat benefit from Deep Litter method would be a tremendous advantage for us? Do you think? Does anyone use sand in colder climates?

How often do you clean it out? Every day?

And for the person using the horse manure fork (some horse people call them 'cherry pickers') I thought of the same thing but putting some wire across the tines to help hold the smaller poos, not sure if it will work or not but in my mind it does!