Grit (contractor sand) question

[Wizbop]

At the advice of other BYC members, I picked up a bag of contractor's sand at our local home improvement store yesterday. A 50 lb bag was on sale for $1.03! It is a coarser grain than the playsand, but on the bag are these warnings about the dust, lung infections, silica and possible cancer from exposure/inhalation. Is this safe to give my chickens? Anyone know?

And on a sidenote, can I just say thank you, thank you, thank you for BYC and it's members because I am a newbie to chicken keeping and you guys are really helping me feel my way through this and I'm having a great time doing it!!

 

[MuranoFarms]

I give it to mine. They dustbathe in it and eat it. We haven't had any problems at all. I think a lot of those warning are of the CYA sort. 'Cause you know if they weren't there, somebody somewhere would try suing. I bet those warnings are on play sand too.


ETA: I just looked it up, the warnings are on play sand too! In fact, its a state requirement in some places. lol

 

[Chris09]

I use it all the time in my pens you will be fine...
As for the warning on the bag........ Sound about the same as Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) to me....

http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/D1288.htm

Chris

 

[flockof4]

I use all purpose sand and haven't had any problems. I think the coarser size is a benefit for my birds.

 

[flockmom]

I think the warning relates to excessive inhalation of fine dust particles in a non-ventilated area, and does not relate to physical contact or chickens eating small particles.

I use sand in my coop and run, and not only is it easy to clean but the chickens love it!

 

[Imp]

I think it would be a good idea to not breathe any foreign material into your delicate lung tissue, especially repeatedly.

Imp-I agree with the previous posters- a CYA warning.

 

[Debob]

Yep-CYA warning. They will dust themselfs and eat some. Nothing to worry about .

 

[triggfamily5]

CYA for those humans who don't have the intelligence of a chicken

There are those people who may try to do who knows what with the sand, but people are not meant to live in the sand.. Chickens on the other hand are ground animals and get into a lot of things that aren't good for humans.

I use it all the time with my chickens (from 3 day olds on up) with no ill affects (at least that I know about). I have chickens over 5 years old still going strong.

 

[BankerJohn]

this is the same sand that I use as sand in my reef aquarium because of the calcium content in the contractor sand. In my reef tank, it acts as a calcium buffer and will dissolve if the ph gets out of balance... gee, kinda like how grit is supposed to work in the crop of a chicken.

BTW, this is exactly what I use as sand in the floor of my open air pen/coop. THe chickens to peck and eat the sand. Many of my coworkers ask how the chickens are doing and the answer is still the same, "They're still alive

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