How well will Sand Work?

[Rainstorm]

My duck pen is Messy Messy Messy! I was using hay in the pen but it gets messy within a few days. How good does sand work in duck pens? if I use the white play sand type wouldnt it keep the water cleaner? theres muck under the hay and they love to mix that with their water... I also figured Sand would wash clean when it rains and dry alot easier then muck and hay. So who all uses that for duck pens?

 

[rickc24]

i use that for my chickens and it works great and alot cleaner to clean up......home depot play sand works the best...

 

[JimWWhite]

I put my coop under an 18'x21' carport we converted to a run. First I layed down an inch or so of 'Crush 'n Run' which is gravel and small stones mixed with sand. Then I layed in 4 yards (3") of creek sand. My neighbor gave me the C&R. I bought the creek sand at the local landscaping supply place for about $120 delivered. I also dug a small drainage trench around the perimeter of the run to move the water away. The pic below is of my run the day after Ida blew though here a couple of weeks ago. The outer three feet or so of the sand got wet but the rest of the area was bone dry. We got a lot of rain for three days. Everything was a muddy mess but my gals little toes stayed dry.

 

[CityChook]

I don't have experience with ducks.... but..... putting sand in the chicken run was one of the best moves we made. It is sooooo easy to clean (if/when it even needs to be cleaned).

 

[JimWWhite]

One good thing about putting down a three inch layer of creek sand is that you can easily work it with a hoe to turn it in. It's something I do every other day and it only takes ten minutes do. It also turns up worms and other critters the gals pounce on in a flash. By doing this I keep the run clean and the poop has a place to break down. In the spring I'll probably remove about a third of it and put it on my garden. I have a real problem there with drainage because of the clay that's in the soil. And the extra nutrients the gals leave behind will be an added bonus.

 

[Schultz]

We just started using sand in our chicken run and absolutely love it!

 

[Chris09]

If you are going to use sand I wouldn't use play sand... Use builders sand it is courser, cheaper, and drains better.. You can get it at Lowe's in the row that they have the cement mix and blocks..

Chris