I'm new and need help - construction sand problems

[The Triplets]

Hi all - I am so excited to join this awesome family. I have 3 8week old girls (Wyandotte, Rock, Cochin). I am in love with them and have done a ton of research to make sure I care for them properly. I have 3- 4 inches of construction sand in the bottom of their new coop (6'x3'). the coop is on concrete and faces the west. We live in sunny Southern California (Chino) where is gets hot and I have noticed that my sand is very moist, if not wet. This can't be a gone thing - help?
Thanks

 

[gander007]

Alright

great to have you joining the BYC flock

BYC has a very useful learning center

Sounds like a very nice flock you have there

I am reading this a little slow this morning as I was outside and you know how warm it is today if you have been out there ,,, okay so you are using sand for the floor of the coop great gives them something to play in and just scratch around in nice of you to give them something to do and the chicks can take a dust bath how thought ful of ya ......


The sand being damp will aid in colling them off and unless there is no way for the sand to drain the water of you really have nothing to really wory about only if the water cant dry out every once in a wile will you have problems ....

Make sure the chicks have some shade to get under and I normall use a wet towel or a blanket from the seconded hand store for them to just rest on in the hot afternoon sun and some times I even hose it down not soaked but wet enough to keep them cool ....


Do you have a picture of your set up ......




She is still hatching out egg's and just finished this morning with another 8 when I got up and 2 to go so I put them in the incubator as she is just getting too many chicks under her anyway when it was really hot I would put a wet towel over the top of her box and it was enough to cool her off and keep her on her egg's she is such a champ .....



















gander007

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

Wet sand is really good on those hot days. Just like beach sand and your feet get really cool when you stick them into the sand?....well it works the same with chickens feet. Chickens lose heat thru the feet and when it is really hot out side, and they are on wet sand that is in the shade, this is going to keep them really cool. I use sand in my coop and run and wet it down and my birds stay quite cool on even the hottest of days. Cool feet mean cooler birds.

Now you don't want them standing in swampy wet anything. And you need to keep the coop and run floor clean when you keep it wet so it doesn't grow bacteria and worms. But wet sand is excellent in hot weather.

Welcome to our flock!

 

[The Triplets]

thank you - I feel better knowing that since it does get hot here. My little Cochin dug a hole and was laying in it yesterday and it was obvious she was cooling off. It is only damp in some areas so perhaps some shavings mixed in will help...

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes, they will dig a hole and sit in it to cool off. I wouldn't add any shavings to it. That can grow bacteria. If you dry it up she can't go sit in her sand hole.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC . Damp sand should pose no problem. Perpetually soaked never draining sand on the other hand might add to health issues.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X5, as long as there is good drainage, damp sand is fine, especially in hot weather https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/444759/got-sand-you-should

 

[drumstick diva]

Sounds like she is doing what chickens naturally do - cooling off the best she can.

Also chickens love to have dust baths and will just lay in any strange position. Sometimes they look like they are having fits but, they are just euphoric and loving their dust bath.

 

[villenchick]

I got so scared last week as I thought one of my babies was having a seizure and then I went ot touch her and she was so happy to be in the sand getting a dirt bath!!!
Scared me half to death though...funny birds!

 

[TwoCrows]

I got so scared last week as I thought one of my babies was having a seizure and then I went ot touch her and she was so happy to be in the sand getting a dirt bath!!!
Scared me half to death though...funny birds!

Yes, if you have never experienced a "dust bath" event, this can scare the crud right out of you!!!