Is sand a good bedding for ducks?

[samakap]

Hello. I use just sand as bedding for my ducks coop for about half a year now. I scoop out the poop daily. But lately I noticed that there are small black flies in the coop. I personally like sand because it’s easy to take clean and not moldy. But I also have heard that sand is not good bedding. I wonder should I change the bedding to other materials or sand is okay.

Sorry my my bad English

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Love your ducks. Been ages since we had a few here.

If the sand is working for you in your environment that is all that matters honestly… there are lots of preferences to bedding on all poultry here and mostly that is dependent on environment climate issues, available materials and what keepers of any species finds works for them or even is cultural for them.

Since you have bugs, if it was me I would clean out the house good, good time to wash it down, sanitize and treat for bugs, Perfume it (aka treat the housing by burn smoldering certain herbs… hippy me) I would put the old sand out to be recycled into garden soil or potting mix… I would treat their housing floor and walls with something I am comfortable with. Again we are all different. I tend toward the hippy dippy stuff but not 100%… if I think it is modern science or chemical time problem, then I science the heck out of it... just depends on the issue. Then put all new sand in it.

I would also carefully inspect the birds for parasites and treat as needed. Might even give them a medicinal bath (homemade tea bath)… may as well.

 

[samakap]

Love your ducks. Been ages since we had a few here.

If the sand is working for you in your environment that is all that matters honestly… there are lots of preferences to bedding on all poultry here and mostly that is dependent on environment climate issues, available materials and what keepers of any species finds works for them or even is cultural for them.

Since you have bugs, if it was me I would clean out the house good, good time to wash it down, sanitize and treat for bugs, Perfume it (aka treat the housing by burn smoldering certain herbs… hippy me) I would put the old sand out to be recycled into garden soil or potting mix… I would treat their housing floor and walls with something I am comfortable with. Again we are all different. I tend toward the hippy dippy stuff but not 100%… if I think it is modern science or chemical time problem, then I science the heck out of it... just depends on the issue. Then put all new sand in it.

I would also carefully inspect the birds for parasites and treat as needed. Might even give them a medicinal bath (homemade tea bath)… may as well.

Thank you for your reply! The weather where I live is really hot, mostly whole year so using sand might be okay. I will clean all the coop soon!! Thanks again

 

[AGeese]

Thank you for your reply! The weather where I live is really hot, mostly whole year so using sand might be okay. I will clean all the coop soon!! Thanks again

Watch out for those sand fleas! I hear they love warm climates. Honestly I have no idea but yeah clean or relocate that sand. Also are you feeding your birds fruit? They might be fruit flies. I order a lot of fly traps from this place https://www.arbico-organics.com/ they have ton of different kinds of products to control insects from actual traps to bio-controls.

 

[Kelster65]

I use sand and my ducks love it. I do not ever feed inside the coop abs if you do, you may be seeing flies and other things attracted to the food or the moisture in the food. I rake in DE and first Saturday lime or stall PDZ also which tends to kill mites and things with an exoskeleton. I sprinkle when they're out of the coop/run so they don't breathe it. DE a natural dewormer for the ducks and chickens and the chickens get first Saturday in their dust baths too. It may be overkill for you but spraying the coop with vinegar helps and you can also whitewash which is a mixture with hydrated lime.

 

[AGeese]

I had this happen with my goslings from so much of their waste and not having completely dried out the sand before I had it in their brooder. I had to move them out of the brooder, the sand has now been sitting sun dried. It's been raked and appears to be usable again.

 

[Kelster65]

I had this happen with my goslings from so much of their waste and not having completely dried out the sand before I had it in their brooder. I had to move them out of the brooder, the sand has now been sitting sun dried. It's been raked and appears to be usable again.

Do you like using sand? I do, however today noticed ants and a few other bugs. I thought the DE and lime would kill those off. Is that normal or do I need to pull it out and sun bake it?

 

[AGeese]

Do you like using sand? I do, however today noticed ants and a few other bugs. I thought the DE and lime would kill those off. Is that normal or do I need to pull it out and sun bake it?

I do like using sand, but it has to be kept dry. I have used DE around their bedding, no idea of its effectiveness and you don't want to use it on wet sand I'm pretty sure. I stopped using it out of concern for my own health. If you're having issue I would scoop it out, hoses it down and let it dry in the sun for a while.

*the problem with dry play sand is silica, not sure if you can wash that out, but what makes it good is the same thing that makes it harmful to us.