Issues with sand in run

[3KillerBs]

When you say wood chips, are you referring to mulch? Or just plain wood chips? Thanks!

Wood chips, preferably coarse-textured.

The kind you get from a tree-trimming service.

PLAIN, UNDYED mulch will work if you can't get/don't have room for a truckload of ground tree.

 

[aart]

When you say wood chips, are you referring to mulch? Or just plain wood chips? Thanks!

Wood chips, preferably coarse-textured.

The kind you get from a tree-trimming service.

PLAIN, UNDYED mulch will work if you can't get/don't have room for a truckload of ground tree.

Like these:

Good if you have a place to store a truckful.

 

[DobieLover]

When you say wood chips, are you referring to mulch? Or just plain wood chips? Thanks!

Wood chips resulting from chipping up branches. Arborists generate them and many Highway Departments that collect curbside branches for taxes payers generate them. I get mine from a local HD for free by the truck/trailer load.

 

[Kellow1]

I've not found that to be the case.
I used it in combination with granulated sweet PDZ on my boards and when I eliminated it, I noticed less dust when scooping them.

The PDZ will make it dusty. Also, make sure you are using the correct type of sand. It should be a washed, commercial-grade sand with multi-sized pebbles. There should be no dust.

 

[Chicnbones]

Ok guys! Im having some issues with sand in my run. Wanted to see if any of you have any advice? Ive been keeping chickens for a year now and ive got a sand run. I loved it at first the sand seemed clean and stayed loose but now in places it hard as a brick and hard to break up. I try to turn it with an ground areator thingy but its just getting to hard. Should i give up on the sand and which to wood chips or what does everyone think?

What kind of sand did you use?
Careful, do not use silica sand! It can cause respiratory problems or even cancer.

 

[Devorah]

I just replied to a new member intro thread with a similar question about sand vs. wood chips.
To me, it's a no brainer. Wood chips all the way!
With sand you have to scoop it to keep it clean. It adds dust to an already dusty environment. It doesn't decompose.
With wood chips, it provides a substrate the birds can scratch through, dust bathe in and it slowly decomposes along with the poop load.
In the over two years I've been running the current setup, I've never cleaned anything out, just add a truck load once a year and rake flat every few months.View attachment 2694015

What kind of wood chips? Pine?

 

[Devorah]

The PDZ will make it dusty. Also, make sure you are using the correct type of sand. It should be a washed, commercial-grade sand with multi-sized pebbles. There should be no dust.

Is this the type of sand to use in dust baths, including for chicks?

 

[aart]

What kind of wood chips? Pine?

Rough ones, like from a tree trimmer.
Type of wood is less important than not piling freshly chipped wood too deep.
Can be hard to find, best to have a good spot to store a big pile.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Is this the type of sand to use in dust baths, including for chicks?

Yep. Any sand that is natural, washed, and coarse grain is fine. For the first week or so, if I’m raising chicks in a brooder, I keep them on puppy pads or paper towels for the first week. If the chicks are raised by one of my hens, they are on sand from the day they are hatched.

Here is a pic of what I have in my coop, nest boxes, run, and on the poop decks. I get it by the 14-ton dump truck load from my local quarry. I mix 40 pound bags of Sweet PDZ into the sand on the poop decks a couple times a year.

 

[Devorah]

Rough ones, like from a tree trimmer.
Type of wood is less important than not piling freshly chipped wood too deep.
Can be hard to find, best to have a good spot to store a big pile.

Thanks - good idea!