Issues with sand in run

[Devorah]

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.

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Thank you! So what do you do after the first week? Put some of that sand in a bowl for a dust bath? I’m going to be raising chicks in a brooder indoors for the first 6-8 weeks and then transferring them to the coop where I plan on doing the deep bedding method. Just trying to figure out sand vs. wood chips in the run. I appreciate hearing about what you do! (Beautiful chickens btw!!)

 

[rayrose]

Thank you! So what do you do after the first week? Put some of that sand in a bowl for a dust bath? I’m going to be raising chicks in a brooder indoors for the first 6-8 weeks and then transferring them to the coop where I plan on doing the deep bedding method. Just trying to figure out sand vs. wood chips in the run. I appreciate hearing about what you do! (Beautiful chickens btw!!)

I use play ground sand as permanent bedding in my brooder. Scoop it daily, and it stays clean with no dust. The chicks dust bathe in it and eat it as grit. Much better than pine shavings. never have to change it out nor add to it.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Thank you! So what do you do after the first week? Put some of that sand in a bowl for a dust bath? I’m going to be raising chicks in a brooder indoors for the first 6-8 weeks and then transferring them to the coop where I plan on doing the deep bedding method. Just trying to figure out sand vs. wood chips in the run. I appreciate hearing about what you do! (Beautiful chickens btw!!)

After the first week or so, I just have the chicks on the sand. I keep the puppy pads on during the first week so they can learn what the food looks like and so I can monitor their poops easier. Plus it’s easier to replace the puppy pads a few times a day than to use the “scary” scoop!

I think you’d be okay to do the same. Use the puppy pads then switch them to whatever bedding they’ll be on when they get into the coop and run. I love sand because it’s so easy to keep clean and doesn’t stink. Plus, we live in waaaaaay-Southern Ohio where it‘s ALWAYS humid. If we did deep litter, wood chips, or almost anything else, it would be a moldy, stinky mess.

Thanks for the compliment! I do love my girls and try to take care of them well.

 

[Devorah]

After the first week or so, I just have the chicks on the sand. I keep the puppy pads on during the first week so they can learn what the food looks like and so I can monitor their poops easier. Plus it’s easier to replace the puppy pads a few times a day than to use the “scary” scoop!

I think you’d be okay to do the same. Use the puppy pads then switch them to whatever bedding they’ll be on when they get into the coop and run. I love sand because it’s so easy to keep clean and doesn’t stink. Plus, we live in waaaaaay-Southern Ohio where it‘s ALWAYS humid. If we did deep litter, wood chips, or almost anything else, it would be a moldy, stinky mess.

Thanks for the compliment! I do love my girls and try to take care of them well.

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Thanks! Our conditions here are not like yours in southern Ohio although it can be humid from time to time. Your girls are beautiful and the run is impressive. I’m still considering sand … Is that an automatic coop door or just some metal I see in the opening?

 

[bethnlee]

I adore the sand in my coop and run. Takes me maybe 5 min to pick up the poop that’s in the run. It’s a piece of cake. No smell. No flies, my chicks have a run full of ”grit” and a dust bath all in one. I have not found it to get hard at all…it’s still soft and sandy/pebbly and it’s year old in April. I also have sand in my coop but it hardly ever gets poop on it because there are poop boards under their roosts and that where the poop is. I spread PDZ on the poop boards when I clean them (weekly). Again, no smell, no flies. I disagree about their being dust…perhaps for a second when it’s first thrown in but not after…certainly not anything I’ve been concerned about. This May I’ll pull the sand out to my coop, do a deep clean of the coop and put in new sand…I’ll pile the old sand up and let it sit in the sun/rain for a year and reuse it next year. I’ll also pull the sand out of my run and let it sit in the environment for a year, replacing it in the run with new. I just love how clean it stays and how easy it is to deal with.

 

[Devorah]

I adore the sand in my coop and run. Takes me maybe 5 min to pick up the poop that’s in the run. It’s a piece of cake. No smell. No flies, my chicks have a run full of ”grit” and a dust bath all in one. I have not found it to get hard at all…it’s still soft and sandy/pebbly and it’s year old in April. I also have sand in my coop but it hardly ever gets poop on it because there are poop boards under their roosts and that where the poop is. I spread PDZ on the poop boards when I clean them (weekly). Again, no smell, no flies. I disagree about their being dust…perhaps for a second when it’s first thrown in but not after…certainly not anything I’ve been concerned about. This May I’ll pull the sand out to my coop, do a deep clean of the coop and put in new sand…I’ll pile the old sand up and let it sit in the sun/rain for a year and reuse it next year. I’ll also pull the sand out of my run and let it sit in the environment for a year, replacing it in the run with new. I just love how clean it stays and how easy it is to deal with.

Thanks so much! That is very interesting and helpful. What is the weather like where you are? Where do you get the sand from?

 

[addctd2plnts]

SO, I wonder, when talking about “sand” in the coop or run, if all “sand”is created equal? I’m a new chicken mom and have put sand in both my coop and run I’ve been reading this website (so much fabulous info here) as well as the Chicken Chick and The Featherbrained sites...both of whom are strong sand advocates and they make a strong case for sand BUT coarse sand...not fine sandlike kids sandbox sand . One of the ladies, I forget which, said do she was going to put sand in her run for the first time and report back. No update yet. I still like the sand. EASy to spot scoop the poop, cool, they nest done into it to find cool spots (it’s been 102 + here :-(. So, we’ll see... for those of you using wood chips,what kind of wood a?

All sand is NOT created equal, which is likely why different people are having different results! Here's one article, though geared towards horse arenas, will help explain: https://www.wa-rock.com/ask-the-rock-what-is-the-best-sand-for-my-horse-arena/

And one more horse sand discussion which has parts that will be helpful: https://extension.psu.edu/riding-arena-footing-material-selection-and-management

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Thanks! Our conditions here are not like yours in southern Ohio although it can be humid from time to time. Your girls are beautiful and the run is impressive. I’m still considering sand … Is that an automatic coop door or just some metal I see in the opening?

It is a JVR Automatic Coop Door. I’m replacing it with a Pullet Shut auto door. The JVRs are great doors - easy to use, easy to program, reliable, but they don’t like sand… We’ve replaced motor twice now because the dust and grit gets in the linear actuator and slows it down. Plus, it’s an inside the coop install. The Pullet Shut is installed on the outside wall where the wooden pop door is now.

 

[Byrd gal]

After the first week or so, I just have the chicks on the sand. I keep the puppy pads on during the first week so they can learn what the food looks like and so I can monitor their poops easier. Plus it’s easier to replace the puppy pads a few times a day than to use the “scary” scoop!

I think you’d be okay to do the same. Use the puppy pads then switch them to whatever bedding they’ll be on when they get into the coop and run. I love sand because it’s so easy to keep clean and doesn’t stink. Plus, we live in waaaaaay-Southern Ohio where it‘s ALWAYS humid. If we did deep litter, wood chips, or almost anything else, it would be a moldy, stinky mess.

Thanks for the compliment! I do love my girls and try to take care of them well.

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[Byrd gal]

My phone is crazy!!!! The first load of sand I used was the wrong kind and didn't work well. Clumped and hard.I am in sw ohio too. I got coarser sand and for two years it has been fine. I am allergic to mold and of all things mouse droppings so this year I am changing to sand in the coop so it is less inviting to mice. So far I only have mole problems. You would think moles wouldnt like sand.