Hi everyone! My family and I will be getting some chicks soon!! I am so excited! I have been on this site for days and days! I never thought I would be so excited to get chickens! I have fallen in love with them. (And I don't even have one yet) I am in the Arizona heat and not sure if the deep litter method will work out here. Also to use DE with the pine shavings or not to. Looking forward to this new journey! Thanks
You know what works out west here? (I am next door in New Mexico) Sand! You can dig it out of the arroyo's for free. Look at it first to make sure you are in a sand vein before digging it up. (wet it down and if it doesn't clump, you have sand) I do this here. Not only will it be free, LOL, but sand is the best flooring for runs, coop, and I even use it in nest boxes! It stays dry, there is NO poop smells, keep the flies away, it is soft on the birds foot pads, and is very easy to clean. It also has natural gritty stones for the gizzards. Here is a thread on sand that you might want to read thru. I worship sand. Sand, sand and more sand!!!....
Thanks everyone!!! My husband and I just saw sand as littler and we think that we shall go with it. I was at the zoo today and in their Turkey and Roster coop they had sand. Now just what kind of sand. There are so many different reviews on different kinds of sand. I guess I still have a lot more homework to do!