Newbie, questions about litter for coop

[splum]

So, I saw sand was suggested and this makes sense to me. What do you all think? What kind of sand?
Also, is dried grass okay as bedding for the egg boxes?

 

[Sustained]

I've read construction grade sand is a good option. It's fairly cheap at home depot. Or if you happen to live in a dry area there's always the option to go find some. That's what I'm doing for my run. It's free and works great. Dries out the poo pretty quick and my flock loves to scratch around in it and dust bathe. I also use dried grass for nest box bedding. Again, free and the girls don't seem to care either way what I put in the box. I just make sure to change it out regularly.

 

[TheRambler]

The only issue with dried grass for the nesting boxes is they tend to eat it. This isn't neccesarily bad, but its something to consider. It may have to be replaced more frequently, but it would most certainly work just fine. Just make sure it's dried, otherwise you can end up with a stinky slimy mess. I like using straw for nesting boxes.

 

[Darmamommy]

So, I saw sand was suggested and this makes sense to me. What do you all think? What kind of sand?
Also, is dried grass okay as bedding for the egg boxes?

Although I am a "newbie" too. I have found from my friends experience who has had chickens for 12+ years, she doesn't like sand because of the weather here. We live in the rainy wet northwest and it tends to hold in the moisture and invite more issues. I have heard you can add DE to it to help with the bug issues but isn't always enough for the moisture issues. I tend to go with what she says as tried and true methods.

 

[splum]

What is her tried and true method?

 

[Darmamommy]

What is her tried and true method?

She said she has tried all kinds of methods and she always ends up doing the deep litter method using pine chips. Only scoops out the obvious poo and adds another layer. She doesn't have to replace it all for close to a year. Her nests areas are fairly deep, a good 6". It gets packed down and scratched at by them enough that she doesn't have to worry to much about it overflowing. She also has ducks and pigmy goats, and horses so once in a long while when straw is all she has, she puts straw down, but says it is not worth the cost because she feels its a waste of the other animals feed. Her goats get into the stall where the nests are and try to eat it out, (when her kids leave the gate open). She gets the pine chips from a bulk supplier. She has a roosting area that she just has a flat board under it that she can scrape out with a flat shovel. But they also tend to roost where ever they feel like it that day. She grows rosemary bushes around her barn and coop and throw the clippings from it into the nests and stalls to help keep the flies down. Sprinkles DE around the boarder of her buildings, dust bath areas, and into the pile of pine chips where she scoops from for the nests.

For me I can't do everything she does because 1, I don't have the truck to haul it, 2, the place to store that much, 3, a bunch of other animals. I only have 6 chicks right now in a small coop and am currently using pine bedding which I had bought a huge bag of before asking her.

So I'm going with the pine chips next. Sprinkling DE in the nest, and their dust bath area, (just a tiny bit of it goes a long way.) Have a board under the roosts and a compost barrel for the scrapings. I am hoping I can get more tidbits of good advise from her and here on this site. I also search Pinterest and Google when I've had questions and issues. Both resources have been instrumental in helping us get ready and caring for our chicks.

 

[splum]

Thanks all!