Partially covered run— best litter method

[Farmgirl1878]

The sand idea really intrigues me but I heard it is to be replaced once a year. That’s a lot of sand. What do you do with all that sand how do you get rid of it. And it would take enough sand where I would have to order a truckload. The closest place is still so far away it’s almost $100 delivery fee for a load of sand

You really don’t have to replace it every year, but if you have a means of moving it out into the full sun and hosing it down and then screening it when it’s dry, that’s always good. $100 delivery isn’t such a bad deal either. It cost us $5 a ton for the sand with a $90 delivery fee. We got 14 tons and put about half of that in the coop and run. The other half will go into what will be the yard (we just built our house). I love the sand as it’s easy to keep clean, the chickens love it, and I don’t have to clean all the shavings out of everything. I just compost the poop. It’s cheaper in the long run than any other bedding! Oh yeah, and I do mix in the PDZ Stall Refresh to cut down on any odors.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I have sand in my run and coop. I really like it, scoop up their poo with a kitty litter scooper whenever I go in to give them treats and clean it out daily when they are out free ranging in the yard

Is there anyway you can cover the whole run? I was not going to put a roof on my run but after it rained once and the sand got wet, I decided to roof the whole thing. I just think if things in the run get wet, it just will create too big of a mess. Chicken poo can’t really be scooped out of wet sand and then the whole floor of the run would become horribly unsanitary. If the sand stays dry you can just scoop out the poop, instead of having to remove and replace the sand.

 

[Whitepinefarm]

Is there anyway you can cover the whole run? I was not going to put a roof on my run but after it rained once and the sand got wet, I decided to roof the whole thing. I just think if things in the run get wet, it just will create too big of a mess. Chicken poo can’t really be scooped out of wet sand and then the whole floor of the run would become horribly unsanitary. If the sand stays dry you can just scoop out the poop, instead of having to remove and replace the sand.

What is the best sand to use for the run?

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Natural, washed, coarse river sand. You can get it by the truckload from your local quarry. Out here in Southern Ohio, it costs about $5 a ton with a delivery fee of $90 for a dump truck full. (A dump truck holds about 12-14 tons.). Our quarry also will sell you a pickup truck load for $25.

Just don’t use the sandbox sand or crushed rock sand, it’s too dusty and small. Here’s a pic of the sand I use.

 

[MROO]

Never thought about draw in the run.....
To bad allergic to hay and straw. I tried the straw in the the coop and sneezing and welts bad time.....

Try pine needles and leaves. They're cheap (free!,) naturally draining and the biddies love to root through them for bugs & such. They also compost naturally, so when you do clean them out, they can go directly into your garden or under your trees!

 

[SimplyLivinthatFarmLife]

Pine shavings alone is not deep litter and will become a soggy mess. A good mixture of different material and sizes is what you need for it to work. My run is covered and it does get wet from some run off, but is never soggy. I've helped people(in person) with open muddy/stinky runs get a good DL going and they can't believe how well it works. Top pic is just after adding yard waste and bottom pic is what it normally looks like, with everything mixed in.

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Glad I'm reading this information from you regarding DL. Guess I had a true misunderstanding of what DL really was. Now I know and can make the needed adjustments. Thanks for sharing this information!

 

[SimplyLivinthatFarmLife]

View attachment 1469162 Natural, washed, coarse river sand. You can get it by the truckload from your local quarry. Out here in Southern Ohio, it costs about $5 a ton with a delivery fee of $90 for a dump truck full. (A dump truck holds about 12-14 tons.). Our quarry also will sell you a pickup truck load for $25.

Just don’t use the sandbox sand or crushed rock sand, it’s too dusty and small. Here’s a pic of the sand I use.

Love using river sand for my runs.

 

[SimplyLivinthatFarmLife]

5 ACRES?! Are acres smaller in NJ than other places or something?

 

[Whitepinefarm]

Love using river sand for my runs.

Is it more difficult to scoop out the poop with that type of sand?

 

[SimplyLivinthatFarmLife]

Is it more difficult to scoop out the poop with that type of sand?

I have a "tiny" rake that I use and simply rake it into a standing dust pan and voila...poop is on its way to the compost pile.