Pros and Cons for using sand

[Gen9]

Yeah, it's hot & humid with mild winters here. Rarely do we get snow & it isn't much. I think one time we got 8 ft but that was decades ago

 

[Gen9]

I will look into the coarse sand, I thought washed concrete was it, I'll have to make sure though.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Thanks everyone!!!! You've been a HUGE help!

 

[CedarCrestFarm]

I could not agree more with "Free Feather" in regards to sand in the coop. I switched all my coops to construction grade sand last year and ended up with several cases of Coccidiosis, sinus infection and mites. (Needless to say I switched back) The sand is still in my compost pile. With wood shavings, I have found that each spring I can spread anything that has fallen or been kicked out of the coops on top of dirt and grass seed. Within a week, the shavings are covered with fresh/new grass. While sand may work well in warmer climates, for cold climates like Ohio, it is the pits!

 

[Blueline]

If you live somewhere warm it would probably be okay to use, but it gets really cold and allows no insulation in the north. I would only use it if they are allowed to free range or have other parts of the run with real dirt to scratch in and get greens and bugs.

Big paint brush

Charlie

 

[Free Feather]

Big paint brush

Charlie

What?

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Sand is no good in cold climates. It might drain well, but it is really no fun to scratch in or find bugs. It is good for only in a box for dustbathing. It does not compost, and you cannot plant in it. It also has a tendency to stink and cause diseases like Coccidiosis. It just really is not natural.

X2 I had sand in my coop all summer, pooper scooped it like a cat box, but when fall arrived with many rain showers it couldn't handle the extra moisture and it got real stinky. I'm meticulous about cleaning my coop. One day I went out and with no warning I opened the door and the ammonia smell just about took my breath away. Shoveled out 5 hundred pounds of sand that day and dumped it in low areas of my run. Even with snow on the ground I can still smell that stinky sand. I did use PDZ with it & I still use sand & PDZ on my poop board. But I will never try to use it in the fall, winter or spring when you have all the extra moisture to deal with. I love it for summer time though.

 

[WNCcluck]

Sand is no good in cold climates. It might drain well, but it is really no fun to scratch in or find bugs. It is good for only in a box for dustbathing. It does not compost, and you cannot plant in it. It also has a tendency to stink and cause diseases like Coccidiosis. It just really is not natural.

Wow really?
I have been considering on getting some washed concrete sand for my chicken run because I deal with bumble foot every single year & the run gets very muddy while it rains. The LAST thing I want is for it to stink & overwhelm my chickens with cocci.

What part of NC? We have found sand quite effective. River sand is quite natural ... It's what we walk on in the rivers of our home state. Of course, our end of the state does have some pretty large rocks in the rivers, too.

Get the sand ... and some (also very natural) PDZ. Your chickens will be healthy and happy and so will you.

As far as sand and cold are concerned, we've had no problems with sand in the 0's of our mountain winters. Our girls don't sleep in the sand. Our coop is well made and well ventilated; our run is covered and also has a sand floor. I use a hard nosed rake in the run to keep the sand /PDZ mix nice and "fluffy". Our hens are constantly bathing in the sand, too.

 

[Gen9]

What part of NC? We have found sand quite effective. River sand is quite natural ... It's what we walk on in the rivers of our home state. Of course, our end of the state does have some pretty large rocks in the rivers, too.

Get the sand ... and some (also very natural) PDZ. Your chickens will be healthy and happy and so will you.

As far as sand and cold are concerned, we've had no problems with sand in the 0's of our mountain winters. Our girls don't sleep in the sand. Our coop is well made and well ventilated; our run is covered and also has a sand floor. I use a hard nosed rake in the run to keep the sand /PDZ mix nice and "fluffy". Our hens are constantly bathing in the sand, too.

I live in east nc - about 45 minutes from the coast - the only problem I may have with sand is it washing away. We have our chickens & goats in the back corner of the yard; because it's the farthest away from all our neighbor's houses. Unfortunately it is at the end of a slope & lots of water runs through it. I've been planning that back area for quite some time, & I think digging swale & gutters running to a rain barrel would help cut down flooding in that area. I've been trying to find river sand but I'll settle for the next best thing. Washed concrete sand looks like this.

 

[WNCcluck]

What part of NC? We have found sand quite effective. River sand is quite natural ... It's what we walk on in the rivers of our home state. Of course, our end of the state does have some pretty large rocks in the rivers, too.

Get the sand ... and some (also very natural) PDZ. Your chickens will be healthy and happy and so will you.

As far as sand and cold are concerned, we've had no problems with sand in the 0's of our mountain winters. Our girls don't sleep in the sand. Our coop is well made and well ventilated; our run is covered and also has a sand floor. I use a hard nosed rake in the run to keep the sand /PDZ mix nice and "fluffy". Our hens are constantly bathing in the sand, too.

I live in east nc - about 45 minutes from the coast - the only problem I may have with sand is it washing away. We have our chickens & goats in the back corner of the yard; because it's the farthest away from all our neighbor's houses. Unfortunately it is at the end of a slope & lots of water runs through it. I've been planning that back area for quite some time, & I think digging swale & gutters running to a rain barrel would help cut down flooding in that area. I've been trying to find river sand but I'll settle for the next best thing. Washed concrete sand looks like this.

Those permaculture ideas sound great. The sand you show in the picture should work fine. Enjoy!