Pros and Cons for using sand

[speedy2020]

I live in rainy state. The uncovered sand run is really good the 1st 8 months and summer. However, it smell and messy during rainy/winter months. My plan is blow off the crap with the blower in the summer and fall before winter. Hopefully, this method help reduce the smell and the mess.

 

[MsRiderUp]

FWI: Peat Moss is currently being harvested in insane quantities from land that has its entire ecosystem based around it. Peat moss takes a long time to make, and we are taking it out of the bogs it belongs in at horribly unsustainable rates. It is destroying the bog ecosystem.
Just in case someone cares.

Thanks for that comment! I appreciate the info.

 

[jeff smith]

con.... chickens eat to much of the sand and it impact their craw.... to much sand causes health issues and death.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

con.... chickens eat to much of the sand and it impact their craw.... to much sand causes health issues and death.

That's untrue. The truth is: chickens NEED grit to digest fibrous foods. Any sand they ingest is passed out the digestive tract when the gizzard is finished utilizing it. Sand actually PREVENTS health problems such as coccidiosis by keeping the ground, brooder or coop drier than any other litter can.
Sand does not cause crop impaction as it is passed through the crop to the gizzard. Any bird that has an impacted crop with sand in it was predisposed to crop dysfunction and the sand did not cause it. Birds do not eat sand because it's delicious- they eat it because they need the grit and they only eat as much as they need.

 

[vsecretz]

Thanks ADozenGirlz for your feedback. I've visited your blog for helpful ideas on a few things as I am a first time backyard chicken owner. I remember reading your post about using sand and the benefits of it. I also live in New England and with this being my first time taking care of chickens ever, I have been learning as much as I can to take care of them the right way. With the cold winter now into play, I'm always worried if they are warm enough (especially at night), if I am wasting money by buying the pine shavings/straw and having to basically replace it all once a week when cleaning the coop. Therefore, I am always looking for the best ideas possible on how to take good care of my chickens without spending too much money.

Right now, using the shavings and straw - I try to layer enough down in the coop to ensure there is enough warmth. I do not close the side rectangular window that is on one side of the coop to keep the air flowing throughout but if I know its going to be a really cold night, I do decide to close it overnight and reopen it during the day. There's just so much to learn and can be overwhelming especially when wanting to know if you're doing things right to ensure their health and well being. But your responses help! I think that I will switch over to sand perhaps when it's not too freezing out in the next couple of months and see how that works out.

 

[Jim Phelps]

I totally agree with the positive comments related to the use of sand...particularly in the coop. Sand, along with PDZ, has worked well for me. There is no odor. I currently live in Georgia, but raised chickens for many years in Kentucky. Sand is easy to replace or refresh; I use play sand; sand is easy to "clean." Some months ago I read on the forum about someone using a giant kitty litter scoop to sift droppings from sand. For a small "flock" it is a great tool. Presently I only have six welsummer hens, and each morning I remove the droppings from beneath the roost. Easy and effective. In my setup play sand is great.

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

Hello one and all,
Very interesting to read about different areas and applications of sand for the floor bedding. I have a small coop/tractor which I really like in some respects. In the summer I can move it about and not worry about the mess, and the chickens love the new grassy area. I recently made a corral which is 25 foot square and movable as well. That is one side at a time with the help of my wife. I digress, to winterize I wrapped the coop in clear 6 mil pvc film, and the coop/roost area I covered in black pvc film. The front is still open and the rear is vented at the nestbox. The coop is about 4ft X 4 ft X 10 ft. I used wheat straw about 6 inches under the coop and set it down. The nest box area has wheat straw which they actually keep clean.
The foot or so in front of the nestbox also has straw. We have had rain, sleet and snow, but it all remains DRY and ventilated. I have had to only clean out the poop from where they roost as it built up and did not pass through the chicken wire and 2x4 14 gauge wire of the floor of the upper roost area to the floor below where there is only 2x4 inch 14 gauge wire to protect from predators. We have raccoons, possums, skunks, snakes, coyote, bobcats, and yes cougars in the area. If the floor gets too messy, I just spread another layer of straw. The run is now pretty well scratched through and devoid of vegetation. I also throw out some straw for them to go nuts scratching through. This helped during the snow to keep their feet from getting too wet and muddy. We have been down to the 15 teens and up to the 40's F. Only health issue was a bloody comb and I applied vaseline to it and all was well in a couple of days. THEY want out every day no matter what the temperature. I only have four girls, two Barred Plymouth Rocks, and two Rode Island Reds. Lost two others back in the spring to cocci, will replace with a couple of Buff Orphington's.
I will be getting some sand for them to bathe in as the rock and clay here is a bit tough this time of year. They love their dust in the warmer drier seasons. If I had a large flock Sand looks like a very viable alternative if I could find enough around here. LOL We are up on a ridge 1050 ft above MSL. BTW what is PDZ??
Again thank you everyone for the information on sand. Stay dry and warm all you chicks (and roo's). lolSummer setup
Winterized, I added more straw underneath.

Ready for winter!

Straw in nest box looking into roost area and out the front.
Enjoy!

 

[jeff smith]

I am just saying that too much sand in the bedding will do this or better yet complete sand. Their crop can and will become impacted over time and at some point not pass . I did a test about 20 years ago with 20 grown birds and put them in 20 different small pens with only sand as bedding. They had full feed and water and over 6 months 70% had impacted crops that was starting to effect their health. So my advise has always been not to have 100% sand as bedding for long periods of time. About 20% of a chickens diet in a chicken coop is their own litter, so they get too much grit and it becomes a harmful rather than helpful. Like everything in life , more is not always better... The right mix of sand added to litter has a lot of benefits as some have mentioned. In general if chickens eat only a formulated chicken feed and are not free ranged , there is the right amount of grit already in the chicken feed. However, if the chickens are free ranged they usually pick up enough grit in the dirt. This has been my experience.

 

[Jim Phelps]

Thank for your comments. PDZ is a drying agent that prevents ammonia build up. About the same texture as sand. It was once mainly used in horse stalls I believe, but has become quite useful if promoting "dryness" in chicken coops. It works really well when combined with sand. It can also be scattered on straw or hay bedding to control moisture build up. I get mine at Tractor Supply stores. About $12.00 for a twenty-pound or so (I'm estimating) bag. Lasts a really long time. Since I only have six or so hens usually, I buy a bag every six or eight months and scatter it over the sand in the coop. The chickens scratching mixes it in really well. A good product. I recommend it.

 

[AZ Turkeys]

Pure sand is not a good coop base material, cold or hot climate for all the reasons mentioned. A small sandy area for dust bathing is excellent. For coop runs, well drained soil is the best. If your soils hold water, have a lot of clay, spade it up and mix in some sand, keep some alfalfa in part of it for the girls to kick around, or pine needle straw etc. The key is to keep the run dry, preferably not frozen, did I say dry?, easily raked for cleaning and dry. I mound my run so that the water drains from the higher middle to the edges and out.

With young chickens, ( or other young poultry, particularly ducks) do not put them on sand. One, they will eat too much and it will impact their crops. Two, it can be so dry and abrasive to young feet as to cause abrasions.