Safe Ice Melt/Pavement Deicer?

[yakx]

I've been trying to figure out how to keep my walkway and driveway ice-free this winter in a way that's safe for my chickens. However, I've been struggling to find much definitive information on it. My first thought was pet-friendly ice-melt, but I read that it's still not safe if they ingest too much of it. Does anyone have experience with this? I was thinking of using a combination of all-purpose sand (because I've read that it should at least give some traction) and Safe Paw Ice Melt. My coop is behind my house, but I let the chickens free roam for 30 minutes a day, and they often wander onto the pavement. There wouldn't be any directly around the coop or in their run. Thanks in advance.

 

[thecatumbrella]

That's a really great question. I personally would use sand. Ice melt is great for small driveways with no pets, but sand is king for getting traction when my (longer) driveway inevitably ices over.

I've also used some kind of crushed lava rock on the stairs, which feels more benign than that "pet-safe" blue/green stuff, but it's big bucks to use over large areas.