Sand and Silica

[patandchickens]

Quote:
1) not too awfully fine or dusty

2) reasonably clean (no bits of metal or large quantities of salt in it)

3) beyond that, whatever's cheapest locally. It's usually much, much, much cheaper by the dumpload than buying individual wee sandbox-type bags. Of course if you buy it by the dumpload you also get lots of good exercise out of moving it LOL

If you are going to put in a considerable depth of it (like 6" or more) you might consider trying to get something that has non-rounded grains, so that it is not as shifty and "bottomless" underfoot... but frankly this does not matter nearly as much to chickens as it does to people or larger livestock. I wouldn't worry about the grains being *too* jaggedy as long as this is just sand and not gravel we're talking about.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[jamband]

I think what the OP may be referring to is bag sand that contains crystalline silica along with a california cancer warning label........Yes sand is basically crushed rock but the commercial sand is actually not sand in a pure sense in that it is quartz rock etc that is mined and mechanically crushed into fine particles........That being said if you want cheap sand a local gravel yard is likely the cheapest route

 

[Chicken Cretin]

So what is the cheapest, yet still safe option with sand? I’m inSoCal and only need about 6-8 cubic feet. That’s way too much to go and buy food grade DE or aquarium sand.

 

[The Lazy L]

So what is the cheapest, yet still safe option with sand? I’m inSoCal and only need about 6-8 cubic feet. That’s way too much to go and buy food grade DE or aquarium sand.

6-8 cubic feet equals 6-8 tons (according to the Internet).
Sunburst Decorative Rock, Inc. Irwindale, CA has fill sand.
California Quarry Products. Lancaster, CA has washed sand

 

[Suzi18]

I use construction grade sand in my coops and runs. I have it delivered and dumped beside my garage. Last delivery was 2 tons and it was only 90 dollars . That included delivery. I've been using sand for 2 years and love it

 

[Ghosty]

I have sand in my run. I get it from the local cement and gravel yard by the ton. Coarse sand like river, construction, concrete, masonary sand is better than fine sand like play sand. Fine sand will wash away more easily and is more difficult to walk in. I would also think it's dustier. I haven't noticed my run being dusty at all, but it is uncovered and we have been getting regular rains.

 

[crowzzz]

I'm from N. CA coast and we have plenty of rain. My girls are in a run that the previous home owners had put down weed cloth covered by rock. It is super difficult to remove, so I left it except for about a 4x5 area. I throw straw down, which is fine in the summer, but winter it is all mud and yuck. After reading this thread I am thinking of redwood chips, or maybe cedar bedding. I let them out in the grassy yard often, but feel bad for them when they are penned up with mud.

 

[Chicken Cretin]

Thanks everyone for the input. I ended up getting washed plaster sand from Sunburst. They said it is local river sand, so I’m hopeful it’ll be fine. So far they love it.

 

[Ghosty]

Thanks everyone for the input. I ended up getting washed plaster sand from Sunburst. They said it is local river sand, so I’m hopeful it’ll be fine. So far they love it.

Washed river sand is probably what I have too. I like it. The birds don't really even use the run anymore, so it is maintenance free. Even when the guineas roosted out there, I would just turn the sand over to get fresh sand to the top, level it out, and cover the waste under the roost with fresh sand. The waste washes away in the rain. I have a dirt bottom covered with hardware cloth, covered with a thin layer of gravel, then 4 - 6 inches of sand. I wish I had used 2 x 6 or even 2 x 8 for the bottom of the run, so I could pile the sand in higher.

 

[cherrybombuk]

I know this is an old thread, yet I am reading it to figure out what to put in my daughter's large outdoor run--for Easter Egger bantams--that tends to mud (Florida).

While everyone's input is appreciated, here is a link with some research and anecdotal evidence about chicken illness due to sand, including breathing issues, that may be relevant to others like myself who find this past in 2020 or beyond:

https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2013/07/the-real-scoop-on-using-sand-in-your.html