Sand as litter?

[DianaMallory]

NO SAND NOT EVER AGAIN! Sand is good for the dust bath boxes and that is it in my experience! Sand is to heavy! I am all for making it easier to deal with your chickens if you have very small flock this might work for you. But I don't like shoveling it and when it gets wet it is even heavier. My chickens are enough work without making it harder! And if I had it to do over again I would have never built stationary coops. For me chicken Tractors would be wonderful. Put your chicken to work for you. Go visit Justin Rhodes on you tube the Chicken Ninja. He has the best way I have seen to raise chickens! Like I said if you have a very small flock in your back yard, It might work for you, I use the deep litter method and poo boards in my coops. And when I clean out my coops I put the deep litter I clean out into my chicken run, where my chickens scratch it and pile it up and turn it into the most beautiful compost! And when I went to retrieve some of the compost I noticed the temperature was warmer in the pile, which created a heat source for my chickens in the winter! My opinion I will never use sand again! #1 reason it is back breaking to deal with!

 

[Cryss]

NO SAND NOT EVER AGAIN! Sand is good for the dust bath boxes and that is it in my experience! Sand is to heavy! I am all for making it easier to deal with your chickens if you have very small flock this might work for you. But I don't like shoveling it and when it gets wet it is even heavier. My chickens are enough work without making it harder! And if I had it to do over again I would have never built stationary coops. For me chicken Tractors would be wonderful. Put your chicken to work for you. Go visit Justin Rhodes on you tube the Chicken Ninja. He has the best way I have seen to raise chickens! Like I said if you have a very small flock in your back yard, It might work for you, I use the deep litter method and poo boards in my coops. And when I clean out my coops I put the deep litter I clean out into my chicken run, where my chickens scratch it and pile it up and turn it into the most beautiful compost! And when I went to retrieve some of the compost I noticed the temperature was warmer in the pile, which created a heat source for my chickens in the winter! My opinion I will never use sand again! #1 reason it is back breaking to deal with!

I adore Justin Rhodes! I have a permanent coop but plan on a chicken tractor to move them out and about when our NJ winter is over.

 

[susan2341]

The first I got chickens I decided to raise them from chicks. I got 6 Rhode Island reds. For the first 1 and a bit weeks I had them just in paper towel over news paper and after that I switched them to play sand in a huge watermelon box until they were ready to go outside. It worked great. I used a cat litter scoop everyday to keep it all clean. The only thing is you have to refresh water a lot because they will kick and scratch sand into it. Other then that I’d say it’s great.

 

[twoacrefarm]

NO SAND NOT EVER AGAIN! Sand is good for the dust bath boxes and that is it in my experience! Sand is to heavy! I am all for making it easier to deal with your chickens if you have very small flock this might work for you. But I don't like shoveling it and when it gets wet it is even heavier. My chickens are enough work without making it harder! And if I had it to do over again I would have never built stationary coops. For me chicken Tractors would be wonderful. Put your chicken to work for you. Go visit Justin Rhodes on you tube the Chicken Ninja. He has the best way I have seen to raise chickens! Like I said if you have a very small flock in your back yard, It might work for you, I use the deep litter method and poo boards in my coops. And when I clean out my coops I put the deep litter I clean out into my chicken run, where my chickens scratch it and pile it up and turn it into the most beautiful compost! And when I went to retrieve some of the compost I noticed the temperature was warmer in the pile, which created a heat source for my chickens in the winter! My opinion I will never use sand again! #1 reason it is back breaking to deal with!

I just looked up that Justin Rhodes- man that guy has PASSION!

 

[Deb T]

I have a 10x10 building. 5x10 is the coop and 5x10 is an attached protected run. The coop has a small table that I store the feed cans under and in front of it is a ladder to the top of the table where the roost bars are. Under the roost bars is the poop board. I use sand on the poop board and clean it quick and easy daily with a kitty litter scooper. There is no sand anywhere else inside the coop area. However we just moved and long story short had to add sand to the run area. I totally agree. Those sand bags are heavy! Thanks God for my neighbors help on that. But for the floor inside the coop I use koop klean. Not sure the spelling but it is several inches deep and usually only have to change it out 2 or 3 times a year. I have thought about doing deep litter method but not sure if it will work on a vinyl floor. Any ideas?

 

[Cryss]

I have a 10x10 building. 5x10 is the coop and 5x10 is an attached protected run. The coop has a small table that I store the feed cans under and in front of it is a ladder to the top of the table where the roost bars are. Under the roost bars is the poop board. I use sand on the poop board and clean it quick and easy daily with a kitty litter scooper. There is no sand anywhere else inside the coop area. However we just moved and long story short had to add sand to the run area. I totally agree. Those sand bags are heavy! Thanks God for my neighbors help on that. But for the floor inside the coop I use koop klean. Not sure the spelling but it is several inches deep and usually only have to change it out 2 or 3 times a year. I have thought about doing deep litter method but not sure if it will work on a vinyl floor. Any ideas?

Check out this YouTube for deep litter questions. Very informative. Love the design. There's also a video on that channel about predator proofing.

 

[aart]

I just looked up that Justin Rhodes- man that guy has PASSION!

...or Mania...haha!
He certainly has energy and is avery effective showman, thus his youtube and 'brand' success.

 

[Roscoe2k2]

View attachment 1194706 Front view. 10ft x 10ft x 6ft chain link dog run. I'm still tworking on the fencing especially the door as it has gaps.View attachment 1194708 The top is 1inch x 2inch x 2ft x12ft wire strips, 6 of them I wired together.View attachment 1194718 The entire thing is wrapped with 1inch x 2inch x 2ft wire on the top 2 feet while the bottom 4 feet is wrapped in 1/2inch hardware cloth.View attachment 1194723 The apron is around the run AND the coop has its own apron which you cannotsee because we buried View attachment 1194725 South/right side shows scrap plastic siding from an old hot tub covering the View attachment 1194726 bottom of the coops attached run. North side, bottom covered only under hen house. Another view.View attachment 1194728View attachment 1194730 East side, nesting door and the covering. This covering was all done to prevent rain making the feeding area wet. View attachment 1194736 I blocked access to that covered area under the hen house because they go there instead of in the roosting area of hen house. View attachment 1194739 The clean out door with pull out tray below it. Wood strips are blocking drafts from gaps. Did the same thing insde nesting door. View attachment 1194741 Looking into clean out door. They prefer to sit in shavings over sitting on roosts. View attachment 1194743 Blocking the nesting area to prevent starting bad habits of kpooping in there. I'll open it when they get to the age of laying eggs.View attachment 1194747 The one good thing on this coop...the vent at the top which you see here as a bit of light. View attachment 1194748 The vent as seen from the outside.

Like the build up of the fencing..liked

 

[Cryss]

Thank you Roscoe2k2

 

[Roscoe2k2]

Thank you Roscoe2k2

I'm working through my winter projects and my olde dog kennel will change to a coop area.I have it at6ft high x10 wide x20 long and have4more panels perhaps to make tractor in the future..this is still all in planning..haven't had any birds yet.I do lurk and read up all as possible...great site and helpful folks here...very appreciative to y'all☺