Sand for Bedding questions

[harmonyp]

I'm new to chickens, but have had horses forever, so have lots of supplies on hand. We had a 6' x 16' coop run with a 6' x 4' coop within it built. I feel quite spoiled, but it sure is heavenly. Our ground is sand, and we do no amendment to it for the run. I find it to be the perfect run material. I couldn't bring myself to put sand in the coop though. One - it's really heavy, and it just doesn't seem like coop material to me. We lock the pullets (currently 6) in the coop at night. For bedding I've tried pine shavings, oat hay and grass hay. I'm actually happiest with grass hay on the floor mixed with minimal shavings, and pure pine shavings in the next boxes.

I put up a 20'x30' pen with 6' high 2x4 welded wire set on t-posts around it. That's also sand, and I grabbed handfuls of bermuda grass growing around the property and stuck them in the ground, as well as spreading some rolled oats (we already had for the horses), so the pen is getting nice and grassy.

I rake the run once a week, and just spread the sand / poop outside to amend the grassy area with insta-fertilizer. I hand pick the shavings and grass in the coop about once a week (the grass hay is super easy to pick up - poop just comes with it and you're mostly handling grass hay), and do a replacement of coop material about once a month. It stays mostly odor free, and is easy to keep up after. Sure beats cleaning horse stalls!

Chickens are healthy and happy.

 

[wantedman66]

I think it also matters on what is available in your area or part of the country,I don't know what state your in but I've never seen or heard of burmuda grass here in ct. If it works that's great is it expensive? I use the big flake pine shavings it works pretty good and is not too heavy to shovel but I'm always looking for something to make it easier and improve on cleanup,especially in the winter.

 

[harmonyp]

I'm in Northern, inland California. Bermuda grass out here is like a weed which most people avoid like the plague. But for us, in our desert'ish climate with minimal rainfall it's a blessing. It thrives in hot dry weather, and spreads like wildfire. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who likes a "real" lawn. But it's great with the birds as they don't seem to be able to kill it.

 

[wantedman66]

I wonder if it's like what they call crab grass here it's an ugly weedy grass that can spread and take over your lawn nobody wants it growing in their yard but the chickens like it.

 

[kcobbs]

Bermuda grass is a type of grass, crab grass is a weed.

 

[jdoane]

Update on my original post. Coop and run are done. I did decide to do sand in the coop. The run is just regular soil (and grass until they eat it all). My 5 five week old chicks are spending days out in the coop and run. They seem happy with it. Today I did my first scoop out. Easy Peasy!

Side note. I think I'll be putting some grazing frames in the run. I'm beginning to see how coop and run building and tweaking is an endless thing!

 

[wantedman66]

Bermuda grass is a type of grass, crab grass is a weed.

. Thanks had no idea

 

[wantedman66]

Keep us posted on how the sand works out as they get older.

 

[Stacyc]

I'm still waiting for my first coop to be finished, so after a year of research I plan on using the sand method inside my coop. As for winters in Minnesota I read somewhere here that one person then lays a deep layer of straw off hay on top of the sand to make coop a little more cozy in winter. Then in the spring she just rakes all that stuff off the top and fluffs up the sand. I am lucky to have some acreage so I can just chuck that into its own compost pile and let it sit . Also, anyone see any down side to using old yoga mats cut into pieces for a bottem layer in the nesting boxes? Then add pine shavings on top? By the way, , you people are awesome. I love visiting this site, and enjoy everyone's humor. It's like the one place on earth you can go where it doesn't fall into politics and nastyness. Don't know if that is a word, but it works. I have learned so much from you people, just finished my water nipple buckets yesterday and got my hole saw bit purchased so I can make my gravity fed pvc feeder.

 

[sn0wwhite]

I would be afraid of using something like a yoga mat because I think my chickens would peck it and eat it. They are not very discriminating eaters.