Sand for Bedding questions

[Stacyc]

That didn't even cross my mind, thanks for the heads up on that. Saved me from future posts as to why would my girls be pooping blue pieces. Duh. Life seems to be a learning process.

 

[harmonyp]

Regarding the bermuda grass versus crab grass on prior page - fascinating (sorry a tad off sand topic, but both grow great in sand!!).

I also didn't know the difference - looked each up via google images, and find that not only do we have both of them, but I have put both in the chicken run (planted in sand - ah, that brings us back). In our climate, the bermuda takes off much faster than the crab grass, spreading faster and lower with a thinner grass, and the crab grass does look like more of a weed than a grass, but its grass output is thicker for eating.

Despite bermuda being a grass, I think urban people look at it like a weed, and us urban folks love it like a grass. Thanks for the update!

 

[wantedman66]

That didn't even cross my mind, thanks for the heads up on that. Saved me from future posts as to why would my girls be pooping blue pieces. Duh. Life seems to be a learning process.

. You know what works pretty good is cardboard just cut to fit it lasts awhile and when it starts falling apart I just throw it into the compost pile,also I was thinking of trying plastic place mats because you can just hose them off when they get full of crud.Just a thought....

 

[Bens-Hens]

I use cardboard pieces under my nesting material. Easy, cheap and disposable to the compost pile.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have used all types of litter for coops.

I have not tried sand (sand gets good reviews on this site).

Of all the things I tried to date wood pellets have been the best. (I tried wood pellets as a last resort when pine shavings were not available.) They are super absorbent and swell up and eventually turn to saw dust. The droppings just seem to vanish and turn to dust when it comes in contact with wood pellets .

Replace my litter and clean my coop every October after I harvest my garden.


Works for me in my deep litter method.

I do add to pellets from time to time.

I have 63 trips around the sun so it is not my first rodeo.

I have anywhere from 10 to 15 birds housed in my 4x8 coop.

Through the winter months it froze harder than concrete with -40º temperatures. The poop froze before it could be absorbed by the pellets and there was like a crusty layer of poop in certain areas where they collectively took aim (no smell, messy feet or flies @ -40º). Come April things started to look after themselves.

Oh I might add I do have poop boards 3½" below my roost that I clean every 2 to 3 days (excellent for catching eggs laid through the night).

In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit (nest boxes are 1 ft³). When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new.

Easy peasy!.

Chicken coop is salvaged 4x8 metal shed.

 

[houseofknauss]

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.

I used pieces of carpet in their boxes--they don't pick at it--during the winter I load it up with shavings

 

[Cjohnson13]

I just got my chickens last week and finished the coop..well I don't think you are really every finished with it, but their in it now.

I just put sand in my coop and its great. I went and got a cat litter scoop for clean up, its easy and fast.

I am also trying a piece of plastic under their roost for easy clean up.

 

[wantedman66]

Congrats how big is your coop CJ13.

 

[Stacyc]

6x4 ft withnesting boxes built into the side.

 

[Stacyc]

I will put up photos when it arrives.