Sand in coop for beding

[5138bug]

A word of caution any one planning to use sand as bedding. Don't buy construction sand from Home Depot or Lowes I purchased sand last fall to give it a try Today I gave the coop a spring cleaning the sand in front of the door the water was 2" thick slab where it got wet from going in and out and the water leaked I thought it looked kind of grey the bag said contractor sand I think there must be concrete dust in it or it's waste from a concrete plant. Butter buy from a sand and gravel company cost a little more but you get what you pay for.

 

[triplepurpose]

A word of caution any one planning to use sand as bedding. Don't buy construction sand from Home Depot or Lowes I purchased sand last fall to give it a try Today I gave the coop a spring cleaning the sand in front of the door the water was 2" thick slab where it got wet from going in and out and the water leaked I thought it looked kind of grey the bag said contractor sand I think there must be concrete dust in it or it's waste from a concrete plant. Butter buy from a sand and gravel company cost a little more but you get what you pay for.

Yikes! Nice of you to warn folks...

Personally, not a fan of sand anyhow. chickens are birds of forest and fields, not desert dunes. Deep litter provides a more native environment for them--something to scratch in, beneficial microbes and fungi, and the odd bug to munch (it also makes more and better garden fertilizer). Tree leaves, wood chips, straw, etc mimic the jungle fowl's natural foraging grounds. By contrast, sand is a boring and useless wasteland to them. (Also, most people have access to deep litter materials that are free.)