Sand in Coop in Michigan?

[BentTwig25]

Hello, I am wondering if anyone from the upper Mid-Michigan area has sand in their chicken run area? We are new to chickens and our "babies" will be 7 weeks old tomorrow, so they haven't been outside as of yet. We are building them a chicken run area and are debating on what to put out there. We currently have grass there since it is just being built but once they turn all that up which direction should we go? We have seen on YouTube some people have sand and then they just scoop it like a litter box, but I have also read that could be bad depending on your location. I do need to mention the run we are building does have a roof on it, but the sides are that 1/2-inch hardware mesh which will be "open" to the elements during warmer months. During the winter we will put that corrugated metal roofing around the bottom and get the clear version for the top half to allow them to get light in there. Advice?

I should mention that inside the coop (it is a shed that has been altered into a chicken coop) we are going to try the deep litter method using wood chips.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I’m in waaaaaaay-Southern Ohio, right above the River. We have sand in the coop, run, and around the chicken yard. I love it. The run has a metal roof so the sand stays dry and cool all Summer. I use clear plastic to wrap the run in the Winter, so it stays dry and cuts the wind. I use a long handled metal wok spider to scoop poop and it takes about ten minutes to clean up after thirteen hens.

Just make sure you get natural, washed, coarse grain sand from a local quarry. Ours delivers by the 14-ton dump truck load or we can take the pickup and have them fill the bed.

 

[BentTwig25]

I’m in waaaaaaay-Southern Ohio, right above the River. We have sand in the coop, run, and around the chicken yard. I love it. The run has a metal roof so the sand stays dry and cool all Summer. I use clear plastic to wrap the run in the Winter, so it stays dry and cuts the wind. I use a long handled metal wok spider to scoop poop and it takes about ten minutes to clean up after thirteen hens.

Just make sure you get natural, washed, coarse grain sand from a local quarry. Ours delivers by the 14-ton dump truck load or we can take the pickup and have them fill the bed.

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Wow, I love your run area! I have the metal roof as well! I am so excited about, truth be told. Originally, we were going to use a newer dog kennel and add a roof when we decided to go all in, lol. How often do you sift through it? I really want to make sure we are giving the chickens the best care since we consider them pets as well. I hope my run will look as "fun" as yours does when it is all said and done! I will have to post pics.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

lol, mine are definitely spoiled! They’re pets that poop breakfast for sure. I use this to scoop poop: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN3BQR34?ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details&th=1

One thing I’d recommend is that you really secure your coop and run. Hardware cloth instead of the chain link dog run would be wise because you probably have just as many predators as we do. We are having to tear down and rebuild as there are mink a few miles away now. They can get thru the 2” by 4” fencing that we used to build the original run.

The other thing is to make the coop and run comfortable for you. If they’re pets, you’ll want to spend time with them, so make sure the coop and run are big enough that you can get inside easily and that you have room for a chair. My hubby doesn’t mind sitting on the roost I built for the girls, but I like to have a proper chair in there for my old fanny.

We originally built a “loft” for the ladies, with steps. That was great fun while they were small, but I have biiiig girls, so I don’t want them jumping down from the four foot tall loft. Now I just use the stairs as another roost and a place for a hidey hole for them to get away from each other.

The other nice thing is that the nest boxes are big and have removable dividers, so if someone just has to raise chicks, she can do it right in the box. There are six boxes for thirteen girls.

Lots of windows, plenty of light, easy to clean, built like Fort Knox. Whatever you can do within your budget makes it easier, cleaner, and more fun for you and your pets!

 

[BentTwig25]

lol, mine are definitely spoiled! They’re pets that poop breakfast for sure. I use this to scoop poop: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN3BQR34?ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details&th=1

One thing I’d recommend is that you really secure your coop and run. Hardware cloth instead of the chain link dog run would be wise because you probably have just as many predators as we do. We are having to tear down and rebuild as there are mink a few miles away now. They can get thru the 2” by 4” fencing that we used to build the original run.

The other thing is to make the coop and run comfortable for you. If they’re pets, you’ll want to spend time with them, so make sure the coop and run are big enough that you can get inside easily and that you have room for a chair. My hubby doesn’t mind sitting on the roost I built for the girls, but I like to have a proper chair in there for my old fanny.

We originally built a “loft” for the ladies, with steps. That was great fun while they were small, but I have biiiig girls, so I don’t want them jumping down from the four foot tall loft. Now I just use the stairs as another roost and a place for a hidey hole for them to get away from each other.

The other nice thing is that the nest boxes are big and have removable dividers, so if someone just has to raise chicks, she can do it right in the box. There are six boxes for thirteen girls.

Lots of windows, plenty of light, easy to clean, built like Fort Knox. Whatever you can do within your budget makes it easier, cleaner, and more fun for you and your pets!

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We originally were going to use an old dog kennel that would have been reinforced with the hardware cloth and an added roof (my husband used to be a carpenter. We decided on just building the chicken run we wanted instead it is (16x16). Our chickens will also have some of that hardware cloth buried around and under the coop and run (pointing outward if that makes sense) which is also in a fenced in 40x100 area for "semi-free ranging". We are definitely reinforcing everything!! We want to make sure they are as safe as possible from both the elements and especially predators. When they use the free ranging area, we will be outside with them so that we can also help to watch for hawks (there are plenty around here!).

I am going to have my husband build me a bench so we can sit and visit with them both in the run and in the free-range area as well. He is going to build them places to jump on to and we are going to add some "fun" toys and a dust bath area as well. In the run area we may do a small chicken garden that I see everywhere with the chicken wire on top that allows them to eat what is growing.

Our girls are going to be big as well. We were supposed to have mostly Olive Eggers with one Black Jersey Giant and a couple of Black Australorps, lol. What we ended up with was a few Buff Orpingtons, 3 Golden laced Wyandottes, 2 Silver laced Wyandottes, and a mix of Australorps and Jersey Giants. The Buffs and the Wyandottes were purchased a day or two after our original order was picked up, the rest is a happy accident by the store we got them from. They had a fill-in the day we picked them up and he admitted he didn't know what he was looking at!!

 

[ChaosMom]

One thing about that bench: you might want to turn it up on end or cover with an old vinyl tablecloth when the humans aren’t sitting there. Because the chickens will doubtless love it for perching and napping, and you know what happens with that…

 

[BentTwig25]

One thing about that bench: you might want to turn it up on end or cover with an old vinyl tablecloth when the humans aren’t sitting there. Because the chickens will doubtless love it for perching and napping, and you know what happens with that…

Yes! I was thinking about having him make one that can be put up, like a Murphy bed. I also have special coveralls I wear when I visit my chickens. Lolol

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Yes! I was thinking about having him make one that can be put up, like a Murphy bed. I also have special coveralls I wear when I visit my chickens. Lolol

I definitely have my “clucker clothes” that I don’t wear in the house. I’ve been pooped on (a lot since my girls use me as their own personal jungle gym), but they’re never gonna sand is also dusty. So I just strip off the clucker clothes and put on the house clothes when I come in.

Great ideas for the run! I switch it up every once in a while too and move the roosts and feeders around to different spots.

Love the idea for the Murphy bench! We just keep a brush handy to clear off the sand and poop when hubs want to sit down. They’ll still poop on it btw, even when it’s closed up!

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I’m in the UP of Michigan so I’m familiar with the challenges of your climate. This post may be long- sorry- we’re talkers UP here — I think sand may be ok in a well covered run if the eves are long enough to prevent the sand from getting wet, no less than 12” with 18” even better. I did not do this in my build and had to add extentions later (thanks to advice by @aart) You don’t want the sand gets wet and freeze to the chicken’s feet.
I’ll share my method FWIW, but it’s certainly not perfect.
It is essentially a deep litter cold compost.
I make my own small wood chips from pine on my land. But you cannget free chips from any local tree service- just make sure you don’t use cedar as it’s toxic to chickens.
In the coop I add a healthy layer of chips every spring on the laminate floor- By 4-6 months it’s pretty well trodden and softened. I have poop boards filled with construction sand so the coop bedding stays fairly clean all year.

In Spring the coop bedding goes out to the covered run which has a dirt floor. The old run bedding goes out to compost in spring and again in the fall. In fall I also add fresh course wood chips and top with fall leaves. Around Nov I start adding a 1/4 sq bale of clean hay every 2 weeks—In my experience that hay has seriously cut down on me having to using scoop poop from where the birds scratch to reach bare soil. All winter I turn the run with a pitch fork 1-2x/month and repeat the hay as needed. In Spring- like right now- the whole mix is broken down and goes to a compost pile for fall garden cover. The overwintered compost goes to the garden in late April.

Again, sorry this is long. Good luck to you, and pls post your build when you can.
- Mel

 

[Sally PB]

I'm also in Michigan. Even with a roof over the run and panels/shower curtains over the prevailing wind sides for the winter, the rain and snow blow in.

Wet sand + poop + heat/humidity = smell.

I have leaves, woodchips, and straw in the run. In a few weeks, I'll take all the shavings out of the coop and dump them in the run. I use a poop board with sweet PDZ on it under the roost in the coop, and scoop poop every morning. Unless one of the ladies has just dropped a cecal poop, or I have the lid off the poop bucket, the coop and the run don't smell.

Sand works well in hot, dry climates.