Sand in coop?

[Esleep83]

This is my first year with chickens. I have sand in my coop, is there anything I need to change for winter? I live in Michigan, just want to make sure they will be able to stay warm with just sand?

 

[AllenK RGV]

This is my first year with chickens. I have sand in my coop, is there anything I need to change for winter? I live in Michigan, just want to make sure they will be able to stay warm with just sand?

Since you are new and in Michigan I'm phoning a friend. @aart Do you have any advice to offer?

 

[AllenK RGV]

If you could put up more photos of your setup that would be great, as in is that coop just an extension in to your garage. Condensation can be a real winter issue if there isn't any air getting vented to the outdoors. I have at least read that over and over here in the forums and do not have personal knowledge of that.

 

[Esleep83]

If you could put up more photos of your setup that would be great, as in is that coop just an extension in to your garage. Condensation can be a real winter issue if there isn't any air getting vented to the outdoors. I have at least read that over and over here in the forums and do not have personal knowledge of that.

It’s a shed, I have two vents at the peak of the roof on both sides that will stay open in the winter. I have two windows at the same level of their roost that will stay closed during the winter.

 

[AllenK RGV]

It’s a shed, I have two vents at the peak of the roof on both sides that will stay open in the winter. I have two windows at the same level of their roost that will stay closed during the winter.

@N F C I believe is in Wyoming might also be a good person to look over your coop and offer up some meaningful advice.

 

[3KillerBs]

It’s a shed, I have two vents at the peak of the roof on both sides that will stay open in the winter. I have two windows at the same level of their roost that will stay closed during the winter.

Do those two vents that will remain open provide a minimum of 1 square foot of ventilation per chicken?

 

[aart]

I live in Michigan

Not a sand fan.
Guessing it will freeze and be hard if not impossible to sift poops out.

Open eaves/soffits are the best winter ventilation, IMO.
Got pics of the roof edge outside the coop/shed?

Welcome to BYC! @Esleep83
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[krowl]

Not a sand fan.
Guessing it will freeze and be hard if not impossible to sift poops out.

Open eaves/soffits are the best winter ventilation, IMO.
Got pics of the roof edge outside the coop/shed?

Welcome to BYC! @Esleep83
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2332146

Hi!! What do you prefer instead of sand in the coop? Are you just not a fan of sand due to michigan weather? Im a marylander, and im just over pine shavings and i was really looking to do Sand...

 

[aart]

Are you just not a fan of sand due to michigan weather?

Nope, it's because you can never get all the poops out of sand and when it get damp it will reek, learned this using in the brooder, and my coop is way too big to be sifting it all daily.
I don't mind sifting the poop boards, but not the coop floor.

This is about cleaning, and covers my big picture.
What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).
There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 7 years.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

In FL here, also not a fan of sand - and those vents look much too small to be your only source come winter.

Fortunately, you have lots of room to add more. Depending on the height of your rafters above the bird's beaks, you have opportunity for under eave soffit venting together with a ridge vent, or you can simply open up the gables further, I see no structure there.

keep prevailing winds in mind, of course - which direction the gable faces, relative to seasonal winds, and the amount of roof overhang above it exterior (often almost none), should inform what style of louvers/etc is used to keep falling moisture out when its of liquid form.

/edit "bird's beak" is one of the terms used for the rafter cut that allows it to sit flat on top of your header.