Sand in Run, do they dig down and mix the dirt into the sand?

[rtwood42]

Hi,

I have decided to put sand in my run, rather than just dirt.

I had tried to put a layer of straw down in the run, but the chickens just carry it into the coop and mix it into the sand (making it extremely hard to sift through) that is in there. So now I am going to reverse things and put sand outside and deep litter inside.

I have been searching the forum to see if I should put down landscape cloth or chicken wire under the sand to keep the chickens from digging down to the dirt and mixing it into the sand. I have found out that I do not want to use landscape cloth as the chickens will just dig it up and rip it to shreds. I have also read not to put sand directly on top of rocks or gravel as they will bring those to the surface as well. But I have not been able to find any mention of chickens digging down to the dirt and mixing it into the sand. Can I infer from this that it isn't something that I need to worry about? Do I need to have the sand a certain depth to avoid problems?

Thanks in advance!
Ryan

 

[foreverlearning]

They will dust bathe in it and that can cause divots so it is easy to get mixed in. The thicker the layer of sand the less likely it is that it will get mixed in. I wouldn't worry about it getting mixed with dirt unless you are going for looks.

 

[jetdog]

I have sand in my run and love it, I put wire to keep anything from digging in then landscape fabric to keep it from disappearing into the ground then 5 inches of sand boarder with 2x6's, they dig to dust bath and never hit the fabric or wire. If you don't put fabric down the sand will get eaten up by the ground over time.

 

[rtwood42]

I am much more concerned with function than with looks. I am concerned about the sand being "swallowed" up by the ground. Can anyone comment on how long it takes for the sand to disappear into the ground, if it really does? Would I just add a yard of sand every year or two to keep it topped off?

Jetdog, how long have you had the sand in your run? I am very surprised that you don't have trouble with your birds digging down and ripping up your cloth. My chickens have dug around the border of their run down about 6 inches.That's why I didn't think landscape cloth would be practical.

Thanks again,
Ryan

 

[jetdog]

I have had the sand in my run for a year actually this April will be a year, I put landscape fabric down and then I put welded wire on top of that then added the sand, my boarder is 2x6's so I put about 5 inches of sand, they dig and dust bath but if they dig they eventually would hit the wire and can't rip the fabric. When I clean the poop with my cat litter scoop I use a rake to uncover any poop that got buried and to fill in any holes.

 

[rtwood42]

From your previous post, I thought you had the wire down first and then the cloth and then the sand, but the way you did it makes much more sense and is one of the scenarios that I have considered. The most expensive scenario, of course and I was just wondering if it was necessary to do all of that or if I could just through. That. Sand on top of the dirt and call it good.

Thanks for the picture, by the way. Nice setup!

Ryan

 

[3chickchicks]

I use sand.

My coop/run sits on top of concrete stone, so with the coop and the stone together, I probably have 4" of sand. No fabric or anything. Mine dust bathe in it and have never dug all the way down. In the summer, I wet it down and they have a cool place to go. Mine free range during the day and come back for a dust bath or to rest.
I use sand in my coop as well. When we had a week of very cold weather, I threw some pine shavings on top in the coop just to keep things a little warmer.

 

[c2chicks]

I put 4-5 inches of sand down right on top of the existing dirt in my uncovered run. They don't often dig down beyond 5", although every once in awhile it looks like somebody is trying to tunnel out You just need to be sure your sand is deep enough. I love, love, love the sand!