Sand in the brooder

[MuscovyMad]

I have pine shavings in my brooder at the moment but i heard someone on here saying that they use sand. That way they can just sieve the poop out. Does anybody here use sand and if so are there any down sides? I.e will it be abrasive on their feet etc?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[dretd]

I used sand mixed with sterile potting soil (no perlite) when I did chicks several years ago. The potting soil kept the dust down and prevents the sand from getting too hot under the brooder lamp.