sand in the coop?

[Bronya]

I'm building a new coop for the girls, and there are so many different opinions on using sand, I'd like to hear some of the pro's and con's if possible. I'm thinking of using it on the floor to minimise cleaning and to reduce the risk of a substrate harbouring mites or other parasites. What do you guys think??

 

[chfite]

I use pine shavings in the coop. They are lighter and easier to move than sand. Since I want a dry environment, they fact that they fluff up when the chickens scratch in them helps keep them dry.

I use sand in the run. Works great. The chickens turn it over all the time, thereby eliminating having to clean it. It is starting to become compacted as they work in into the underlying soil, so I may add a load this summer.

Chris