SAND-okay on the floor inside the coop??

[capebird]

I was going to do pine wood shavings on the flloor.... inside the hen house....
but after reading so much about sand, I'm now thinking of using it. From what i've read
it seems most people use it in the run.... but what about on interior floor of the hen house?

 

[bryan99705]

Works great and easy to clean. If you have a tractor, it may make it heavy but otherwise give it a try, I think you will like it

Please be sure that no matter what you use a litter, to seal the floor or cover with vinyl to prevent moisture and poo from soaking in

 

[gale65]

Does paint seal it ok?

 

[chicktwins]

I also had a question about sand in the coop. I was telling a friend yesterday that I was thinking of using sand in the coop instead of shavings. Her response was that in her experiences with sand in general is that it always ends up being mite ridden and that I should be careful using sand since chickens get mites and lice anyway. I have read such good things about sand and how easy it is to scoop poop out of coops. Has anyone had mite problems with their sand?

 

[ninabeast]

It's working great for me and the hens love it. Winter has yet to be seen, mind you...

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I mixed in a bunch of DE into my sand on the floor of my house and have never seen a mite.

Super easy to clean. I have a kitty litter scoop next to their house and scoop each morning and toss the droppings into the compost bin.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We use sand here, rake it once a week and mix some DE or seven dust in when we do the nest boxes. of course we don't have winters here, so don't have to worry about the cold and snow.

 

[aggie9296]

Quote:
Yes. Several coats of latex paint will seal it and the latex is safe once dry.

 

[andrea98]

Will the eggs still be ok to eat with DE
or7 dust mixed in????

 

[aggie9296]

DE is safe to eat. It doesn't have much flavor, though. So it's safe to eat the eggs too.

Sevin is a pesticide. So there is always a risk of it being absorbed into the chicken. Some say it's safe, other say no. The company website says not to use it on animals, so it's hard to have a clear answer on that.