SAND-okay on the floor inside the coop??

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
I was wondering the same thing. It seems everything is a give and take, and has it's good's and bad's!

 

[theacw]

Whats it like in cold, cold winters? As in -30, -50 wind chill. Is it not as warm as pine shavings? Enough to make a difference? I live in MN and worry about it being warm enough already but I would LOVE to use sand. Have yet to own chickens through a winter....

 

[capebird]

good to see all the replies and interest in sand. I think I'll give it a try.
My chicks are just going on 4 weeks... so almost time to go into the outside coop/run.
I have to locate "river sand".... I've read that is the type of sand to use.

 

[bryan99705]

Quote:
Wind chill does not matter, that applieds to exposed skin only. Base your needs on ambient air temp, there are many folks who winter birds thru winter and don't worry til -30 then they turn on a heatlamp. Remember birds are pretty tough in cold as long as they have no drafts in the coop but enough ventilation to clear the moisture and ammonia fumes

As for using sand in winter, go for it, if you want to throw some straw on top of it, great, it sifts out just like poo. You also get the benefit of letting the birds dust bath in it and it supplies grit.

 

[chicktwins]

So river sand huh? I wonder how much it would cost to put enough sand in a 12 x 12 coop? and how many yards would do it?

 

[savingpurple]

TSC sells pountry dust. Does the same as Sevin, but it is made for poultry! Look into it. That might help too?

 

[gale65]

Couldn't mites live in pine shavings too?

 

[Fluffy2]

We changed the 8x8 green house into a coop a few weeks ago. put in 3 bags of play sand at first. at $5.00/bag. Added 2 more bags later. put DE in with it.
lazy me. we added the sand. i tossed the DC around then threw in a bunch of meal worms..lol.. now the DE is scratched and worked in just fine. We really like the sand. No odor! very different from the shavings in the abandoned coop that was next to it. really like it. so happy to have seen the post.

 

[SAHMof2]

I was also wondering about sand in snow/thaw/snow/thaw conditions. We are in Southern Alberta. One day its minus 30 the next a chinook will come in and its plus 10. There can also be weeks on end where the poop is frozen solid. I suppose the sand would make it easier to remove but what about the moisture?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I would seriously seriously not even remotely consider using sand indoors in Alberta. It is just asking for frostbit toes and footless or dead chickens.

Sand indoors is NOT a good plan for Northern climates.


Pat