Sand on wood floor in chicken coop

[old biddy]

OK. I have been pondering a solution to my messy coop floor. It is a wood floor...I cover it in wood shavings. I use the deep litter method. It has worked pretty good over the years but I am wondering if there is a better way. WHAT IF I just put a layer of clean builders sand onto the wood floor? The coop has been dry for 10 years with no water leaks. I am thinking that it might be easier to just clean out the chicken poop by raking it out from the top of the sand rather than by having to shovel out all the wood shavings and poop every 4 - 5 months or so. But, would like your opinion and advice on that before I try it. Anyone???

 

[A.M. Eggs]

I have vinyl rolled out on top of my wood floor. I use a flat head shovel and a broom to clean out the droppings. I clean weekly, but it can go longer. Except for stains, the coop is clean! It never hurts to try sand or wood shavings on vinyl or wood. Go with what you like best.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I have natural, washed, river sand in the coop, on the poop decks, in the nest boxes, and run. I use a long-handled wok spider to pick up all the poops and then compost it. My post-lady cracked me up today when I heard her tell my hubby that my coop was cleaner than a lot of houses! I wouldn’t have it any other way!

If you do decide to go with sand, it should not be play sand or crushed rock. Those are too dusty. Go with the natural sand. As an added bonus, your flock will never need grit again...

Natural, coarse river sand

• Farmgirl1878
• Jul 15, 2018

 

[CliffB]

I've used sand for 4 years now. It helps dry the poop faster. Cleans easier. Then as stated natural grit. Every spring I scoop out everything and refill with fresh sand. Two to Three bags is a good inch or two layer on the coop floor.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Do they dust-bathe in the sand?

 

[Mtnboomer]

I am new to keeping chickens but i designed my coop with a 16"x3' section of hardware cloth in its elevated floor intended to allow me to rake the chickens droppings in the 1" sand base over wood floor onto the hardware cloth (wire mesh) essentially grating it through the floor and into the wheelbarrow parked beneath it. Made it very convenient to then be transported to the compost pile.

Worked great, but straw is cheaper so I have had to abandon the sand and use a mix of homemade straw and wood shavings for now.

 

[CliffB]

Do they dust-bathe in the sand?

Not really, contractor sand/all purpose sand isn't really light or dusty enough for that. It's basically the same as the sand you would find in or around a river bed.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Do they dust-bathe in the sand?

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh yes! Every time I rake the run!! They also dustbathe in the coop. The shy girls especially love to go in there where they don’t have all the other girls trying to horn in on their spot.

 

[whychicks]

View attachment 1707074
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh yes! Every time I rake the run!! They also dustbathe in the coop. The shy girls especially love to go in there where they don’t have all the other girls trying to horn in on their spot.

Not really, contractor sand/all purpose sand isn't really light or dusty enough for that. It's basically the same as the sand you would find in or around a river bed.

Watching..question, do you ever have problem with fire ants in sand? Sand seems to attract them around here so I have been afraid to use in my coop or run.

 

[CliffB]

I've never seen ants in our coop at all but that could be different by region.