Sand or pine shavings for my small setup

[Tracielacy]

My prefab coop and run is pretty small but my 3 girls get to run the back yard when im outside with them in the evenings. I currently have shavings in run and sand in coop. Which would be best in my small run? Thinking of switching to sand in the run. I dont really want to change shavings out of run every week as it is labor intensive. Deep litter doesnt seem to be an option due to size and volume limitations..thoughts? Side note, please dont rag on my setup, its what i have to work with right now.

 

[21hens-incharge]

A lot depends on how wet your run gets where you are located and potential drainage issues.

While sand SOUNDS good it can be just as problematic or even more so than materials that decompose.

Is your coop and run set on pavers or another wood to keep the edges off of the ground a couple inches?

Sand can fail to drain if your soil underneath has drainage issues. That can make it very smelly as wet sand combined with pulverized droppings is not decomposing and neutralizing the poo.

I cannot say what is best for YOU but if it were mine I would get it off the ground by at least 4" and still do a material that decomposes. I would also be looking at if there will be a lot of water getting in and it staying wet.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. If you put your general location into your profile people can give you better-targeted advice because climate matters.

For example, the vast majority of people who are happy with sand over the long term are located in dry climates.

I second the idea of getting your coop up on blocks and, if you haven't already, you should add an anti-dig apron.

The great thing about this is that you can try any bedding that you think sounds likely and if it doesn't work then you can shovel it all out and try something else.

And here is an informative thread about modifying a prefab should you find it desirable: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

 

[RubelliteRose]

Side note, please dont rag on my setup, its what i have to work with right now.

Actually, 3 chickens is appropriate for the size of your coop The main issue with the tiny coops is that people believe the number of birds that the manufacture says will fit. I would consider adding a roof vent or adding some more ventilation up at the top on the side under the run cover, especially if you live in an area with hot summers or cold winters - extra ventilation is needed in both situations.
As @21hens-incharge pointed out, how your soil drains will make a huge difference. Since there isn't much of a lip around the bottom of the run, I would try to raise your set up on pavers no matter what. We have both sand and deep litter in our run -1/3 sand in the original run and 2/3 deep litter in the expanded area. There are advantages to both types. Our soil drains well, so both areas drain well. The sand needs to be cleaned at least once a day, more often is even better! I zip tied a piece of hardware cloth to a stall rake so I could clean under the raised coop and sift the poop from the sand. The sand gives a place for dust bathing, but compacts quickly and must be broken up with a rake or hoe.
The deep litter area is nice because I don't have to do anything besides periodically add more dry material. We have a mix of wood chips, pine straw, hay and pine shavings. The chickens spend equal amounts of time in both areas, but prefer dust bathing in the sand.

 

[Tracielacy]

Thank you all for so much guidance! I live in north Texas where extreme everything applies. We go from wet soggy to extreme hot and dry to wet or dry harsh winters. My soil under doesn't drain as well as other areas but most of the time it's dry/cracked soil. When it's wet, it's the last place to dry in my yard. Right now I have pine shavings in the run area seems to be staying dry...but its been 2 weeks during a dry spell. Will deep litter work in my run area?

 

[Tracielacy]

Welcome to BYC. If you put your general location into your profile people can give you better-targeted advice because climate matters.

For example, the vast majority of people who are happy with sand over the long term are located in dry climates.

I second the idea of getting your coop up on blocks and, if you haven't already, you should add an anti-dig apron.

The great thing about this is that you can try any bedding that you think sounds likely and if it doesn't work then you can shovel it all out and try something else.

And here is an informative thread about modifying a prefab should you find it desirable: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/

This is awesome and it's the same coop as mine! I updated my location...north Texas, dallas area. What did you use before you modified in the run area, sand or shavings?

 

[Tracielacy]

Actually, 3 chickens is appropriate for the size of your coop The main issue with the tiny coops is that people believe the number of birds that the manufacture says will fit. I would consider adding a roof vent or adding some more ventilation up at the top on the side under the run cover, especially if you live in an area with hot summers or cold winters - extra ventilation is needed in both situations.
As @21hens-incharge pointed out, how your soil drains will make a huge difference. Since there isn't much of a lip around the bottom of the run, I would try to raise your set up on pavers no matter what. We have both sand and deep litter in our run -1/3 sand in the original run and 2/3 deep litter in the expanded area. There are advantages to both types. Our soil drains well, so both areas drain well. The sand needs to be cleaned at least once a day, more often is even better! I zip tied a piece of hardware cloth to a stall rake so I could clean under the raised coop and sift the poop from the sand. The sand gives a place for dust bathing, but compacts quickly and must be broken up with a rake or hoe.
The deep litter area is nice because I don't have to do anything besides periodically add more dry material. We have a mix of wood chips, pine straw, hay and pine shavings. The chickens spend equal amounts of time in both areas, but prefer dust bathing in the sand

 

[Tracielacy]

Great tips! When using deep litter, do you stir the whole bedding or just the top layer?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I do deep litter and my birds do the stirring.

 

[3KillerBs]

When it's wet, it's the last place to dry in my yard.

Are you 100% committed to having the chickens in that location?

Dry chickens are healthy chickens and having them in a wet area isn't optimal from the standpoint of either health or odor. If you *can* move them at this stage, perhaps while elevated the coop onto blocks, they will do best in an area that is both shady and well-drained.

If you can't move them, coarse wood chips are often considered the gold standard for controlling mud. But since your setup is too small for having a truckload of chips to be practical, a bag of coarse, UNDYED mulch would make a good start.

What did you use before you modified in the run area, sand or shavings?

That's not my coop -- but since it's so useful I bookmarked the link to share with people.

When I had a small run attached to the Little Monitor Coop on our previous property I used a mix of shavings, pine straw, fall leaves, and, occasionally, straw.

I've never even attempted to use sand, because I am in a wet climate and because I loathe the idea of having to scoop poop daily.