sand or wood shavings?

[christiethorn1]

Working on my coop for 4 Cayuga ducklings and 3 chicks, I have read a lot in the chicken forums about using easier to clean sand in the coops. Any duck owners that would like to way in?? I plan on having the water outside the coop during non-winter months (live in WNY) cuz I know that wetness could be an issue.

 

[shicks0211]

I personally use wood shavings. but my ducks free roam once they feather out so it's only when they're young. I just throw the shavings out each day. i don't know if sand would be much better.

 

[sherrik9]

I switched my pens to sand last year and will never go back to anything else. I have a couple of small covered areas that I use as feeding stations and a couple of dog crate halves for nesting, those areas have shavings. The sand is so easy to keep clean and smell free.

 

[michellers]

I switched my pens to sand last year and will never go back to anything else. I have a couple of small covered areas that I use as feeding stations and a couple of dog crate halves for nesting, those areas have shavings. The sand is so easy to keep clean and smell free.

Can you post a picture of your setup please? Thanks!

 

[michellemcfeely]

Why sand just curious

 

[christiethorn1]

I have read many people use sand because it is easier to rake up messes so the coops aren't nearly as smelly and messy

 

[Silkies~Polishes]

And they are supposed to be more dry too. I'm desperately wanting to convert to sand. My chicken run is always wet in the winter months, one year the water was almost up the chickens bellies and I had to keep them locked in the coop until it dried up so they didn't get sick! And it will be even worse when I get ducks soon so I hoping ill get a coop built with sand.

 

[Going Quackers]

It's a good question and one i am pondering myself as of late. Now i use a combo of shavings and wood horse pellet bedding BUT i keep hearing the love for sand. I also was doing a re-skim of my storey's guide to ducks and he mentions sand as a bedding, so clearly the concept is not that odd.

My only concern would be the wet, sand is heavy when wet.. kinda smelly then too... i do have water in the main part of the barn even in non winter, just something i have always done. I cannot offer any input first hand so i'll be curious myself if other duck caregivers use it. I have plans to with the new chicks coming as a brooder option but i think it's a good choice for chickens but they lack the mess and water that ducks bring forth. I do wonder if my ducks would like such a lack of fluffy bedding however, even my one drake, who is stalled separately nests up his bedding overnight, sand would make that impossible.

 

[michellemcfeely]

Do you use it as bedding or a cover under their bedding? Sand gets fleas easy so I don't know. I'd think clumping wet sand would be no fun with ducks.

 

[sherrik9]

Do you use it as bedding or a cover under their bedding? Sand gets fleas easy so I don't know. I'd think clumping wet sand would be no fun with ducks.

I didn't use beach sand but sand from the landscape people. I've had no problem with fleas or any other bugs. It is either play ground sand or arena sand, can't remember which. The sand doesn't clump, it just drains nicely. My ducks prefer to lay on the sand unless nesting which has kept the feeding areas cleaner. About once a week I just rake the sand. Once last summer I put a sprinkler in the area to wet the sand down a bit. I'll put pictures up when it stops raining.