Sand Question ... Michigan Members

[cj7795]

I know there is probably a thread somewhere in here regarding this ... & I have searched for it but for the life of me can't find it. I live in Michigan (West side of Michigan - about 30-45 minutes away from Lake Michigan) ... we have 2 hens ... I am using childrens play sand inside their coop ... when I went out to slean out the coop yesterday (I clean the coop daily) I noticed that some of the sand inside the coop is wet? Not sure how this happened & if it is good for the hens or not. Any & All help/suggestions/anything is greatly appreicated.

 

[1muttsfan]

Sand generally drains well, so a little wet should not be a big problem. You could ask on the Michigan thread, I know some folks on there use sand - look in the where Am I - Where are you section of the forum

 

[cj7795]

Thanks ... I just posted the same post in the Michigan Thread forum board

 

[aart]

I would say if there's water inside the coop, that you need to figure out how it got there.

You may have a leak somewhere and while a little moisture in the coop is life threatening in the summer, it's not ideal and could cause problems in the winter.

 

[moetrout]

I would not want the inside of my coup to be wet. You should find the source. If your coup is dirt floor with sand on top then you may need to trench it out and install a drain tile. The drain tile can be run the a french drain (big hole with gravel in it to collect the water, all under the surface of your lawn) or it could just be run a fiar distance out into your lawn to disperse the water.

 

[Shanty]

Hmmmm, unless you've had rain sounds like condensation. If your pen is tight with little ventilation--as I imagine it is in your region--that could be the reason for dampness in your sand. Is it along one side of the pen? Is it close to where the chickens roost at night? If so, condensation from breathing might be the answer. You may need to add some vents (wire covered) close to floor level near the damp area or above the roost area. But I'll let you figure that out. Just a possibility.

Sand works wonderfully well in dry areas like here in dry, desert West Texas. It can be problematic in humid, damp (as from fog or moisture off of lakes) regions.

Shan

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Has it been raining? Could rain have blown in through a window, vent or door? I have large over-hangs on my roof to keep out rain, but not all coops do. If your chickens got caught outside in the rain, then came inside the coop, they could have made the sand more damp, temporarily. Could the chickens have accidentally bumped into the water font? Is the font leaking? It could also be condensation, if your coop doesn't have enough ventilation. Look around and see which options seem most likely.