Sand smell?

[livlogik]

Hello everyone it has rained a bit and I went to rake the sand because it became hard and now it has a pungent smell.

Is there anyway to get rid of the smell? And is the sand bad like do I need to replace? And if so to stop it from happening again how do I keep it from happening?

I live in the city and don't want to be the stinky neighbors lol.

 

[Rose the Legbar]

Sadly sand tends to stink if it doesnt have good enough water drainage. All that poo would get stuck at the bottom and marinate in the water then smell horribly when disturbed. You can’t really do much except wait for the sand to dry out, then it will stop smelling.

 

[livlogik]

Dang is there a way to mask the odor while I'm mixing it so it can dry?

 

[Rose the Legbar]

Dang is there a way to mask the odor while I'm mixing it so it can dry?

Just leave it until it dries to a bone dry, then it doesn’t smell.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sand needs to be kept as dry as possible (optimally in an arid or naturally sandy environment and in a run with good drainage) and poop should be sifted out daily or on regular intervals. Otherwise it won't work well as a substrate.

 

[DSJMHenDen]

For a temporary solution, could you put some pdz on it? I have no idea if it will actually work but worth a shot to absorb some moisture and odor . I use sand in my main run, but we are on a naturally arid climate and that run is covered. My girls have a tunnel that goes to an unroofed run (just wire over the top) and we are testing out more of the deep litter/woodchip style in there. Honestly, I think they prefer it, and it seems to stay better smelling with less flies. Could be less poop load in that area too though....not sure if any of that is helpful

 

[livlogik]

Thanks what I did is scooped it all out I'm going to work on building some side panels to block the rain from getting in and build some drainage just in case.

I appreciate all your guys responses

 

[Bawkbok]

We tried sand (we live on sandy soil) however, the smell is horrific. It drains but never dries. We've abandoned sand. You could get a bag of pine pellets from TSC for about $5. Spread them out to help absorb the moisture. When the pullets get wet, they turn to saw dust but that dries out much easier. Also, be aware that the pellets can be a little slippery to walk on until they start to break down but if your sand is that wet, it shouldn't take long.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I'm glad I read this. We currently use mulch (can't source wood chips). It handles water well and does not stink if you poop scoop daily. But... it freezes in the winter and also sticks to my feather-footed birds. We were considering a switch to sand. I have a 6" test pit in my yard that drains beautifully, but I noticed that only the very top layer dries out. This thread might have saved me a lot of money!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I'm glad I read this. We currently use mulch (can't source wood chips). It handles water well and does not stink if you poop scoop daily. But... it freezes in the winter and also sticks to my feather-footed birds. We were considering a switch to sand. I have a 6" test pit in my yard that drains beautifully, but I noticed that only the very top layer dries out. This thread might have saved me a lot of money!

Can you source pine straw? (dried pine needles) It doesn't take bales and bales and bales, unless your run is huge, as it kind of explodes out of the wrapping when opened. Lowes carries it. The reviews are fun, of course, but they are mostly written by those wanting a tidy mulch on their garden beds. I have no problem with the presence of the occasional pine cone and bark.

It helps the fluffiness factor in deep litter when combined with denser materials like mulch. It rots down quickly (several months, for me), so that's something to keep in mind.