Sand verses mulch in run

[MamaChick74]

We are in an urban area and did sand. It worked really well for about 6 months, now the smell is getting noticeable, though not terrible yet. Plenty of flies, though sand has been much better than dirt was for us as far as clean up. I was trying to figure out solutions to the odor when I came to your post. I've also been using the PDZ. After reading other posts, I might just try the mulch option and see what happens. Good luck!

Ugh you haven't smelled terrible until you have to dig the sand up to clean it out!! lol. Our whole yard stunk for the day when we did that. I am putting peat moss down as I hear that it helps with the smell as well. I will try anything to not smell that again!!

 

[Cindy in PA]

I use sand in the dirt mix in my inner pen. Going to add some this week. Haven't done it for 8 years. I till it twice a year & don't have a smell except in extreme wet weather. Don't understand everyone's problem with sand. I use it so my soil drains better. Would think the water would just pool under the mulch or runoff. How do your birds dust bathe if you have mulch? Guess you add a dust bath container. Just added work.

 

[aart]

I use sand in the dirt mix in my inner pen. Going to add some this week. Haven't done it for 8 years. I till it twice a year & don't have a smell except in extreme wet weather. Don't understand everyone's problem with sand. I use it so my soil drains better. Would think the water would just pool under the mulch or runoff. How do your birds dust bathe if you have mulch? Guess you add a dust bath container. Just added work.

Like i said in the other thread....if it works for you, great!!
But many folks have had their nose tell the tale that it doesn't work for everyone.
No need to take it personally...just share your experience and others will share theirs.

I have an area under the coop that has no mulch, just some hay tossed in once in a while.....and they dust bathe there, often all winter. The 'mulch' is not that all deep in most places and they have no trouble digging down to the dirt.

'Deep litter' does not have to be that deep to take care of the poops...2-6" is about what I have.

 

[Chicken 859]

aart, are you saying that with wood chip you don't need to pick up poop and it doesn't smell?

 

[aart]

aart, are you saying that with wood chip you don't need to pick up poop and it doesn't smell?

Basically, yes...BUT you need more than just some 'wood chips'.
Read this again: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sand-verses-mulch-in-run.1178122/#post-18562087

 

[Birdinhand]

a bioactive mulch is essentially "pro-biotic", the bacteria in it turn the ammonia into nitrites, then the nitrites into more stable and less toxic nitrates, mimicking what goes on on a forest floor. the microbes lock up the nitrogen and significantly reduce it's toxicity by reducing it's volatility (how easily it becomes airborn), promoting an aerobic environment rather than an anaerobic environment (anaerobic microbes produce methane and the stink that goes with it). this process is what happens in a composter under ideal conditions, and results in boiavailable nitrogen for plant roots without burning the plants.

 

[DrFeathers]

Thanks for all the info. Just getting to the point where grass in our 12x6 covered run is dying off and getting nasty with poop muck. After reading this post I started tossing in yard debris last week along with a thin layer of pine shavings and some corn husks (and half eaten cobs, gotta love kids) and it at least looks much better for now.
We already had started DLM with 4-5" of pine shavings + DE in the coop since the girls moved out of brooder over a month ago; no stink, no bugs and they dust bathe in coop. Hopefully this carries over to the run.