Sand??

[Crow-ded house]

we have had too much rain lately and the ground is saturated. Was wondering if we could put sand from our local quarry in half the run and leave the other half dirt as it is. Would that give them a bathing/dry reprieve on wet days in NE Ok? Also would it be ok for them in the next couple months as it will (as usual) be very hot, muggy and humid? Plus it is starting to smell even though I go and dig then turn the dirt. Would that make run cleaning easier? We have an above ground coop with straw and pine with a tile floor for super easy clean-up and they can go underneath for shade. It is enclosed but has only wire as a roof with some burlap for more shade.

 

[dunnmom]

Hello, fellow Okie! Yes, sand helps with drainage issues. Keep in mind it will convert back to dirt, unless amended every so often, and raking helps keep it from compacting. I have a particularly dry area in the run under the coop that hasn't turned into dirt yet, and that's where all my girls dust bathe. If you want to keep it clean, you can attach a kitty litter scoop to a pole and sift through it, or use a leaf rake that has it's tines pretty close together, but in my opinion it makes it harder to get everything.

 

[Crow-ded house]

Hi fellow Okie I am from Bartlesville. So use sand and just scoop like a giant cat box? Then just add more sand? Sounds easy enough. So can you use the sand from a rock quarry? We can get a ton for $25.

 

[Crow-ded house]

Also if we went deep litter method which also keeps areas warmer in winter, would that make it hotter here in the summer?

 

[blackdog043]

IMO, deep litter will work better for you, no it doesn't make it hotter. Deep litter maintenance consists of adding more stuff periodically / when needed and removing some of the black gold dirt, if you want to use it.

 

[Folly's place]

Sand might work in a dry climate, or a roofed structure, with a very small flock, and daily 'poop scooping'. Yes, like a litter box.
Deep litter, on the other hand, turns into a nice bed of mulch, encourages the birds to dig around finding bugs and stuff, and just needs yearly clean out at most.
Low maintenance is good, IMO, and daily litter scooping ain't gonna happen here. With more birds and damp conditions, sand would be a nightmare.
Mary

 

[Crow-ded house]

And deep litter makes it not so stinky, correct? Less flies etc? And will deep litter keep the run from getting so muddy in the OK monsoon season?

 

[Folly's place]

Less odor, less work, good compost later. Nice! Add more shavings and stuff as necessary, and clean out occasionally.
Mud is a problem if drainage is poor, so fix that because wet is not good for chickens.
When we were able to roof our run, and never shovel snow there, life was much improved!
Mary

 

[ChickNanny13]

3x Deep Litter ... Sand gets hard when wet ... It gets WET & HUMID here (HI), I was going to go sand until another BYC Member recommended DLM due to our weather. I'm so glad I did!

I live in a residential area, my neighbors did not know I've had chickens (4 - 6) for several years I also ferment their feed and have a poop board under their night roost. No flies, no stinky, no mud & no complaining neighbors.

 

[blackdog043]

Here's a good video on deep litter, if you haven't seen it already.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/muddy-run-help-please.1037998/#post-16017992