Sand?

[Sheepy]

I heard a lot of people talk about using sand? How exactly do you keep it clean? And how much does it cost you per month?

 

[Marcymom3]

Are you talking about in the coop? or in the run? My run has sand in it and it was the best thing I ever did (well, I've only had the chickens since May.

)

Our 11 x 11' run has a chicken wire roof and is also covered with a tarp. It started out in June as grass. That lasted about two weeks, and we were down to bare dirt. Around the first of July, I sprinkled the area with garden lime, then I put down six bags of regular play sand from Walmart ($3.49/40 lbs). It worked out to be about an 1.5" deep. At the end of August, we added three more bags. It could probably use three more to fill in some low spots along the edge where I guess rain has washed it away, but it's really fine right now. It stays nice and dry and odor free. I actually got three bags of what I thought was sand at a good price...It was paver base and way too rough to put in there! Penny wise, dollar foolish! I'll use it around the outside perimeter one of these days. It would probably be less expensive if I went to the building supply place and got a truckload but didn't really want to have to shovel it.

I also put a bushel basket in the center with a mixture of a bag of sand, peat moss, pine shavings, and DE. It was supposed to be for dust baths, but they usually mess around in it so much that in about 2 weeks I have to refill it. About every two weeks, I take a rake to it although it is really not necessary. I also throw some scratch or BOSS in there everyday and they keep it pretty stirred up. As long as it stays dry it's great. We had no problem with flies this summer either.

Sorry I can't speak to the use of it in the coop. I live in Maryland and although our winters are generally not too harsh I wanted to use the deep litter method for added warmth since it isn't insulated. The pine shavings in there also stay stirred up and pretty much odor free.

Good luck! There are lots of people on here who swear by sand on the floor of their coop. Do a search and you will probably find a ton. Good luck!

 

[Sheepy]

So you just indivually scoop out all the little poops?

 

[SteveBaz]

There was a post back with a member that had a small rake with 1/4" screen on it and thats how he picks it out. However like most I pick mine out with a kitty litter scooper.

Got mine from the river beach 15 5gallon buckets full of to have around and I ended up digging a hole for it under the eves of the house that doesn't get wet when it rains.

Put it in a favorite corner of the girls and in the coop and add a lot of DE food grade (diatomaceous earth)

 

[ladybug99]

I use it in my coop and love it. I have to scoop about once or twice a week and then a good cleaning on the weekends.. I use a doggie pooper scooper the chicken poop dries up when it hits the sand so you get these little balls I rake them right up... it is very easy

 

[Marcymom3]

Steve, your girls are litter trained? Wow..I'm so impressed!

No, Sheepy, I just use a leaf rake with close tines but that one with the 1/4" hardware cloth was a great idea!

 

[kittycooks]

I use sand in my run and it works great! I use a garden trowel and a large dust pan to scoop up the litter. It only takes a few minutes each day to clean the area with a small flock. Your question was on cost - I started with about four inches of play sand on top of the dirt in the run and it was fine until the first major rain event. Over time the sand sinters into the soil; loam in my area. So after a major rain/flood the sand washed away in areas and others compacted with clay particles into a hard packed surface. I added pea gravel to make drainage channels. On the second year I bought about eight bags of play sand for an 8 by 8 foot run. Year three I bought about four bags of play sand.

Don't buy paver sand as it is meant to compact into "mortor". Purchase course sand. Play sand can be purchased in bulk or in bags.

 

[Yetti]

lucky for me I have a big sand supply by my pond. I get enough to clean the ducks pen every few days. a 4 x 6 pen takes about half a wheel barrel full. it lasts about 4-5 days if you have ducks and water. they turn it to mud in no time. I have been finding if you have mud issues then pile your sand and make them about 5" high and then leave the scratch area very thin. I have drain holes under my coop for the ducks and to much sand plugs them and the water mess won't drain

 

[7L Farm]

I have endless supply of sand. I just throw more sand on top. Sand its the ticket.