Switched to sand, but...

[Jonessa]

How thick is the sand?

If it isn't too thick I would just start the deep litter. This time of year I load my runs with fall leaves mixed with grass clippings. Winter means hay gets put down. Spring bring weeds, and any edging trimmings, and summer is weeds, spent mulch, some grass clippings, and any extra produce.

The sand isn't very deep, only about 3".

How often you pull material out of your run?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The sand isn't very deep, only about 3".

How often you pull material out of your run?

I never pull anything out. I composites in place. The chickens work it daily with some scratched tossed in daily to encourage them.

The only you need to be careful with is adding too much grass clippings as it will mold if too deep. I do a dusting that dries out pretty quickly. When you toss in pulled weeds, and any edging material the dirt will help with the biological matter. Never use DE with a deep litter or you will kill the beneficial bugs and will have dead soil.

 

[Jonessa]

I never pull anything out. I composites in place. The chickens work it daily with some scratched tossed in daily to encourage them.

The only you need to be careful with is adding too much grass clippings as it will mold if too deep. I do a dusting that dries out pretty quickly. When you toss in pulled weeds, and any edging material the dirt will help with the biological matter. Never use DE with a deep litter or you will kill the beneficial bugs and will have dead soil.

Okay, thanks so much for explaining that!

 

[TalkALittle]

Just use a pitch fork and turn the sand into to soil below. Then start putting material right over the top. That's what I did when I switched from sand to deep litter. I scoop material from deep in the litter and screen it each fall to put it on my garden.

One of the first things I noticed when I went to deep litter was that my birds did much less standing on one foot and perching on the outside roost than they did when I had sand. They were more active scratching around in the litter too. As an experiment, in the beginning I did one side sand and one side litter. They spent virtually no time on the sand side.

 

[Jonessa]

Just use a pitch fork and turn the sand into to soil below. Then start putting material right over the top. That's what I did when I switched from sand to deep litter. I scoop material from deep in the litter and screen it each fall to put it on my garden.

One of the first things I noticed when I went to deep litter was that my birds did much less standing on one foot and perching on the outside roost than they did when I had sand. They were more active scratching around in the litter too. As an experiment, in the beginning I did one side sand and one side litter. They spent virtually no time on the sand side.

Thanks for sharing that! Are you speaking of your run only? What do you use in your coop? I have sand in both currently.
Other than noticing some discomfort in your chickens, were there other factors that lead you to switch away from sand and back to a carbon-based litter?

 

[alfalahi]

sand would get too cold in the winter , i use wire mesh ( not sure what you call it) to cover all the coop in the winter / summer and install heal lap

 

[TalkALittle]

Thanks for sharing that! Are you speaking of your run only? What do you use in your coop? I have sand in both currently.
Other than noticing some discomfort in your chickens, were there other factors that lead you to switch away from sand and back to a carbon-based litter?

Here's a link to the whole thread that details my journey from sand to deep litter.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-springtime-stink-in-the-run.959402/#post-14929973

 

[Jonessa]

Here's a link to the whole thread that details my journey from sand to deep litter.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-springtime-stink-in-the-run.959402/#post-14929973

Thank you!!

 

[Jonessa]

Here's a link to the whole thread that details my journey from sand to deep litter.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-springtime-stink-in-the-run.959402/#post-14929973

I read through the whole thread last night - very interesting!
After doing a lot more reading, I have decided to make a complete change from sand. I have removed the sand from the coop and replaced it with pine shavings. Because I have poop boards, it stays clean and dry for a long time. As for the run, I dug the sand into the underlying dirt, and have started a semi-deep litter system (I say semi because it really isn't very deep). On top of the dirt/sand mixture I added a two inch layer of half composted old shavings, grass clippings, and leaves, to add some life into the barren dirt. On top of that I spread a thin layer of shavings, and then a couple of inches of fresh dry leaves. It looks great, smells sweet like a forest floor, and the girls love it!
I am in the process of bagging more leaves to store for the winter.
One question I have is this: the run is covered, and further protected from weather by close trees on two sides. It is quite dry inside (although we have yet to go through a winter to see what that brings). Do I need to be periodically adding a bit of moisture to the litter, or just leave it, other than adding more brown material on top as needed?

 

[Jonessa]

Here is what it looks like now