Those with Sand Runs have any Problems with Hens Ingesting Sand?

[chickeepoo]

I've had my hens on plain contractor grade sand for a little while, and I'm seeing a lot of sand in their droppings - that makes me think they must have a lot of sand in their digestive tracts. They aren't really thrilled with their layer feed (tried Dumors and Purina brands… may go with a new brand) so I mix it with a little water to make a granola type consistency a couple of times a day besides leaving dry feed out and water. Even the waterer gets alot of sand in the bottom from their beaks.

We had one hen undergo crop surgery a couple of weeks ago because she was plugged up with long grass blades and a lot of sand and oatmeal on top of that. During our cold mornings I was fixing them a little oatmeal, but I've cut that out and just give them a little scrambled egg in a dish and a little scratch or BOSS for treats besides their regular food, but they seem to be ingesting a good deal of sand here in their run. Is this going to cause any problem? I just never saw chicken poop (from in the hen house under the roost, on wood-shavings bedding) grainy with so much sand before this. And I notice they never seem to have full crops now (that's better than impacted, but I don't want them UNDER-eating either!).

 

[Shannon's Chix]

The town I live in is pretty much a big sand hill...my yard is mostly sand and therefore I use my free sand in my coops, and obviously it's in the runs too! I've never had any crop or poo problems with mine. I don't know specifically about contractor grade sand but I don't think it would be too much different?

 

[chickeepoo]

Thanks - I think it's pretty much like regular sand, just more yellow than white. I guess it won't hurt them since lots of other chickens live on sand, too.

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

As you can tell by my name we have tons of sand. I dont know about contractor sand. Are you sure it doesnt have any chemicals in it.Most of my coops and runs are sand. I never have any problems with them eating too much. I even put it in the brooders after the first week or so. Everyone says give grit Sand is grit and I have it for free. lol Micki

 

[Chieftain]

Please check my construction thread in my siggy, but I built my run with a half yard of gravel base, compacted it, then added a whole yard of builder's sand over it in 2 batches, and packed it in between. I have had the chooks in there for over a month now, and I have had no problems whatsoever. The sand particles seem to give them the grit they need, and they love dust bathing in the sun on any sunny day.

The other real advantage is that the run is almost completely self-cleaning. I add some diatomaceous earth to the sand in the run, and it dessicates everything the chooks leave. I sifted a good bit of the run today to get rid of oat hulls, and picked up a good deal of dessicated chicken poo as well. All together I sieved a five gallon bucket full of debris out of the run, and added it to the compost pile. The sand run is still the best way to keep a healthy dry run in my view...

 

[Tecalli]

I've got contractors sand from Lowes is my run. We just started with chickens last July but have had no problems since then. I did post a question to BYC before adding the sand for opinions on whether contractors sand from Lowes was ok or whether I needed play sand. All responses said contractors sand was fine and after 9 months we've had no problems.

 

[chickeepoo]

Thanks everyone for the replies- I guess the hens will be OK, though I will still change their fed to see if they'll eat a little more heartily. And any greens they get are now chopped by moi and served up in their dish so as to avoid the impacted crop again. Maybe I'll write a thread about that under illnesses, but in this case I think everyone will be GLAD I didn't think to take pictures of it

*A note about gravel- I originally had packed a layer of crushed limestone and added sand over that in my coop last year, and it became a nightmare to clean because the hens were more effective than a backhoe at digging and mixing the gravel with all the top sand, leaving droppings trapped and not composting well. I cleared all of it out, and my neighbor finally helped me haul away the toxic waste so I could put plain sand back in the run.

 

[elmo]

Hmm, that's interesting. I have my chickens on sand, and I've never noticed sand in their droppings, only on their droppings. Do you offer grit, too? The only thing I could think of is perhaps your chickens are eating the sand trying to get grit.

 

[chickeepoo]

I never thought to offer grit with their layer feed and all the sand available… maybe they ARE trying to make up for no grit. And I just remembered, last couple of times I gave them a little scrambled eggs as a treat, they voraciously grabbed a couple of chunks each and turned and dropped it in the sand, where they ate it up with sand coating- maybe that was part of my poop observation. They act healthy otherwise.