Tractor sufficient for urban chickens?

[mcostas]

I started with a chicken tractor but it was actually a bit of trouble to move around. The chickens pooping on the grass smelled a little bit after only a day or so. Now I have a 10x10 kennel with wire on the top, and also a tarp. It stays fresh and dry and I don't feel bad if they have to spend the day in there. It was a lot easier to build than the tractor as well. My yard is pretty large, it might not work in a smaller yard.

 

[Lake Desire]

I have sand in two of our three runs, and I love it. The sand dries out the chicken droppings and coats them. I use a reptile litter scoop taped to a long handle to pick out the obvious droppings, and then I just rake over the sand. When my chickens are in their sand runs, I do scoop daily but this process takes less than 5 minutes (I don't look all that closely).

Will any sand do, or should I get a particular kind? I decided to put sand under the perches, and then do deep litter method for the rest of the coop.​