UK weather not withstanding sand on the bottom of coop, HELP! need advice

[skywalker786]

Hi

I I have read all the post and this long URL (https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/444759/got-sand-you-should) about putting sand at the bottom of my coop. Living in Britain the weather is not consistent, it rains a lot, sometimes 3/ 4 times in a week, when it does the chicken poo gets mixed into the sand and it is hard to removed it. So in 3 weeks the new sand I put in is mixed, dissolved in chicken poo. If I keep replacing the sand every 3 weeks it will defeat the objective of easy cleaning and picking up dry poo and increase cost of new sand.

Q1. So what do people do when it rains constantly like UK and the poo gets mixed & dissolved in the sand?

Q2. Also the poo which has been mixed into the sand with the constant rain is it safe for the chickens to live and walk around in? does it contain bacteria etc? I've seen them peck at the sand and poo.

I just don't want to keep replacing sand after every 3 weeks

Thanks
S

 

[4 the Birds]

Hi

I I have read all the post and this long URL (https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/444759/got-sand-you-should) about putting sand at the bottom of my coop. Living in Britain the weather is not consistent, it rains a lot, sometimes 3/ 4 times in a week, when it does the chicken poo gets mixed into the sand and it is hard to removed it. So in 3 weeks the new sand I put in is mixed, dissolved in chicken poo. If I keep replacing the sand every 3 weeks it will defeat the objective of easy cleaning and picking up dry poo and increase cost of new sand.

Q1. So what do people do when it rains constantly like UK and the poo gets mixed & dissolved in the sand?

Q2. Also the poo which has been mixed into the sand with the constant rain is it safe for the chickens to live and walk around in? does it contain bacteria etc? I've seen them peck at the sand and poo.

I just don't want to keep replacing sand after every 3 weeks

Thanks
S

If the poo is dissolved and washed away then this is a good thing. I would add a roof over your run to keep most of the rains out. It would also serve as a great shade canopy during hot days. Add a thick layer of pine chips to help absorb wet and that can be replaced as needed. I don't replace run material but only add now and then (my chickens free range and don't spend a lot of time in the run unless they want shade).

 

[skywalker786]

Hi 4 the birds,

Thanks for your response.

When I look at the sand in the coop the poo has become part of the sand, the rain hasn't totally washed the poo away. When it is semi-dried up and I use a rack to spread it evenly I can smell the poo in the air.

What should I do?

Is it safe for the chickens to roam around in dried up poo which has become part of the sand? I mean does it contain bacteria etc? I try to remove chunks of which I can see with a cat scoop, the other bits are hardly visible as it has become part of the sand and looks like sand lol.

Please advise.

Thanks
Shebs