What do you use? Sand vs. Pine Shavings

[samandemsmommy]

Ok- my chicks are not quite ready for the big kid coop--but they will be in about another 3 weeks. What does everyone use? I am leaning towards sand in the coop but what's your experience? My plan is to have a ladder style roost with a rubbermaid (flat, under bed style) tub under the roosting ladder to catch droppings to make it a bit easier to clean. would you do pine shavings in the coop and sand in the tub under the roost- so I can sift it like kitty litter-- or sand in the entire coop, or what? Thoughts please! For the run- I feel like I just want to leave it like it is- plain old grass/dirt.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I, personally, choose to use shavings on the coop floor and PDZ on the poop boards

 

[Y N dottes]

I use sand at the bottom of my coop. I have tried both and it just seems that sand dries out everything faster and keeps it cleaner

 

[autumnhearth]

I'm new to raising chickens too but our girls have been in their coop for about a month and I love sand! We have it in the whole coop for the summer but are considering using shaving on the floor when it turns cold. We have a droppings board with a 2 inch lip that is covered in sand with some Sweet PDZ mixed in under their roost. One day I counted how many droppings were on the floor versus the board when I scooped them in the morning. There was something like 8 little pieces on the floor and 48 on the board. I haven't counted since but we often have less on the floor than that. Very effective and very easy to clean with a litter scoop! Make sure to use construction sand, not play sand (too much dust)

 

[samandemsmommy]

@autumnhearth- any chance you can post a picture of your roost set up?

 

[autumnhearth]

@autumnhearth- any chance you can post a picture of your roost set up?

This shot was taken after their first night, they don't poop so much in the corner anymore, I can get a better shot if you need one. The shelf is a board screwed to two heavy duty brackets that are screwed to the studs on the back wall. The lip is a 2x2 nailed to the board and the perch is made by 2x2s as well, it has feet that are nailed to the board. I think the husband used both nails and glue to join the vertical part of the stand to the horizontal parts.

 

[samandemsmommy]

Thanks for sharing! So you find they mainly poop right there below the roost, right? Sorry if that is a dumb question- I am totally new at this! LOL

 

[autumnhearth]

Thanks for sharing! So you find they mainly poop right there below the roost, right? Sorry if that is a dumb question- I am totally new at this! LOL

Yep! And its kinda interesting to observe in the morning where they've been sleeping. For the first few nights one was on the far side by the right window by herself while the others clustered by the left window, then they all were by the left, then they were split between the left and right and this morning they seemed more spread out with some in the middle.