What's better sand or straw bedding in coop?

[Farmgal101]

Pine shavings may be too expensive for me. Did the sand make it easier to clean the coop? I imagine that you could just scoop it out like a litter box.

Pine shavings cost 5$ at tractor and supply its a big bag too

 

[LittleBird123]

I agree. A bag of sand doesn't go very far and it would be much more costly at about $2.50 per bag.

Here are some pictures of my coop, how much sand do you think it would take to fill it? would it be expensive? I think I will have to go to the hardware store or tractor supply and look at their prices on sand.

 

[Kiki]

a lot of sand if you want it to cover the floor and be a few inches deep.

 

[LittleBird123]

I will have to look at the prices, If sand is to expensive I may have to get wood shavings. Can you sift the poop out of shavings like you can with sand?

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Sand has worked really well for me. Cost me $30 or so to cover 160 sq ft 3" deep. Poops clean easily with a cat poop scoop, and doing so every day makes for a really clean coop. River sand is better than crusher sand (if you can get it) because it's less dusty.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I think I'm going to look into using sawdust for flooring. I think that would work really well because you could sift it like sand and it won't be dusty. My chickens love to hang out in it by my sawmill.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I will have to look at the prices, If sand is to expensive I may have to get wood shavings. Can you sift the poop out of shavings like you can with sand?

No. That's a big reason I don't like shavings. Cost is the other.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Also, I live in Michigan and it usually gets very cold in the winter. Would I still use sand in the coop in winter or would I switch to something else?

Sand is fine in the winter as long as it doesn't get wet.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I agree. A bag of sand doesn't go very far and it would be much more costly at about $2.50 per bag.

Yeah unless you have a truck. I bought a ton of sand at the local gravel plant for about $30. Enough to cover two 8 x 10 coops 3" deep. Lowes sells bags of sand that I think are a ton in weight. Don't know the cost, but delivery would probably run $60-$70.

 

[coopdeville15]

Does your coop have a floor or is it bare earth underneath? If bare ground, you might want to investigate the deep litter method. I use a combination of pine shavings, grass clippings, leaves, pine straw and clean my coop out once a year. Let the chickens do the work.