Where to get DRY sand for my coop?? or how to dry it?

[MIchickenlady]

Hello everyone,
For those who use sand in their coop, where do you get it?
I've had such trouble finding it bagged at Home Depot or Menards- its always kept outside and its wet.
Do you have a method for drying your sand before putting it in the coop?
I have limited space, bags work best.
Any tips or advice??
Thanks!!

 

[SoCha]

Hello,
I would have trouble telling you where to get the sand as I don't know where you are. But if you do not need a lot of sand you can just put it on a tarp (or something like that) and spread it out in the sun to dry it.
Hope this helps.

 

[TalkALittle]

My Home Depot and Lowe's have sand outside too, but always have some bags inside in the aisle with the concrete.

 

[MIchickenlady]

Thank you for the replies!
I will check indoors by the cement supplies! Great tip!
I've always just looked outdoors in the landscaping area.
We're in Mid-MI and getting new chicks hopefully tomorrow!!
yay

 

[Suzi18]

Once you get it all spread out in the run, it will dry pretty quickly. I have one spot in my run that always gets wet when it rains, despite being a covered run. I just rake it and then place a fan in front of it. I always have a fan in the run to help keep the flies away and to create a breeze on those miserably hot humid days

 

[hlhutchinson]

We get ours at a local building supply store it's stored inside but always damp like Suz18 said it drys out fast we just dumped it in and spread it out, our was used for a dust bath thats 4x4

 

[MIchickenlady]

When I used bagged sand from Home Depot a couple years ago, I dumped it in the coop wet because I thought it was normal for it to be wet. This was in March, when its typically still pretty cold here, 30's. I decided from that experience I'd only use dry sand in the future!! My poor girls had cold feet
and it never dried out!! not in 3-4 months, so i scraped it all out & started over.

 

[MyISAbrownhens]

I get all natural play sand from lowes or Home Depot. I don't use it for the whole coop but I the chickens love it in their dust box.

 

[mrkep]

I put 3 tons of dry sand in the outside run 2 years ago, and now it is probably 50% poop. When it drys out, the girls dig new dusting spots. I run the roto tiller in it a couple times a year and they go crazy finding all the worms & bugs.