Who uses sand in the coop?

[AUtiger]

I use sand inside my 4x6 coop. My 6 ladies only sleep in there, they are out in deep litter run during the day. I love it! I just scoop it out like kitty litter every day or so as i collect eggs. When it gets dusty I spray it with a spray bottle of water mixed with a few drops of citronella oil and vinegar. 2x a year i clean it out and add 2 more bags. I may have to add another bag in between because you lose sand as you scoop.

 

[AllynTal]

I use sand and PDZ in the coop and it is so easy to keep clean. It is very important, though, to use the correct sand. Playsand for sandboxes and any sand made by crushing rock is bad. All the bad things you hear about using sand for chickens comes from folks using that stuff -- it compacts into a hard-as-concrete floor, it impacts the crop, it's toxic, it gets hot, and whatever else people say. If you use all-purpose sand, also called coarse sand or construction sand, it is lovely stuff. If you look very closely at it, you'll see individual particles of various sizes. It's sand, not powder. It won't form into clumps when it gets wet, it doesn't compact, and it's okay if the chickens peck at it for grit. There is more space between particles than playsand or beach sand so it doesn't get scorching hot -- warm, yeah, but not scorching hot. It's just little tiny smooth pebbles; it's not powder or sharp flakes of rock.

I live in an area that gets intense sun and it is hateful-hot from June through October. The humidity is steamy and quite oppressive. Sand doesn't get too hot and it is dry so it doesn't do funky things in the steamy humidity like an organic material would. We all live in different areas in differnt climates and environments. Sand works best for me here.

 

[KayNova]

We went with sand! We live on the Mississippi river and they pump river sand out constantly. It's free for the public and it's coarse, sharp and natural. Now, what's this PDZ everyone talks about? I'll have to look into that.
I'm having trouble seeing how chickens could clog their throats with the sand. The majority of chickens around my area are free range and have access to dirt or sand 24/7. I thought they knew when to stop eating for grit? Am I wrong there?
Also, one more question. I'm so scares to leave my girls in their run unattended. I don't know how free range people do it .... will regular birds kill my chickens? The run it 3/4 covered, but there in a small section that is not covered. What about snakes. I saw 2 snakes the other day and it freaked me the hell out!! They are 6 weeks old now

 

[AllynTal]

Sweet PDZ is sold as a stall freshener for livestock, usually found with horse products.
According to the manufacturer, "Sweet PDZ is the leading stall freshener on the market and is the odor control and deodorizer of choice for thousands of horse, pet and livestock owners. Sweet PDZ is an all-natural, non-hazardous and non-toxic mineral. It captures, neutralizes and eliminates harmful levels of ammonia and odors. Sweet PDZ is a far superior alternative to lime products for ammonia removal and moisture absorption."

It comes in powder form and granules. For our purposes, we'd use granules. It dessicates the chicken poop and makes it easier to scoop, and anything that removes ammonia is a plus in the coop.

Folks have to evaluate their predator situation to know how to handle free-range vs keeping their chickens contained. Aerial predators like hawks absolutely can kill chickens, especially chickens as young as yours. Some snakes will eat chickens, especially young ones that are still small. It's hard for someone not in your area to given definitive advice on the predators you have to deal with specifically; but as young as your chickens are, they are at greater risk than full-grown birds. Identifying the predators you have there (what birds of prey, exactly which snakes, et al) and then spending some times reading through the predator threads might be helpful.

 

[KayNova]

Sweet PDZ is sold as a stall freshener for livestock, usually found with horse products.
According to the manufacturer, "Sweet PDZ is the leading stall freshener on the market and is the odor control and deodorizer of choice for thousands of horse, pet and livestock owners. Sweet PDZ is an all-natural, non-hazardous and non-toxic mineral. It captures, neutralizes and eliminates harmful levels of ammonia and odors. Sweet PDZ is a far superior alternative to lime products for ammonia removal and moisture absorption."

It comes in powder form and granules. For our purposes, we'd use granules. It dessicates the chicken poop and makes it easier to scoop, and anything that removes ammonia is a plus in the coop.

Folks have to evaluate their predator situation to know how to handle free-range vs keeping their chickens contained. Aerial predators like hawks absolutely can kill chickens, especially chickens as young as yours. Some snakes will eat chickens, especially young ones that are still small. It's hard for someone not in your area to given definitive advice on the predators you have to deal with specifically; but as young as your chickens are, they are at greater risk than full-grown birds. Identifying the predators you have there (what birds of prey, exactly which snakes, et al) and then spending some times reading through the predator threads might be helpful.

Thank you so much! I'll search that section now and lick up PDZ. Anything to help that place smell better haha

 

[Tlmcq]

I use sand in chicken coop with Ag lime, must be Ag lime. If you read bag it is crushed limestone and calcium carbonate. In my duck house which I use straw in it works wonders. And my chickens love to hang in duck coop scouring thru straw and eating the lime for extra calcium...won't hardly touch the oyster shell because they are getting the calcium from the lime. And their shells are nice and thick. Had a soft shell or 2 before I started using it even with oyster shell free choice. It is a powder that I sometimes mix with DE and sand when doing a full change out of sand in chicken coop. In duck coop I just spread it all over bottom and put straw on top. Good thing my ducks aren't bothered by chickens in their house cuz they run in there as soon as all are let out in morning. And go crazy to get in it when I first clean it out...lol

 

[Then I Will]

In my first coop, left behind in Alabama last year, I had what I would call sand. It was an earth floor, but the soil was sandy. Like others have stated, it was very dusty and probably very unhealthy for my lungs. Even when the chickens would jump to and from the roosts or nesting boxes, the flap would stir up a cloud of dust. The 2x4s and plywood interior were always coated with this dust.

However, it was easy to clean up the poop.
The chickens always had a cool, shady place the dust bathe.
The sand stayed cool all summer long.
And I Was able to use the deep litter method by turning it with a shovel periodically.
I would mix DE in it sometimes.


But,
There was no way to remove it when power washing the interior of the coop, so it became a soaked floor.
During summer thundershowers it was often wet and grew mushrooms and mold. But so did the rotting (mind you, painted) exterior of the coop and anything else left outside in the Alabama summer.

My new Pennsylvania coop in progress has a concrete floor. Not entirely by choice. We've converted an old garden shed into a coop. I plan on covering it with shavings and hopefully providing enough padding to prevent bumble-foot from hard landings. I was told soiled shavings would compost better than straw.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

Our coop has an open bottom (the dirt is quite solid there) so we don't need to use sand. I sometimes sprinkle DE there and on the roost but personally I haven't felt a need for it.

 

[Sarah the chicken girl]

Hi, I use sand in my run they love to dust bathe in it, I use shavings in my coop much more affordable. Please don't use hay, it attracts fleas which can be a real pain. Straw is fine but not hay.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

I have sand in my coop! We scoop all the poop out with a litter scoop! We don't have a smelly coop anymore!