Pros and Cons for using sand

[Heme]

Thanks for the reply: I tested pine pellets in the coop. The hens did peck at them in the beginning, never ate them, just cracked them in half. I don't think they liked the smell or taste.

Coop screws: That is the way to go, now why didn't I think of that? Just the same, in order to be certain unwanted animals could not dig under the coop and get inside; I made a wood frame (my son cut the sides and ends for me naturally) the same size as the coop. I got the small square fencing and stretched it across the frame. That was when I used U shaped nails to fix the screen to the frame. I put the frame on level ground and placed my sand/pdz/de/top soil mix over the exposed screen. I used 2x4's. To finish that off, I leveled the dirt 4", and then placed the coop directly over the frame. I got angle brackets and some strait and "SCREWED" them to hold the coop to the frame so it would not slide off. To be certain the whole coop stayed in place I got some wide flat stakes (used in the garden to hold boarder bricks in place) and drove one each on the ends and three each on the long sides, into the firm soil.

We have foxes, moles, cats, etc. They can't get into the hen house. Thought I'd share that with you: Sorry for the lengthy rant!

 

[SNJchickens]

Heme, you should put up a picture of your coop! How many chickens?

I haven't found any "cons" to using sand in my run and kitty litter (non-clumping ordinary clay) under my roosts inside the coop. Play sand from the home center @ 200 lbs for $5 seems cheap enough though I should go to the garden center to price out sand. I have a 1/2 ton diesel pick-up which would handle a load of sand and wheeling it from the driveway to the back yard one barrow full at a time would be better for me than a gym membership..

I will try the pine pellets in the run since I have a bag of them. That will give the hens something new to scratch around. I'm sure the pellets will expand into sawdust then mix nicely with the clay/sand in the run area.

Having 4 new 50 lbs bags of lime, I'm not in the market for Sweet PDZ until later in the Summer.

 

[DMRippy]

The sand in the brooder is a terrific idea for holding heat. Also, it would be easy to keep clean. I'm definitely adopting your idea for my own use. Thank you.

I do use diatomaceous earth outdoors in the run. Mixed with the sand and clay there are no respiratory problems, at least, not for 4 years.

Although I have not used PDZ up to the present, I am going to try it for my new run until the clay is conditioned. My benchmark is the sight of my first earthworm when I'm raking.

I do plan to do an article about building my ideal coop for 6 backyard hens. The project is complete except for a roof on the run for which I have chosen materials. I won't say that building our own coop was less expensive that buying a high-end Amish built coop, but it was an adventure AND I now have the best coop ever (for me.)

I have tried it in a brooder box and will never repeat that. That was a heavy wet mess after they spilled water and it wouldn't dry out. There was not enough air circulation to dry it. Not the case with a run. I am going to try sand. I have done everything else. I have traded an old car for a new roof on the runs, that has not worked through this winter with all the ice and snow. The runs still have not dried out. I am at my wits end on what to do so sand is my next option..... just hoping the sand will drain more and dry a little. I already use it in the coop under the roosts and in the nest boxes. I love it in the nest boxes, clean eggs and they don't break as easy either. Sand under the roosts also make for easy cleanup. I wound pine shavings just made a waterproof barrier on the run floor and just held water and would mold.

let me add this. I got a full pickup truck load for $30 that was the minimum price and if I could have taken more they would have gladly put more on the truck..... hubby thinks it was about 3000+ lbs he was so worried the truck was going to fall apart on the way back to the farm. We now have a trailer for next time LOL.

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

Heme, you should put up a picture of your coop! How many chickens?

I haven't found any "cons" to using sand in my run and kitty litter (non-clumping ordinary clay) under my roosts inside the coop. Play sand from the home center @ 200 lbs for $5 seems cheap enough though I should go to the garden center to price out sand. I have a 1/2 ton diesel pick-up which would handle a load of sand and wheeling it from the driveway to the back yard one barrow full at a time would be better for me than a gym membership..

I will try the pine pellets in the run since I have a bag of them. That will give the hens something new to scratch around. I'm sure the pellets will expand into sawdust then mix nicely with the clay/sand in the run area.

Having 4 new 50 lbs bags of lime, I'm not in the market for Sweet PDZ until later in the Summer.

I don't think that kitty litter in your coop or run would be a good idea. That stuff is not meant to be ingested. And we all know chickens will eat everything. The pine pellets would be fine since it turns into fine sawdust and would be poo'd out. It may say not clumping kitty litter, but I don't believe it. I personally would not use it for anything but cat litter or soaking up oil under the car or truck. Just to play it safe.
I switched my 6 week old chicks to sand from pine shavings and it is WAY easier to clean with a kitty scooper. So a PRO for sand in that area. Good luck

 

[SNJchickens]

Before I used the litter I looked at ingredients on many brands from no-name to "the best" and the one I have lists "clay" as the only ingredient. I put some into a glass of water and, yep, plain ole mud. I tasted it (yes, seriously) and I put it on litmus paper. All the tests indicated "go" for the coop.

After 4 months of continued use I've noticed that the hens haven't ventured under the roosts. I guess that they don't want to get poo-ed on? Since I rake the litter smooth after every cleaning I would be able to see footprints or evidence of scratching. In the morning there is an undisturbed pile of poo under each hen. Kinda cool in a yechy sort of way.

If sand would absorb I would have used sand. If you go to my coop write-up "southern new jersey cluckingham palace" you will see my coop set up. With neighbors close to the hens, I think I've found workable solutions to any problems.

I do appreciate all opinions about my choices and my set-up. Keeps me thinking so my hens get the best life.

 

[Heme]

My coop near the city of Dayton is on an acre of land and it is only for 3 hens as I don't want my neighbors to get annoyed with my roaming hens. It is a Kit I purchased from the Tractor Supply and placed on the wood frame and wire base. I do not have pictures of our coops, perhaps I will take some shots in the near future.

The large coop is home made. It is the size of a Picnic Park Pavilion approximately 30 feet by 30 feet with a tin roof, and 12 foot high in the center. All four sides have deep wire fencing going about 3 feet down to prevent foxes and other predators for getting into the inside. We had to fix a small hole at the apex of the roof where a snake slipped through and ate some eggs. No more snake either!

AS for sand absorption: The reason I rarely use play sand is due to the fire ants that love that condition. I am afraid to spray insecticide as it may effect the girls at some point or even us if it got into the food chain. The soil is Clay, very hard and when wet it is lumpy, almost orange in color and messy. Beach sand will not make the clay drain well, but the stream bed grit works better for me. Pine Pellets are fine for dry areas, but not an open run area as they swell up when wet and have no effect thereafter. My PDZ seems to maintain its form and the DE washes away into the clay over time.

Funny thing happened: Since the winter seems over in these parts, I raked up all of the existing hay I had in the coop and refreshed it with new grit and soil mix. Nice and clean and the girls love adjusting their new floor. However, I still have a container in the garage with some hay in it. With the nice weather, I left to door open and the girls wander into the garage and now lay eggs in the container of hay? What the hey?

 

[SNJchickens]

How nice of your girls to deliver! I have to slog out to the coop through lots of mud to get to the nest boxes.
Hens lay where the feel vey safe. Kudos to you for providing such a safe haven.

 

[Diannastarr]

I have to agree, sand does hold warmth, but on the other hand we have never used any kind of litter in our coops just a wood floor we had chickens in new England & in Fla & now in AZ. but since i am terribly allergic to dust we really need to keep the dust down in our hen houses and always had just kept a clean no fuss wood floor that was cleaned out every month. but now we are older & have farm help to shovel out our AZ coop every month or so, but lately i have been looking for info on any pros & cons about raising chicks on a bed of nice clean sand & could even possibly use a heating pad below the sand, like the kind of heat pad made for dog houses with a heat regulator, plus years ago i was told that if chicks were raised around wood type litter & if they start eating that wood litter it will kill them..? so just to be on the safe side we never used any type of wood litter, im new to having motherless chicks , this past year will be the first time in my life to ever have motherless chicks, and now lately i have been thinking about using sand for raising chicks on , and thinking that sand might have some benefits..? the first that comes to mind is it would be easy to keep clean , with a quick daily clean up.! does any one have any info on raising chicks on a bed of warm clean sand...?? or any more info on using sand at all , I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED.! so any body....? can you help with this fact finding mission about using sand to raise chicks on..? i really would appreciate it...!!! well im on my way out to lock up my girls for the night. so thanks to any one in advance for your help...!!! o and here are some of my girls all almost a year old now, fluffed up in bed waiting for me to come down and turn off their light

....lol....

. good night all & take care

 

[SNJchickens]

For chicks I've used wood shavings and there has never been an instance of a chick ingesting the bedding. They do snuggle into little nests to keep warm. I did buy an under-bedding heating pad especially made for chickens (water and peck proof, temperature regulated.) It seems safer than a heat lamp in my opinion. I keep the water on a special stand to avoid spills, and the feed is on a tray that is on another tray.

I do prefer a broody hen to motherless chicks. My cochin goes broody every Spring. She's a great momma hen. I have had chicks, too.

 

[Runamuckranch1]

What is PDZ? I have sand in my chicken run and have read on the website that it is best when mixed with PDZ>