Sunshine Flock
Crowing
This is my first year raising chickens, but I wasn't hatched from an egg yesterday.
From my months of research, I've learned that lots of folks love sand in the coop or run. For the same reason I don't use clay kitty litter, I refuse to use sand: it's not compostable, and it has a carbon footprint.
And sand can harbor disease. There are different kinds of sand. The news stories I've come across over the years were specific to playground sand. A courser sand is recommended for coops, but my instincts tell me there's still a legitimate concern.
Also, sand is VERY heavy. You may only swap it out once or twice a year, but then what? You have to roll a heavy wheelbarrow somewhere and dump it or take the sand to the landfill, as I've read one blogger does. Some say it's safe to wash it and reuse.
Voila! An eco-friendly litter!!
I say a big nope to that, and here's why: water is a valuable resource. If you're a homesteader on an actual homestead, or a city dwelling homesteader, expending a resource to maintain chicken litter is wasteful. And think about the sand's point of origin and what was involved crushing raw material and delivering it to your local yard supply outfit.
Don't take from below the earth; use what's already on the surface!
It's my guess chicken folks are also veggie garden folks, so raising chickens shouldn't be just about the meat and eggs. They also give us beautiful compost, and even in a small backyard that compost is easy to create and, with the deep litter method, virtually odor free.
Just say no to sand, folks, and put those birds to work!!
From my months of research, I've learned that lots of folks love sand in the coop or run. For the same reason I don't use clay kitty litter, I refuse to use sand: it's not compostable, and it has a carbon footprint.
And sand can harbor disease. There are different kinds of sand. The news stories I've come across over the years were specific to playground sand. A courser sand is recommended for coops, but my instincts tell me there's still a legitimate concern.
Also, sand is VERY heavy. You may only swap it out once or twice a year, but then what? You have to roll a heavy wheelbarrow somewhere and dump it or take the sand to the landfill, as I've read one blogger does. Some say it's safe to wash it and reuse.
Voila! An eco-friendly litter!!
I say a big nope to that, and here's why: water is a valuable resource. If you're a homesteader on an actual homestead, or a city dwelling homesteader, expending a resource to maintain chicken litter is wasteful. And think about the sand's point of origin and what was involved crushing raw material and delivering it to your local yard supply outfit.
Don't take from below the earth; use what's already on the surface!
It's my guess chicken folks are also veggie garden folks, so raising chickens shouldn't be just about the meat and eggs. They also give us beautiful compost, and even in a small backyard that compost is easy to create and, with the deep litter method, virtually odor free.
Just say no to sand, folks, and put those birds to work!!
