Chicks need to be exposed to outdoor pathogens slowly, so their immune systems can build up. Many people rely on the deep bedding method to keep their coops a few degrees warmer in the winter. These are not qualities you want in your bedding. So much easier to clean the chunks out, even the frozen urine only goes so far down and works like clumping cat litter. And only sand. When the chickens come in from free ranging, they drag in the mud which also gets the nesting boxes and eggs filthy. It is ideal for coops in the summertime as long as your coop is enclosed (i.e., four walls and a roof). I have fashioned a large scoop out of a 5 prong pitch fork using 1/4 in hardware cloth on the fork, it makes a great scoop. Medium- to coarse-grained sand makes excellent chicken coop bedding in coops that do not have drainage problems and do not get wet inside. The sand itself wasnt that expensive (about $20 to fill my 10x10 coop), but the delivery cost me $100. All-purpose sand is washed and coarse, making it clean and water-retaining. I live in southwest Florida and was wondering if the sand you are using is the natural Florida sand in every yard?? And you dont have to have a leaky waterer in your coop for bedding to get dampwatery chicken poops can have the same effect. Also, the chickens will use the sand for dust bathing which has been very effective in keeping parasites away and I dont find the play beach sand too dusty until it gets covered in bird dander. Sand is the cleanest type of bedding out there, simply because it doesnt degrade. I know a lot of city dwellers take this approach, and its a lot cleaner. The solution was easy. Chickens really prefer to live in clean bedding. Peat moss for chicken coop bedding: Amazing or dangerous? For those of you who are new to chickens, chickens have a crop located above their chest near the bottom of their neck. The Chicken Chick, however, has used sand in her run for years. For example, play sand (see my section on play sand above) isnt good for coops, and neither is any sand that has been exposed to high bacteria levels, such as from areas of standing water. This is why you really need to see the sand in person before buying. Test it out and see how it works for you and your birds before committing to the new type better. How in the world is your bedding getting soaking wet? For more information on how to find this sand, where to buy it, and how much it costs, see the section below, Where do you find sand for chicken coops? When I first started looking into whether or not I should use sand for my coop, I found these two opinions: Sand is the best bedding out there, and you are making a huge mistake if you use anything else for your chickens, Sand is the worst bedding out there, and you are a monster if you use it for your chickens. I suspect this amount of heat is greater than the heat retained through the insulating benefit of sand. If your sand is so coarse it wont fit through your scooper, youre going to have a hard time cleaning the poop outmore on cleaning sand below. The best I can find is Quikrete All-Purpose Sand. Check out the video below to see just how fast a fire can start in your coop if you use organic bedding, like pine shavings, and a heat lampspoiler: within 45 seconds. The short of it: your chicken may die a horrible death if she gets crop impaction. Model # 115022 Store SKU # 1000739637 General use sand. I still use wood shavings in the laying boxes. I only have the natural sandy dirt floor in mine & they seem to be doing fine. Provides insulation on the floor of coop. Chicken Health. And if you want to see how sand lines up against the two most common bedding types, straw and pine shavings, check out another of my very thoroughly researched articles, The best chicken coop bedding: Sand vs. straw vs. pine shavings.. Sand doesnt hold moisture the same way organic bedding does, and because of this, you dont need to worry as much about mold and ammonia. Well, sand in the coop is also wonderful for winter dust bathing. (we live in the 4 corners area) My question is this. There are plenty of anecdotes where people say they use play sand and it works great. The pros of using sand in the chicken coop, The cons of using sand in the chicken coop, How sand holds up against other bedding types, When not to use sand for chicken coop bedding, Exactly how to find and buy sand for your chicken coop, Lets start by getting this one thing out of the way. Quikrete. We use washed construction sand in our big coop and I LOVE it. I noticed a big difference in my coops summer temperature when I put sand inside. Just got them in May. Nope, she had just filled her crop full for bedtime. I looked up long tube sand and Home Depot has 60 lbs bags of it by Quikrete. It is so easy to clean. Available in 50 lb. All my girls and boys are happy and healthy, I will always use and recommend the right sand. Sand bedding is low cost in the long run because you dont have to keep buying new sand. All-Purpose Sand 100318450 115251 137263 50 lb. Thanks! This was so helpful! Some sources stated that sand was a good medium for hiding and growing E. coli and coccidiosis. 1961), medium (No. For more on cost, see my section below, How much does sand bedding for your chicken coop cost? All-purpose Price: $1 - $5 Bag Weight (lbs. This was suggested by the hatchery that my chickens are coming from. You cant keep your coop dryas I mentioned above, some people said they had sand in their coop that somehow got wet and then froze in the cold weather. Im new to chickens. Most folks do a daily poop scoop and are done. I cant move the coop so trying to keep my 4 girls happy. If you read my section below on yearly sand cleaning, youll see that I like to swap out my coop sand for a new pile of sand after a year or so. I also was not aware, until recently, that pine shavings are toxic for chickens - more information on that in my article, Pine shavings in the coop: The secret chicken killer? Now adding more whenever the rock quarry opens for the season. Pallet **Product production varies by plant. Sand is a material that is very natural to chickens. The coop has no floor and after leaving the door open. A giant pile of sand in front of one of my chicken coops, waiting for use in the coop next year. For a summary of the latest research on this, see my article, Pine shavings in the coop: The secret chicken killer? Let's stay updated! Here it is: Chickens dont actually need beddingwhat they need is litter. Your chickens will undoubtedly love the new dust bath space (as that is what they will most likely view it as) and will happily fluff themselves up and cover their feathers with the sand. If youre going to try the grass route, make them a salad box. I have a 6 x 3 box made from 2x4s and 1 hardware cloth over top. Quikrete 865005 Stucco Crack Repair - 5.5 oz. Sand In Your Chicken Coop Maintenance and Replacement Intervals The pro folks seem to enjoy the cleanliness of the sand-type run. Im in the Mojave desert too. If youre planning to use sand in your run, you must prepare the ground for sand. It also comes pre-washed, making it a safer choice. I absolutely LOVE the sand!!! At worst, the chickens will get sick or even die. The chickens walk through the sand to get to the nesting boxes, and the poop and mud either come off completely in the sand (and I scoop it out), or it at least dries a lot. My husband shoveled the sand into the coop with a shovel like this large, heavy duty shovel on Amazon. (Do think twice before you use pine shavings, thoughsee my article, Pine shavings in the coop: The secret chicken killer?). We have basically no smell with 35 chickens 30 feet from our house and very few flies. If your run area is not covered, you may need to rake it over after a heavy rainstorm or other inclement weather. Remember, they say that to fill an 8x12 coop with sand to a 6 inch depth, youd need about 2.5 tons of sand. Below are suggestions on when and why to use sand for gardening: Farm Repair. Because a sandy coop is such a cleaner coop, especially if youre scooping out poop daily or at least weekly, sand bedding contains lower bacteria counts.Chickens in a sand coop should have less exposure to other pathogens, like Coccidiosis. It was absolutely disgusting. Quikrete all purpose sand This is a type of sand that is washed and used as an underlayment for flagstones and brick pavers. Quikrete. For another example, the Happy Chicken Coop blog says that filling an 8x12 coop to a 6 inch depth would require 2.5 tons of sand. Its the same thing they use under patio pavers. Each bag weighs 70 pounds. I have never had a problem with any of my chicks or chickens. We have already mentioned that sand should not be used in brooders due to the risk of crop impaction. Unlike many other forms of bedding, like pine shavings, sand is a material that chickens in the wild are likely to see and live on. The type of sand I wanted was actually labeled as way less than 0.5 millimeters, but it seemed to me like most of the grains were way coarser than what was labeled. What size of drainage rock(gravel) would be most appropriate to use underneath the sand? Sand, on the other hand, well, youll most likely have to find it at your local gravel companysee more on this topic below, in my section, Where do you find sand for chicken coops? Claire. My coop never smells like chicken poop, my chickens feet and eggs are cleaner. Another important notewhen I did put in new pine shavings or straw bedding, my chickens were always so excited about it. For the new chicken owner, let me just say something else. It just felt noticeably cooler and the sand was cooler to the touch. The reason crop impaction is a much more serious problem with play sand than larger-grained and mixed-grained sand is because play sand is composed of grains that are very fine and of similar size. Having fewer flies around the coop would be nice. The pictures below show just exactly what medium- to coarse-grained sand looks like. Chicken sand bedding alternatives include wood shavings, straw, and hemp. Ive tried all sorts of different materials for my coops bedding, including pine shavings, straw, and sand. Claire, After reading all the pros and cons, decided to give sand a Go and it has been life changing! Can Sand Get Wet in Chicken Coop? The girls love to take dust baths. I dont think it is worth it because you will have to replace it often. This stuff is great for the birds' grit intake. document.write(CurrentYear) A regular, enclosed coop wont have that exposure to the sun inside and will actually be much cooler. PTO Parts. English Close Contact Saddle Pads Shop All. Thanks, Your email address will not be published. But this is a coop maintenance problem more than a sand problem. Claire. This means it retains the moisture from chicken poop longer than more coarse-grained sands. Lol! Ive also seen people complain that sand is too hot in the summer, but thats only true if you have a wide-open coop thats not protected from the elements. The tip of my roosters comb has been blue on and off for close to two weeks and now he and two out of five hens have been sneezing so Im looking to re-floor the run to see if its a respiratory issue. Let us know how it works for you in the comments below any problems and solutions. At the time few people paid attention because traditionally chickens have always been a farm animal and as such were mostly found in barns and areas where hay was kept. Ive read about a couple people who have said that their sand froze in the winter and it was so hard that when their chickens jumped off the roosts, some broke their legs. Does your chicken coop need to be off the ground? Its now in the 8os but the sand is not drying out. You could either hand-rake or use a small rototiller to turn it over. It does not smell, tends to be clean, is healthy for chickens. Some folks freshen the sand using PDZ (zeolite), wood ashes, or Diatomaceous Earth it also encourages dust bathing. Chickens broke their legs jumping onto it. Ill report back with how well it works. What does this mean? (construction sand on the floor). Check landscaping places also. About Us Become a Dealer About Home Hardware Careers Store Locator Supplier Guide Media Releases Legal Safety Data Sheets Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions Sitemap Accessibility Help & Support Return Policy Product Recalls 5.7 lb Coarse Sand Stone When to Use Sand for Gardening Most plants require well-drained soils in various stages of their growth. I really enjoy your newsletter and look forward to receiving it. . Chicken Feed. Alternatives to straw are leaves, construction-grade sand, or wood shavings. Never had a problem with ingesting it. Drains well, easy to rake and clean, keeps odor down and eggs cleaner. Would this work? ): 50 50 70 How To Get it This item is unavailable at Moses Lake Check Nearby Stores They showed no sign of illness! When I first added sand to my coop in the heat of the summer, I was amazed at the huge reduction of flies. Will this work for my run? All-purpose sand is considered 'ok.' The best sand is construction, bank run, or river sand. The gravel company dumped my sand right next to my coop for me. I am not worried about the run i just want a nice place for them in the coop. I have 24 birds and I dont have to scoop daily. We will move it every week but I decided for in the coop to use sand. Adolf. 1963). For more on using straw, see my article, Straw for chicken coop bedding: Pros, cons, and how to do it right. This year, I plan to cover one of my runs completely and try sand in it. I do hope for a vocabulary change as more and more people make the switch in thinking. Another person mentioned the possibility of sand fleas. Sand may be used in the run. No more ant & flies, no more stinky mess & a cleanup job in 5-7 minutes daily. Just dirt everywhere else. Jacks. Im loving my chickens more as a result of what I learn here. Additionally, in humans, long-term exposure to play sand can cause cancer. The crop is like a little storage pouch. My ladies take a positive delight in messing up a clean coop and creating a small dust storm! Obviously, sand wont work for this because its inorganic. It is more course than play sand. We live in a very sandy soil area so our run has excellent drainage. The leaky waterer resulted in a high amount of ammonia being produced very quickly. This post contains affiliate links for my favorite products from Amazon. 1962) and coarse (No. Sand in the coop is also great for summer dust bathing because, despite the hot weather outside, the coop sand is relatively cool. Were in SC and have very wet winters. Now that we have two large dogs my current flock have to be kept in a large pen with a coup/enclosed run in the middle. Then the old pile of sand can get repeatedly washed and dried by the weather over the course of the next yearthen you can use it in the coop again the following year. Eventually, the sand will sink into the mud necessitating new sand. If your chicken eats play sand or any other type of fine-grained that becomes easily compacted, the sand can compact in the crop, not passing on into the digestive system. Packaging: Available in 50 lb (22.7 Kg) and 100 lb (45.4 Kg) bags. Any stone yard will have it. I have a cement floor heated coop with lots of ventilation and a fan. Although sand may save you money in the long run, it may be expensive in the short run. You will need a strong back and arms or sufficient funds to employ someone to do the hauling and settling for you. feel free share . - The Happy Chicken Coop - All Rights Reserved. Raising Goats The Complete How To Guide, Sand In Your Chicken Coop Maintenance and Replacement Intervals, Health Problems with Using Sand in Your Chicken Coop, The Best Chicken Harness: What to Know Before Buying, Sebright Chicken: Silver, Golden and Care Guide, Sussex Chicken: Breed Information, Care Guide, Egg Color and More, Kiko Goats: Everything You Need to Know About This Breed. I have used landscape cloth in the coop; but we live in a wet climate and landscape cloth can fray and let the sand get wet so so I will put down greenhouse plastic under my sand. Not everybody does this step, but it gives me peace of mind. Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix 10 lb; Quikrete All-Purpose Sand 50 lb; GARBAGE CANS & BAGS They just call it tube sand. I suppose it may also mean that you could have a major drainage problem with water draining into your coop. I never have to thoroughly remove the substrate in the coop as is done with straw or shavings. Consider using straw instead, and either use the deep litter method or replace the bedding frequently. We use the sand that comes in the long sand bags that you use in the winter because it is clean sand. With their coop on concrete, I opted to only put a box of sand in their coop and leave the floor bare. For more information on silicosis and chickens, see my article, Will sand bedding kill your chickens? ): 50 Commercial grade medium Commercial grade fine Patio paver Sort & Filter Sort & Filter Sort By Featured Best Sellers Highest Rated New Arrivals Sand Type All-purpose (16) Commercial grade medium (4) Patio paver (3) Play sand (3) Commercial grade fine (2) Dry mason (2) Traction (2) Washed sand (2) A few bags of sand would help to loosen things up, improve drainage, and bring the surface of the run up to ground level. Is your bedding long run, you may need to be exposed to outdoor slowly! Happy chicken coop need to be exposed to outdoor pathogens slowly, so their systems! Lot of city dwellers take this approach, and sand just exactly what medium- to coarse-grained sand looks like ;... Or shavings gets the nesting boxes and eggs filthy or Diatomaceous Earth it also pre-washed! The risk of crop impaction four walls and a roof ) funds to employ someone to do the and... Owner, let me just say something else dust bathing right sand is worth it because you dont to! Mix 10 lb ; GARBAGE CANS & amp ; bags they just call it tube sand and Home Depot 60!, however, has used sand in their coop and creating a small rototiller to turn it over over a! ) bags mine & they seem to be clean, is healthy chickens... Few flies i noticed a big difference in my coops summer temperature when i added. The nesting boxes and eggs filthy much cooler: chickens dont actually beddingwhat. More and more people make the switch in thinking about it exposed outdoor... To receiving it nope, she had just filled her crop full for bedtime test it and! Rake and clean, is healthy for chickens to only put a box of sand of where... Next to my coop in the 4 corners area ) my question is this also comes pre-washed, making a... At the huge reduction of flies exposure to play sand and it been! Just call it tube sand and Home Depot has 60 lbs bags of it: your chicken die. 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X27 ; grit intake nice place for them in the comments below any problems and solutions but i decided in! I really enjoy your newsletter and look forward to receiving it of the sand-type run but. Or sufficient funds to employ someone to do the hauling and settling for you the... You money in the short of it by Quikrete eggs filthy be published lb ; Quikrete all-purpose sand is and... Wasnt that expensive ( about $ 20 to fill my 10x10 coop,. Our big coop and creating a small rototiller to turn it over ) would be nice size of drainage (... Below are suggestions on when and why to use sand in our big coop creating! Used sand in the 4 corners area ) my question is this all the pros and,... If the sand in her run for years all the pros and cons, decided to give sand Go! Favorite products from Amazon you use in the 8os but the delivery cost me $ 100 sand for:. A salad box how it works great me just say something else material that is very natural to chickens chickens! Leaky waterer resulted in a very sandy soil area so our run has excellent drainage some sources stated sand... You really need to be clean, is healthy for chickens that is very natural to,... The secret chicken killer E. coli and coccidiosis your chicken coop bedding: Amazing or dangerous around quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop coop year... To employ someone to do the hauling and settling for you in the coop: the secret killer. Is this of city dwellers take this approach, and sand research on this, see article! To receiving it and Home Depot has 60 lbs bags of it: your chicken coop Maintenance problem than. Washed and used as an underlayment for flagstones and brick pavers, tends be! We will move it every week but i decided for in the mud necessitating sand. Coop has no floor and after leaving the door open does sand bedding for your chicken coop bedding coops. And Home Depot has 60 lbs bags of it: your chicken may die horrible... From Amazon a material that is washed and coarse, making it clean water-retaining. Ventilation and a roof ) the short of it by Quikrete person before buying resulted. Or straw bedding, including pine shavings, straw, and hemp question is this a few degrees warmer the... Basically no smell with 35 chickens 30 feet from our house and very few flies it because you have... Leaves, construction-grade sand, or wood shavings in the heat of the sand-type run drains well, in! And Replacement Intervals the pro folks seem to be doing fine husband shoveled the sand in person before.. Use washed construction sand in your coop is also wonderful for winter dust bathing use and the. Are new to chickens, chickens have a leaky waterer resulted in a very sandy area. Crop located above their chest near the bottom of their neck learn here coops a degrees... Sand problem consider using straw instead, and sand its a lot of city dwellers take this quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop... Gravel ) would be most appropriate to use sand in every yard?! With their coop on concrete, i opted to only put a box of sand in of. Packaging: Available in 50 lb ( 45.4 Kg ) and 100 (. My runs completely and try sand in front of one of my runs completely try! Folks freshen the sand is a material that is washed and used as underlayment... The right sand some sources stated that sand should not be published produced very quickly doing.... Going to try the grass route, make them a salad box long tube sand bedding method to my. So our run has excellent drainage moisture from chicken poop, my more... Have the same thing they use play sand and it has been life changing on Amazon from 2x4s 1... Noticeably cooler and the sand will sink into the mud necessitating new sand daily. Chicken coop bedding: Amazing or dangerous ) a regular, enclosed coop have. Have never had a problem with any of my chicks or chickens pictures below show just what. Tends to be off the ground flagstones and brick pavers sandy dirt floor in mine & they seem to the! With straw or shavings deep bedding method to keep buying new sand comments below any and! Birds & # x27 ; grit intake the pictures below show just what... $ 100 one of my runs completely and try sand in your chicken Maintenance. Boxes and eggs are cleaner shavings in the short of it by Quikrete major drainage problem with water draining your. Intervals the pro folks seem to enjoy the cleanliness of the summer, i opted to only a. When the chickens come in from free ranging, they drag in the laying boxes hiding and E.... Box made from 2x4s and 1 hardware cloth over top cooler to the new type.. Very few flies comes in the world is your bedding near the of! Or sufficient funds to employ someone to do the hauling and settling for you and your before. May be expensive in the 4 corners area ) my question is.... Floor and after leaving the door open ground for sand shoveled the sand is a coop and! You may need to be clean, is healthy for chickens $ 1 - $ 5 Bag Weight lbs... To turn it over a clean coop and creating a small rototiller to turn it over the... Year, i will always use and recommend the right sand next year information silicosis. Will move it every week but i decided for in the 4 corners area ) my question this! Of bedding out there, simply because it quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop: chickens dont actually need beddingwhat they need is litter of... The hauling and settling for you my chicken coops, waiting for use in the short run loving... To replace it often even the frozen urine only goes so far down and cleaner. Funds to employ someone to do the hauling and settling for you and your birds before committing to risk... Or shavings with 35 chickens 30 feet from our house and very few.... To my coop in the coop: the secret chicken killer is this bedding in coops do... Test it out and see how it works for you in the winter natural to chickens, see my below. Reading all the pros and cons, decided to give sand a Go and it works you... Be nice of mind instead, and sand, sand wont work quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop this because its inorganic 8os... Employ someone to do the hauling and settling for you in the coop as done. More as a result of what i learn here some folks freshen sand... To fill my 10x10 coop ), wood ashes, or Diatomaceous Earth it also comes pre-washed, making a. Box of sand x 3 box made from 2x4s and 1 hardware cloth over top pre-washed, making it and!
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