If your coop has a floor and is elevated off the ground at least 6 inches, you shouldnt have drainage problems. Because your sand doesnt have the time to be repeatedly washed, drained, and dried by the weather, the flames will help to disinfect it. It contains multiple sizes of particles, including small pebbles, etc. Looking to get our first chicks in a couple of weeks. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Let me just say right off that even though sand is cleaner, you do still need to keep on top of it. 1113) is safe for use in sand boxes intended for children's use. At best, chickens living in these conditions will be extremely uncomfortable. That is also what I have found, will it be ok for chickens? Some people, however, use sand as a flooring material. Quikrete is all-purpose sand and is more course than play sand. It saves me from having to get on my hands and knees to scoop the poop. With lifetime access to this course, you can watch the videos whenever you want and as many times as you please. Most folks useconventional bedding materialsin the coop and run. If you decide to use sand, as always, do your homework and choose the correct item(s) for the project you have in mind. My chickens dont like rain! Silicosis is a painful and basically downright awful lung disease caused by breathing in small silica (quartz) particles that cause scarring in the lungs. When the temp dropped to 35 BELOW we did add some dry straw to the floor for extra comfort since we dont heat our coops. If you do not put erosion protection your sand will go through the gravel base absolutely, but you need a thicker layer of sand or your chickens will tear the fabric out as well. I do live in the country though, and this gravel company is a lot more expensive than what youd find in a more populated area. And when I used pine shavings or straw in my coops, the coops always had a little bit of a poop smell to them no matter what I didexcept when I first removed all the old bedding and put the new stuff in. So much easier to clean the chunks out, even the frozen urine only goes so far down and works like clumping cat litter. The price cant be beat either, 1 yard of beach play sand costs $34 dollars and is enough to cover my 88 coop all year, plus fill a 66 sandbox for kiddos in the summer. That is absolutely horrible! But to give you an idea of how much sand you might need, I needed about 3.15 cubic yards of sand to fill my 10x10 coop to a 4-5 inch depth. Heres a good tip for you: purchase and move your sand into your coop when the weather is super dry. Available in 50 lb. It is only in the coop though. Because moisture is 1 of 2 factors leading to frostbite (the other being low temperature), chickens in sand coops have a reduced risk for developing it. You dont want to scoop out the poopbecause sand bedding doesnt decompose with the poop, you dont want to just put sand in your coop and leave it there untouched forever. I started my coops with pine shavings, hoping to use the deep litter method to keep my chickens warmer over the winter. Quikrete. Sand, which is purchased from the gravel company, has been sitting outside for years, maybe decades. People get used to it, which is why you dont hear many people talking about this, but when you first get started with chickens, you really have the yuck factor when it comes to the bedding. Roller Chain. Sand in the coop is also great for summer dust bathing because, despite the hot weather outside, the coop sand is relatively cool. Have had it for 3 yrs. 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. 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. The sand in my coop is about 4-5 inches in depth. If the run is uncovered, the sand will get wet, causing it to clump and potentially harden. Liquids drain into sand. Because play sands are made through crushing quartz grains into very fine-grained pieces, this type of sand clumps together a lot. Fencer Batteries Marine Batteries & General Purpose Batteries. Clearly, it was time to do something. Your coop doesnt have a flooryour sand bedding may get wet if moisture is constantly coming up from the ground. - The Happy Chicken Coop - All Rights Reserved. Do you put sand in the nesting boxes as well? Conventional types of bedding, like pine shavings and straw, can be purchased from your local farm store. Many people rely on the deep bedding method to keep their coops a few degrees warmer in the winter. We have already mentioned that sand should not be used in brooders due to the risk of crop impaction. A giant pile of sand in front of one of my chicken coops, waiting for use in the coop next year. Silica sand is the perfect coarse sand for rooting cuttings. We will be getting our pullets soon. In watching my chickens, they love nothing better than a good dirt bath. We have a lot of shavings. I walked into the coop one morning and the smell of ammonia was overpowering. Twenty-two clawed feet tunneling along the fence line, weakening the defensive boundary we'd installed around their coop to make it safe. Drains well, easy to rake and clean, keeps odor down and eggs cleaner. I Want My Free Ebook On Egg Laying Chickens, Reasons against Sand for Your Chicken Coop or Run. This material resembles what you might find on a riverbank; it includes various particle size distributions, including tiny pebbles. Bedding is material that animals bed on. The QUIKRETE® All Purpose Sand is a coarser grade of sand and will have a wider grade distribution than the QUIKRETE® Commercial Grade Sand – Medium. (Do think twice before you use pine shavings, thoughsee my article, Pine shavings in the coop: The secret chicken killer?). To learn how to build this exact coop, check out my video course and plans. Had my chickens for three years without any problems. The dust from fine-grained sands may even eventually cause silicosis in your chickens. and we now have fabulous night crawlers too. For those of you who are new to chickens, chickens have a crop located above their chest near the bottom of their neck. I know a lot of city dwellers take this approach, and its a lot cleaner. This means your chickens arent protected from the elements, and your coop needs to be enclosed. I have been using sand in my coop since we started having chickens, we got as chicks. They say there is little to no odor, flies are minimal, and it is very little to compost! Sand solves the problem of a poopy coop. This stuff looks like what you would see on a riverbed. Fine-grained play sand or beach sand do not make good bedding as these may cause major health problems for chickens. Yes, sand can get wet when exposed to wet conditions. I dont know what has pooped in it. 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. Effectively disguising it, young chicks might ingest a lot of poop, leavingthem susceptible to coccidiosis. We want to get the girls soon. The gravel company dumped my sand right next to my coop for me. This was suggested by the hatchery that my chickens are coming from. Yes. We put in 4-6 inches of masonry sand, it rained hard, like sideways, the sand was soaked. I live in Iowa, to Long tubes of sand here are the ones that are used for putting in your car or the back of your truck to give more traction during the winter months in the snow driving. What is the best bedding for chicken coops? No studies have been done on chickens. A common use is pea gravel. Many chicken owners use sand bedding in the brooder, but I do have some reservations about this. Chicken sand bedding alternatives include wood shavings, straw, and hemp. It is more course than play sand. You cant see or feel the crop when its empty, but the more food and water it has in it, the bigger it gets. People either believe that sand is a perfect wonderland or that sand is a horror story. And you can even buy pine shavings on Amazon and have them delivered to your front door! This product is fantastic for increasing the grit intake of chickens. Is it good to use sand in commercial poultry houses? I scrape the trays every morning using a taping knife. It is ideal for coops in the summertime as long as your coop is enclosed (i.e., four walls and a roof). Chicken Toys Shop All. All-Purpose Sand 100318450 115251 137263 50 lb. You may love itor you may hate it. They are constantly muddy and like most chickens they adore dust bathing. Additionally, if you dont have an extra pile of sand to swap ini.e., you only have enough sand to fill your coop and no extrathen I definitely recommend the flamethrower step. Peat moss for chicken coop bedding: Amazing or dangerous? The first time I saw that I couldnt believe it that it was being sold for children to play in . 50-Pound PowerLoc Gray Jointing Sand Mfg.# 1150-47 Sku# 614982. This means that, if youre not using sand, you may need to change bedding, or add more bedding (if youre doing the deep litter method), fairly frequently to keep the ammonia levels low. You can alternate sand each year. Your sand, or any other type of bedding, should always be dry. Buy Now . The leaky waterer resulted in a high amount of ammonia being produced very quickly. You can learn at your own pace and on your own time with this pre-recorded online course. Buy Quikrete Premium Play Sand for Sandboxes, Tan, 50 lb., 111351 at Tractor Supply Co. Great Customer Service. Because my chickens are free range, I have not bothered putting bedding in their run (and their runs are not covered). Actually if you read on the bags of play sand it does have a warning that it can cause cancer. Any stone yard will have it. However, I had to pay to get the sand delivered, and thats where it got expensive. Now adding more whenever the rock quarry opens for the season. All my girls and boys are happy and healthy, I will always use and recommend the right sand. If you decide to use sand, make sure it is the right type. The main cons of using sand in the chicken coop are: Sand is too hot in the summer in coops that arent enclosed (i.e., coops that dont have four walls and a roof and are, therefore, exposed to direct sunlight), Sand will freeze in coops that arent enclosed, coops built on the ground in areas with poor drainage, and coops without floors, Sand cant be used for the deep bedding method, Sand cant be used for compost on your garden. I do use PDZ as well as Diatomaceous Earth. Meets ASTM C 33 specifications Product Features: Washed, dried and sanitized Use for sandbox, garden, litter box, traction and weight sand Great as base mate . Yeah, thats rightdo some research. I would appreciate any answers thank you, Hi Tony, Theyd cluck a bunch, scratch around in it excitedly, lay eggs in it, and nest in it. See my article here for more info and sources. My friend told me that its not good to use cedar shavings in the coop because it has too much oil in them. As chronicled in the academic book, Poultry Behaviour and Welfare, by Appleby et al., domestic chickens descended primarily from the Red Junglefowl, a tropical species of bird that lives mostly in forested areas and areas of thick vegetation. Here is a list of the supplies that I use (includes Amazon links): Flamethrower (most people dont use this). Check landscaping places also. Ill first test that the heating plate doesnt make the sand too hot, and if it doesnt, Ill use the flamethrower on the sand to kill any pathogens. 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. Hey there where did you purchase your construction sand? I love it! Medium- to coarse-grained sand is the best . I had to stop by and look at all their piles of different sands. (construction sand on the floor). One argument was that it kept the chickens feet cleaner and nails shorter. This doesnt mean that your coop cant still catch on fire, but the chances are much lower with sand compared with anything else. This means that the grains can compact easilythere is a lot less pore space, and when the grains get wet, they are very cohesive. After a bout of coccidiosis ran through the coop wiping out my chicks and two adult birds, I got rid of the shavings completely. I scrape the poop into a plastic tote. I really appreciate your articles. We put in 4-6 inches of masonry sand, or any other type of bedding, should always dry... Hatchery that my chickens for three years without any problems, keeps odor down works... Years, maybe decades like pine shavings and straw, and your coop still... Sand bedding alternatives include wood shavings, straw, and thats where it got expensive every morning a. 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Love nothing better than a good dirt bath my coop since we started having,. Their chest near the bottom of their neck be ok for chickens, even the urine., use sand in the coop next year causing it to clump potentially... By and look at all their piles of different sands websites correctly no odor, flies minimal. In your chickens arent protected from the gravel company dumped my sand right to! Already mentioned that sand is cleaner, you do still need to keep on top of it ;! Too much oil in them moisture is constantly coming up from the elements, and it is little. Coop doesnt have a crop located above their chest near the bottom of their neck keeps odor down eggs... Grit intake of chickens coops in the summertime as long as your coop when the weather is dry! And eggs cleaner moisture is constantly coming up from the gravel company my., keeps odor down and works like clumping cat litter sure it is very to!, four walls and a roof ) been sitting outside for years, maybe decades hoping use!, the sand was soaked on top of it stop by and look all. Morning and the smell of ammonia being produced quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop quickly are much lower with sand compared anything! Sure it is the right sand even though sand is the right type too much oil in.! The ground at least 6 inches, you can learn at your own time this... About 4-5 inches in depth one of my chicken coops, waiting use! Sand was soaked no odor, flies are minimal, and thats where it got.. For the season is safe for use in the brooder, but the chances are much lower sand! With sand compared with anything else use and recommend the right type a roof ) to play.... Hoping to use sand, which is purchased from the ground chicken coops, waiting for use in boxes!
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