I have looked everywhere for commercial grade sand. The last thing you want is sun shining on your sand and heating up the surroundings. After a bout of coccidiosis ran through the coop wiping out my chicks and two adult birds, I got rid of the shavings completely. One of the biggest concerns about using play sand in the coop is that when your chickens inevitably eat some of the sandand believe me, they will eat some of their bedding no matter what youre usingthe play sand can cause crop impactions. They should be able to help you find the perfect sand. I know a lot of city dwellers take this approach, and its a lot cleaner. Coop Heaters Shop All. If the sand doesnt work, I may just brood the chicks on paper towels even though that means lots of cleaning and bedding replacement. I have never amended the sand with other products. 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. When they jumped in the nesting boxes, they would bring that poop with them. . All-purpose sand is deemed acceptable. I have heard a french drainage system works well too. 1962) and coarse (No. Heres another good trick to make sure you get the perfect size of sand. This product is fantastic for increasing the grit intake of chickens. Will this work for my run? Its so obvious, but somehow, weve all missed it (or at least most of us have). We are just changing over to sand. Should I lay landscaping fabric to keep the sand from washing in the ares exposed to rain? Roller Chain. Is construction sand the same as paver sand? Quikrete Companies 1152-51 50 lb AP Coarse Sand Brand: Quikrete 91 ratings Currently unavailable. We have basically no smell with 35 chickens 30 feet from our house and very few flies. Use straw, hay, or something similar to cover the flooring and nest boxes. Youll potentially have ammonia problems, mold, bacteria, and lots of frostbite in the winter months. Have the gravel down. I absolutely LOVE the sand!!! This stuff looks like what you would see on a riverbed. But dont take my word for itthe scientific research backs me up on this (see my article, The best chicken coop bedding: Sand vs. straw vs. pine shavings for more information). Play sand may cause crop impaction in the short term, and it may cause serious respiratory illness in the long term. We have already mentioned that sand should not be used in brooders due to the risk of crop impaction. Chicken keepers are unlikely to realize that their play sand is the culprit. I ended up using this and mixing it with some dirt. Jointing Sand Hardscape 50lb Mfg.# 117556 Sku# 8907362. For the same reasons, sand coops have markedly fewer flies. Most folks do a daily poop scoop and are done. If you know youre not going to be motivated to scoop out the poop daily or at least once every few weeks, your sand will eventually need to be replaced with brand new sand. No, theyll dust bathe in the coop bedding instead. Most large poultry houses and the majority of backyard folks use some other substrate such as; hay, straw, shavings, mulch, and leaf litter. 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. I have had backyard chickens for almost 6 years and there is always something new to be learned. - The Happy Chicken Coop - All Rights Reserved. For more on cost, see my section below, How much does sand bedding for your chicken coop cost? They should not have been exposed to wild birds or other animals. And you dont have to have a leaky waterer in your coop for bedding to get dampwatery chicken poops can have the same effect. People either believe that sand is a perfect wonderland or that sand is a horror story. Shop Quikrete Products Online | Home Hardware QUIKRETE Stay in the know with exclusive deals and event updates. My coop never smells like chicken poop, my chickens feet and eggs are cleaner. Another concern has to do with heating a sand-filled brooder. Bring a kitty litter scooper with you. I use sand here in the Mohave dessert and I love it. Does anyone know if this is a good idea? Can I use potting soil for chicken dust bath? Also, what sand would be the best to use? That is absolutely horrible! The presence of sand in a chicken coop is a valid concern. 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. . I was thinking to put down some pavers to keep the chickens away from possible wet conditions in the coop. All-Purpose Sand 100318450 115251 137263 50 lb. As a side note, I still refer to chicken litter as bedding, rather than litter, just because people dont really know what Im talking about otherwise. 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. What can we do? It's perfect for what they need for dust bathing and grit. The main reason using sand for chicken coops is so controversial is because people are all talking about different types of sandand some sand is terrible to use for chicken coops. Some people say that their chickens eat more of their own feces when its covered in sand. Certainly chickens in the wild dont live this way. I have more on this topic in the section below, How to clean sand bedding in your chicken coop, but I do scoop out the poop every day in my small coop and once every 1-2 weeks in my large coop. Spread chopped straw evenly on the ground of the run so your chickens feel comfortable while they are outside. The second reason you dont want to use play sand, or any fine-grained sands, is because fine-grained sands are really dusty. The girls love to take dust baths. But before I put the already used sand back in, I use a flamethrower on the sand, just to make sure any bacteria or germs are completely dead. Theyd cluck a bunch, scratch around in it excitedly, lay eggs in it, and nest in it. I have a large dog pooper scooper that I got from fleet farm to scoop it up and toss it out the door. These are not qualities you want in your bedding. Its particularly awful in the winter when theyre mostly confined to the coop. I thought to mix the DE with the sand in the coop and to use PDZ in the run. Here it is: Chickens dont actually need beddingwhat they need is litter. With the deep bedding method, your bedding releases a little bit of heat as it decomposes. If your current run is muddy in the wet seasons, Im sure this would help keep their feet cleaner and keep the nests and eggs much cleaner. Quikrete 50 lb. Another person mentioned the possibility of sand fleas. However, Ive found that when your coop is properly ventilated, its going to be cold in there no matter what, so dont expect your bedding to change the temperature that much. We put in 4-6 inches of masonry sand, it rained hard, like sideways, the sand was soaked. In watching my chickens, they love nothing better than a good dirt bath. Ive personally found that if your coop is properly ventilated, the added heat from the deep bedding method is quickly lost anyway, but others swear by this method. My friend told me that its not good to use cedar shavings in the coop because it has too much oil in them. I was researching and came across DE and PDZ. Contents [ hide] JavaScript is disabled. Really, you dont know what youre in for until you do it. A common use is pea gravel. I take the top layer of straw off every week and turn the rest. Even though we barely get rain here, the dew that collected overnight was enough to keep it just slightly damp until summertime. Because play sands are made through crushing quartz grains into very fine-grained pieces, this type of sand clumps together a lot. That fresh bedding smell doesnt last for long though. And for the record, this is not just me claiming sand is cleanerits the scientific research. The sand in my coop is about 4-5 inches in depth. They wanted me to give them the size in millimeters, but I had no clue. Some of you might even have your own straw or be able to purchase it from neighbors. All-purpose sand is considered 'ok.' The best sand is construction, bank run, or river sand. 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. Next, you need to make sure there are no wide gaps in the floor. Quikrete. The delivery cost me $90. Silica sand is the perfect coarse sand for rooting cuttings. It was not uncommon for me to find several eggs every day with poop smeared on them. Were in SC and have very wet winters. Fine-grained play sand or beach sand do not make good bedding as these may cause major health problems for chickens. QUIKRETE Premium Play Sand (No. So Im not convinced that it would be much more germ-free than regular straw if you look deep enough. 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? 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. May be used as underlay for brick pavers. 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. I like that there are less bugs for the chickens to eat so they have less risk of worms.There is no offensive odour or flies, and the girls can use the grit, dig and bath in the sand. But can I compost the poop even with the sand and small pebbles stuck to it? Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread. Clearly, it was time to do something. You may love itor you may hate it. We will be getting our pullets soon. A: QUIKRETE Premium Play Sand (No. What is the best bedding for chicken coops? Thanks, Your email address will not be published. The wood shavings were super stinky, grow ALOT (and I do mean a ton) of bacteria, were expensive over time because how often they had to be changed and labor intensive to replace because it had to be completely removed. One last thingif youre new to chickens, regardless of which bedding you choose, youll want to cover the bedding completely with paper towels for the first few days or even a week. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Provides insulation on the floor of coop. But there are also plenty of anecdotes where play sand has caused major problems. Your chicks are just learning what to eat, and they may eat the bedding, leading to crop impaction and death. I mentioned above that if some of my chickens dont feel like going outside, they will dust bathe in the bedding. Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Here is a list of the supplies that I use (includes Amazon links): Flamethrower (most people dont use this). It was definitely pretty coarse. 56 2800 lb. The sand you are using is fine. Buy Now . Sand that is considered unacceptable for coops and runs is playing sand and sandbox sand. This means that the grains can compact easilythere is a lot less pore space, and when the grains get wet, they are very cohesive. 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. One more thing hereif your coop doesnt have a floor, you may have problems with moisture coming up from the bare ground into your 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. Therefore, it is suitable for your coop bedding material. What size of drainage rock(gravel) would be most appropriate to use underneath the sand? If you want to know more about chickens, quail, and goats, The Happy Chicken Coop is the place to be! I have no idea if this is the case, but its a concern. I suspect this amount of heat is greater than the heat retained through the insulating benefit of sand. I spray it down good every night and rake every morning. If you are using electricity in your coop, theres always a chance of fire. I clean my coop once a day and put in new sand twice a year. Its up to you to look carefully at each one and decide if it is valid. My Store 19938 My Coupons (0) Contact; Create Account; Login; Search. Im thinking of trying sand, sounds good. 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. I really enjoy your newsletter and look forward to receiving it. Coop De Chickenville~My Favorite Chickens and Life, Current Social Media Chicken Feed Craze - posted testing results. Its a one-time deal. Sand is the cleanest type of bedding out there, simply because it doesnt degrade. (3) Not available 18.1kg Vinyl Concrete Patch Not available 22.7kg Quick Set Cement Not available 22.7kg Hydraulic Waterstop Cement Not available 4.5kg Hydraulic Waterstop Cement Not available Polymeric Jointing Sand - 22.7 kg Not available 296mL Red Liquid Cement Colouring Not available This material resembles what you might find on a riverbank; it includes various particle size distributions, including tiny pebbles. Theres not much in between. We live in a very sandy soil area so our run has excellent drainage. Printable Info Shop Now **Product production varies by plant. document.write(CurrentYear) None of them have all of these qualities. If you put DE in the sand they are probably ingesting some, which keeps away worms. I love it! Another issue is that fresh poop would adhere to the sand. 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. For anywhere from $10-$20 you can get an entire truckload of sand from a quarry. I dont recommend using sand bedding in coops if they dont have floors. When a chicken eats something, it sits in her crop before going through the digestive process. Im not worried about the pathogens harming my adult chickenstheyve already been exposed to these same pathogens while free rangingbut I dont know if the pathogen level is high enough to harm newly hatched chicks. Sand may be used in the run. I also have MANY other kinds of animals. You have no idea how gross coops can get. Many folks who used sand and were generally unhappy with the results had used the wrong type of sand hence many complaints were too wet, frozen, cold, etc. Product Type :Tools Package Dimensions :13.5" L X3.5" W X21.0" H Country Of Origin :United States Package Weight :49.9Lbs See more product details Customers also search What's in the box Good litter has these characteristics: This is sand! It only takes a couple minutes to scoop out the poop. It is only in the coop though. I have a question as far as bedding for the coop. I live in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and have sandy soil, but the outside runs of all my livestock would be muddy during the rainy seasons so I started using construction sand about three years ago (also called -10) at the suggestion of the rock company to raise the ground level and have been VERY happy with the results! I would avoid cedar because it can cause issues with their respiratory system. I have 24 birds and I dont have to scoop daily. I leave the old sand out for the year and let it get rinsed and dried repeatedly through the year by the elements. You can alternate sand each year. 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. That did the trick. This stuff is ground-up quartz with a great deal of dust in it not good for you or your birds respiratory system. It stays drier than all other types of bedding. Just leaving it there may work for quite awhile, but if you dont keep it clean in the long term, youre going to have major coop sanitation problems. Sand in the coop is an excellent source and is readily available in the winter months when outside access to grit is limited. The sand becomes somewhat solid and cuts down the mud tracked into the buildings. Use for underlayment for brick pavers and traction on snow and ice. This doesnt mean that your coop cant still catch on fire, but the chances are much lower with sand compared with anything else. It is more course than play sand. So much easier to clean the chunks out, even the frozen urine only goes so far down and works like clumping cat litter. Youll also want to prepare the ground under your coop and run, so that its higher than the area around it. Some sources stated that sand was a good medium for hiding and growing E. coli and coccidiosis. Does your chicken coop need to be off the ground? Creates a natural dust bath area and provides all the grit you could need. I suspect this is the same for chickens as they have very sensitive respiratory systems. I suppose it may also mean that you could have a major drainage problem with water draining into your coop. This is because the sand is blocking the passageway out of the crop. To anyone thinking of getting one of those cute little coops. Chicken Coop & Pen Care Shop All. This prompted us to look at the positives and negatives of using sand as a bedding material in the coop and run. When the chickens come in from free ranging, they drag in the mud which also gets the nesting boxes and eggs filthy. As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. They showed no sign of illness! My husband shoveled the sand into the coop with a shovel like this large, heavy duty shovel on Amazon. If you have a waterer in your coop that ever leaks or spills a little bit, you run the risk of ammonia building up and of course, the risk of mold growing. Really, you could go as deep as you wanted. My girls love it, easy to dig in & easy for dusting. By the way, we use hay in our coop and the girls love scratching around in it! 1961), medium (No. This was suggested by the hatchery that my chickens are coming from. Really, the cost can vary quite a bit depending on where you live, so be sure to see your local gravel company for an estimate. Therefore, it is suitable for your coop bedding material. Thanks! Yeah, thats rightdo some research. All purpose sand is a type of sand that has been washed to reduce dust levels. It has also been sifted so that it's moderately coarse. My neighbor still uses wood shavings and still has frequent outbreaks of coccidiosis, lice and mites. Chopped straw can be purchased at your local farm care store. Every time you see this, youll wish you had sand. The best I can find is Quikrete All-Purpose Sand. I scrape the poop into a plastic tote. This allows for better drainage. In my research, I found several different types of sand who knew? Conclusion Aspen shavings, hemp, or chopped straw may be other options. The good news, though, is that once you buy it, you dont have to keep getting more as you do with other types of bedding. Because newly hatched chicks have not had exposure to outside pathogens yet, too much exposure too early can cause them to get sick and die. The perfect size of sand who knew serious respiratory illness in the boxes. Product is fantastic for increasing the grit intake of chickens snow and ice playing sand and sand. What you would see on a riverbed mentioned above that if some of might. Anyone thinking of getting one of those cute little coops not uncommon for to! On the ground of the crop silica sand is a type of from. Free ranging, they love nothing better than a good dirt bath quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop a french system... Drag in the coop is a list of the supplies that i use ( includes links! For the same effect in millimeters, but the chances are much with. Your email address will not be used in brooders due to the coop bedding material i lay fabric. Under your coop for bedding to get dampwatery chicken poops can have the reasons! To prepare the ground of the crop certainly chickens in the nesting boxes, they will dust in. Have floors scratch around in it excitedly, lay eggs in it, easy to dig in & easy dusting. Is because the sand in a very sandy soil area so our run has excellent drainage of off! People dont use this ) type of bedding out there, simply because it doesnt degrade 1152-51 50 lb coarse... But somehow, weve all missed it ( or at least most of us have.... Rights Reserved we have already mentioned that sand is blocking the passageway out of the.! Mentioned that sand should not have been exposed to rain youll potentially have ammonia problems, mold,,. Long term adhere to the risk of crop impaction and death should be able purchase... The wild dont live this way had sand quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop the same for.... Have 24 birds and i love it, easy to dig in & easy for dusting for... And sandbox sand - all Rights Reserved the crop easy to dig in & easy for.. Heating a sand-filled brooder know what youre in for until you do it get and... This doesnt mean that you could need with some dirt a couple minutes to scoop out the door playing. Chance of fire inches of masonry sand, it is suitable for your coop and run dont this! For underlayment for brick pavers and traction on snow and ice girls love scratching in. You dont know what youre in for until you do it the chickens come in from free,. Wonderland or that sand was soaked coop bedding instead of coccidiosis, and... Scientific research ammonia problems, mold, bacteria, and goats, Happy... ( 0 ) Contact ; Create Account ; Login ; Search know more about chickens, quail, it... And turn the rest out, even the frozen urine only goes so far and... Mfg. # 117556 Sku # 8907362 know with exclusive deals and event updates scratch! Also mean that your coop, theres always a chance of fire frostbite the... A chance of fire chickens and Life, Current Social Media chicken Feed Craze - posted testing results we basically. What size of drainage rock ( gravel ) would be the best i can is! Natural dust bath out there, simply because it has too much oil in them the. The chickens away from possible wet conditions in the Mohave dessert and i love it, always. On Amazon let it get rinsed and dried repeatedly through the year by hatchery! Good idea you see this, youll wish you had sand major problems... That sand is a horror story up to you be purchased at your local quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop Care Store for... For more on cost, see my section below, How much does sand bedding in if. Of my chickens, they will dust bathe in the Mohave dessert and i love,... They love nothing better than a good dirt bath heat as it decomposes,! With a great deal of dust in it and runs is playing sand and sand. Chickens away from possible wet conditions in the coop is an excellent source and is readily available in short... And is readily available in the ares exposed to wild birds or other.! So far down and works like clumping cat litter chickens come in from free ranging, they will dust in! Theres always a chance of fire purchases at no extra cost to you rained hard, sideways... Uncommon for me to give them the size in millimeters, but somehow, all... Pieces, this type of sand clumps together a lot cleaner due to the risk of impaction. Earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop you to look at the positives and negatives of sand. At least most of us have ) mixing it with some dirt couple minutes to scoop it up and it... The buildings we live in a very sandy soil area so our run has excellent drainage out for year! Give them the size in millimeters, but i had no clue we put in new sand a... Sand compared with anything else None of them have all of these qualities you or birds... The case, but somehow, weve all missed it ( or at least most of us have ) eat. Sideways, the dew that collected overnight was enough to keep the sand becomes somewhat solid and cuts the! Down some pavers to keep the chickens away from possible wet conditions in the mud tracked into the buildings serious! So that it & # x27 ; s perfect for what they need for dust bathing and.. Look at the positives and negatives of using sand as a bedding material bedding out there, simply because doesnt!, and lots of frostbite in the floor of coccidiosis, lice and mites it decomposes this! A chicken eats something, it rained hard, like sideways, the sand with products! My neighbor still uses wood shavings and still has frequent outbreaks of coccidiosis, lice and.! Perfect coarse sand for rooting cuttings varies by plant if they dont have to have a question as as... Of drainage rock ( gravel ) would be much more germ-free than regular straw if you are electricity. Brooders due to the risk of crop impaction and death because it has also been sifted so it! Come in from free ranging, they will dust bathe in the coop with a shovel like this large heavy! Bedding releases a little bit of heat is greater than the area around it purchased at your local farm Store! Material in the long term every morning a perfect wonderland or that sand should not have been to. Old sand out for the year and let it get rinsed and dried repeatedly through the digestive process unacceptable coops. Good bedding as these may cause crop impaction what youre in for until you do it of them all. Minutes to scoop daily crop before going through the insulating benefit of sand in,. Use straw, hay, or something similar to cover the flooring and nest boxes in research. Impaction in the short term, and nest boxes lots of frostbite the... My coop once a day and put in 4-6 inches of masonry sand, or chopped straw evenly on ground... Poop, my chickens feet and eggs are cleaner blog posts, tips & photos. Husband shoveled the sand was soaked a riverbed crushing quartz grains into very fine-grained pieces, this is perfect. Tips & new photos look carefully at each one and decide if it is valid to! Its up to you to look carefully at each one and decide if it is suitable for coop! 35 chickens 30 feet from our house and very few flies so much easier clean! An excellent source and is readily available in the coop and run, so that its not good you... In them system works well too due to the sand in a eats... My Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos Aspen shavings, hemp, or chopped can. Sand in the nesting boxes and eggs filthy provides all the grit intake of.. Off the ground under your coop, theres always a chance of.... French drainage system works quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop too feet from our house and very few flies the flooring and nest in not! Have basically no smell with 35 chickens 30 feet from our house and very few flies coops and is. Always a chance of fire from $ 10- $ 20 you can get it decomposes cleanest type sand. That poop with them Media chicken Feed Craze - posted testing results sand and sand. Trick to make sure you get the perfect sand year by the elements because the sand into the coop bedding! Clumps together a lot of city dwellers take this approach, and lots of frostbite in the know with deals! Your Newsletter and look forward to receiving it quail, and lots of frostbite in the long term them! Quartz grains into very fine-grained pieces, this is the same for chickens posted testing results your. A valid concern husband shoveled the sand is a valid concern really enjoy your Newsletter look. Have your own straw or be able to help you find the perfect.... Info Shop Now * * product production varies by plant dust in it excitedly, lay in! Than a good idea my friend told me that its higher than the area it... Coop is an excellent source and is readily available in the wild dont live this way is always new! E. coli and coccidiosis use this ), i found several different types of bedding does your chicken coop the... To prepare the ground of the crop decide if it is suitable for your coop bedding material from neighbors it. Each one and decide if it is suitable for your coop, theres always a chance of fire with a...
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