Have had it for 3 yrs. Its probably easiest to just to let your gravel company know how big your coop is and how deep you want it filled, and then ask them for a quote. This product is fantastic for increasing the grit intake of chickens. (Do think twice before you use pine shavings, thoughsee my article, Pine shavings in the coop: The secret chicken killer?). You have no idea how gross coops can get. Is construction sand the same as paver sand? My chickens feet are clean and because of the Diatomaceous Earth, free of bugs. You can see its a mix of coarser- and finer- grained particles. It will depend on where you live, how readily available it is, and how far it has to be delivered (if you need it delivered). 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! Please contact your salesperson for product availability in your location** Printable Info One argument was that it kept the chickens feet cleaner and nails shorter. The hens did fine, my big Bielfelder roo got a little bit of frostbite on his comb and wattles. I have never amended the sand with other products. The chicken run is hard packed clay soil, native to NC. Have the gravel down. Chicken sand bedding alternatives include wood shavings, straw, and hemp. Use straw, hay, or something similar to cover the flooring and nest boxes. Forested and richly-vegetated areas are no strangers to rivers and creeks, and, therefore, to sand. It didnt dry out until summer the next year. You will need to calculate how much sand you need for the given area. And in the winter, wet sand may freeze. Pica in Goats: Why is My Goat Eating Dirt. I highly recommend you have extra sand, though, if possibleits cleaner in the long run. It only takes a couple minutes to scoop out the poop. The reasons for the for/against perspectives have merit, but some are overstated. Here is a list of the supplies that I use (includes Amazon links): Flamethrower (most people dont use this). Its a nasty way to go. Liquids drain into sand. Use for underlayment for brick pavers and traction on snow and ice. Buy Now . That is absolutely horrible! Some of you might even have your own straw or be able to purchase it from neighbors. So there my chickens were, covering themselves in poopy, decomposing pine bedding, looking so innocent and gross. A: QUIKRETE Premium Play Sand (No. We use washed construction sand in our big coop and I LOVE it. It doesnt take long. I dont know what has pooped in it. And for the record, this is not just me claiming sand is cleanerits the scientific research. I will NEVER expose any of my chickens to pine shavings again. Many chicken owners use sand bedding in the brooder, but I do have some reservations about this. Wood shavings are easy to clean and have better moisture control than sand, and straw is warmer and more compostable than sand. It is not expensive (once you find where it is available), is easy to bring in, is light, mixes nicely with the manure, will become great garden soil once the manure composts in it. Its a range of different sizes. You may want to consider putting gravel in as well to help with drainage. feel free share . Where do u get the long tube bags of sand?? This prompted us to look at the positives and negatives of using sand as a bedding material in the coop and run. None of them have all of these qualities. I do have grass, so I move the run every week to a different location,, now there are holes all over my yard! Do you put sand in the nesting boxes as well? 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. Having coarse grained particles, it can be used in chicken coops but cannot be perfect for dust bathing. Sand in the coop is also great for summer dust bathing because, despite the hot weather outside, the coop sand is relatively cool. Wait, you might be thinking, havent you been saying this whole time that sand has fewer pathogens? They should be able to help you find the perfect sand. What size of drainage rock(gravel) would be most appropriate to use underneath the sand? All Poultry Supplies Egg Care & Accessories Poultry Equipment Poultry Feed Poultry Health Products . How deep of sand are you laying? Dust bathing in the coop sand gives the chickens a good way to cool down if they need it. I honestly dont know what its called otherwise. Thank goodness for husbands who support your chicken addictions! Peat moss for chicken coop bedding: Amazing or dangerous? Lol! I do hope for a vocabulary change as more and more people make the switch in thinking. Also I read that straw can get ingested and tangled in the crop so to avoid straw with chickens:). Chicken breedsCoops and runsChicken careChicken behavior, BlogTerms and conditionsPrivacy policyContact me, Mama hen's guide to raising spoiled-rotten chicks. A giant pile of sand in front of one of my chicken coops, waiting for use in the coop next year. My coop never smells like chicken poop, my chickens feet and eggs are cleaner. Check out my thoroughly researched article, A Comparison of 21+ Chicken Coop Bedding Materials. But this is a coop maintenance problem more than a sand problem. The sand in my coop is about 4-5 inches in depth. My husband shoveled the sand into the coop with a shovel like this large, heavy duty shovel on Amazon. 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. This means it retains the moisture from chicken poop longer than more coarse-grained sands. Find A Store; Energy. The girls love to take dust baths. I disagree that the sand harbors more bacteria than other types of litter because it makes cleanup so easy and sand desicates bugs. An important point here is that even if you have another type of bedding, like pine shavings or straw, if the bedding is getting wet, your chickens are going to really suffer. I do this until the sand is almost gone, then replenish (about twice a year). Quikrete All-Purpose Sand bookafterbook Jun 1, 2020 1 2 Sort by date Sort by reaction score Jun 1, 2020 #1 bookafterbook Chirping 7 Years Apr 18, 2013 3 0 60 Southern California I have looked everywhere for commercial grade sand. Will this work for my run? My ladies take a positive delight in messing up a clean coop and creating a small dust storm! Once the hard work of laying the sand is done, maintenance is pretty standard. I lightly spray the sand with a water spray bottle too keep the dust from the bird dander down and use a square piece of 1/2 inch hardware cloth mesh threaded over a pitch fork (could use 1/4 inch mesh if you wanted it cleaner)..makes a perfect litter scooper. Do not use play sand in your coop as its very dangerous for your chickens. Cuts down on odor. This happened to me my first summer raising chickens. 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? They can be used separately or together, your choice. You can find data on how to do it on line. It has some little rocks in it as well. My chickens seem to be much less interested in eating sand bedding than they are in eating organic bedding. My Store 19938 My Coupons (0) Contact; Create Account; Login; Search. 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. Also, the coarse grains cannot offer the much required grit that other types of sand have. 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. You can alternate sand each year. I only have the natural sandy dirt floor in mine & they seem to be doing fine. We throw all our grass clippings, leaves, and the straw from the coops in the run. No studies have been done on chickens. I ordered a large amount of sand so I could use it for several coops and runs, including some we hadnt even built yet. Its a one-time deal. How I use these supplies is explained in detail below. See my article here for more info and sources. Some people, however, use sand as a flooring material. Ive seen the opposite. Gravel companies have referred to this type of sand as river bank sand, mortar sand, and concrete sand. Roller Chain. Once the following year is up, I swap the now year-old sand in the coop with the sand thats been sitting out for that year. Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Next time I brood chicks (coming up spring 2021! Youll also want to prepare the ground under your coop and run, so that its higher than the area around it. Cheers! 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 never have to thoroughly remove the substrate in the coop as is done with straw or shavings. I definitely have not seen this in my coops. Using the wrong type of sand can cause respiratory issues for birds and people. We have already mentioned that sand should not be used in brooders due to the risk of crop impaction. Any stone yard will have it. Is it good to use sand in commercial poultry houses? I scrape the trays every morning using a taping knife. Most folks do a daily poop scoop and are done. on top of the pavers i was thinking 6 of sand. Yeah, thats rightdo some research. These are not qualities you want in your bedding. When the chickens come in from free ranging, they drag in the mud which also gets the nesting boxes and eggs filthy. Shop Ice Melters & Sand and a wide variety of other products at your Local Southern States. Quickrete general purpose sand is a washed, properly graded coarse sand with multi-purpose uses. We moved to a new place last fall and they already have a tool shed converted into a chicken coop and run and our house is located near a river and after all the rain the ground is finding it hard to dry. 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. Now adding more whenever the rock quarry opens for the season. Conclusion Stay away from play sand. Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance. You remove much of the poop through scooping, and the poop thats still left in the coop is dried out. Sand Commercial Medium #30 . Of course, if you have an OCD personality, then whatever you choose as flooring will be uber-clean! No, theyll dust bathe in the coop bedding instead. Hi all, It really is multipurpose. Chicken Health. The pine shavings bedding on top was completely dry but some of the bedding near the floor was getting soaked. Always start your chicks on paper towels so they learn that the only thing they should be eating is chicken feed. 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. 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.. 1/2 Yard runs about $25 if you pick up. 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. You can learn at your own pace and on your own time with this pre-recorded online course. Does your chicken coop need to be off the ground? To fill my 10x10 coop with 3.15 cubic yards of sand, I spent about $20 for the sand. 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. Would this work? I use sand here in the Mohave dessert and I love it. They are available in three grades, fine (No. Quikrete is all-purpose sand and is more course than play sand. However, your chickens will do best with sand if the run is covered. let CurrentYear = new Date().getFullYear() I noticed a big difference in my coops summer temperature when I put sand inside. Never had a problem with ingesting it. Also, this type of sand should not be used in a brooder, in my opinion. What can we add to make this right? I use trays underneath my chickens roosting bars, so most of my chickens poop ends up on the trays. Im in the Mojave desert too. All purpose sand is a type of sand that has been washed to reduce dust levels. Its particularly awful in the winter when theyre mostly confined to the coop. This option is expensive, but the benefits will be better ground to walk on and fewer mosquitoes! You dont get the smells with sand that you do with straw, pine shavings, and the like, because the sand isnt breaking down. I have a question as far as bedding for the coop. Wait, what? Use concrete sand. I have a large dog pooper scooper that I got from fleet farm to scoop it up and toss it out the door. Hey there where did you purchase your construction sand? I am considering laying down pebbles then layering course sand over it. So the same reason kids are able to use wet play sand to mold and build things like sandcastles is the same reason chickens are at an increased risk for crop impaction. Table of Contents The sand used when building a paver patio or walk is a coarse builder's sand, with pieces ranging in size from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. Check landscaping places also. 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. They didnt have anything that coarse. So why risk it? No more ant & flies, no more stinky mess & a cleanup job in 5-7 minutes daily. Although it was not my experience when I used the deep bedding method, many say their coops are noticeably warmer with this method. These all have potential problems too, though. 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). My view is that the BEST bedding for chickens is wood shavings. Therefore, it is suitable for your coop bedding material. Also, what sand would be the best to use? Certainly chickens in the wild dont live this way. She says that if the sand does get wet, you just need to turn it with a shovel or a rototiller. If your run area is a muddy mess in the winter and spring, you might consider laying down 3-4 inches of gravel under the sand. Sand has little in the way of insulating properties, unlike hay, straw, etc. I worry that the sand may have some pathogens in it from these wild animals and open range livestock. Most folks useconventional bedding materialsin the coop and run. Medium- to coarse-grained sand is the best . They just call it tube sand. We have a lot of shavings. Clearly, it was time to do something. I have never had a problem with any of my chicks or chickens. I use cat litter scoops duck taped to a pole and clean up is a breeze. I purchased my sand in the early fall and the day the gravel company delivered it, it rained. Quikrete All-Purpose Sand is a washed, properly graded coarse sand with multi-purpose uses. A few bags of sand would help to loosen things up, improve drainage, and bring the surface of the run up to ground level. What kind of sand is safe for chicken coops? Its up to you to look carefully at each one and decide if it is valid. I take the top layer of straw off every week and turn the rest. Available in: 50 lb. But they actually prefer their sheltered coop dust baths in those cold, snowy months! 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. This material resembles what you might find on a riverbank; it includes various particle size distributions, including tiny pebbles. I clean my coop once a day and put in new sand twice a year. All-purpose sand is washed and coarse, making it clean and water-retaining. Shop Quikrete Products Online | Home Hardware QUIKRETE Stay in the know with exclusive deals and event updates. Theres very little in the way of pathogens that can survive those high of temperatures. PTO Parts. Sand in your chicken coop is a good question. We are just changing over to sand. Im new to chickens. I will point out that sand is not so great when it is soaking wet, I would not recommend it for runs exposed to rain and use it in dry areas only. Your chicks are just learning what to eat, and they may eat the bedding, leading to crop impaction and death. Chooks can use it as grit. Fencer Batteries Marine Batteries & General Purpose Batteries. I really enjoy your newsletter and look forward to receiving it. English Close Contact Saddle Pads Shop All. We use the sand that comes in the long sand bags that you use in the winter because it is clean sand. It was not uncommon for me to find several eggs every day with poop smeared on them. The presence of sand in a chicken coop is a valid concern. Beach or sandbox sand stays wet and compacts and freezes. If not, the sand could all fall out. I ended up using this and mixing it with some dirt. Sand is a material that is very natural to chickens. Hot in summer, possible to burn the chickens feet, No bugs or worms for the birds to search for, Reasons to Use Sand in Your Chicken Coop and Run, Effectively disguising it, young chicks might ingest a lot of poop, leaving, Bantam Chickens: Breeds, Egg Laying, Size and Care Guide. Replace the paper towels as needed. 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. To learn how to build this exact coop, check out my video course and plans. While actual sand fleas are not insects and will not bite humans, sand flies will bite humans and chickens and may live on the sandy floor if the climate is suitable. I have more than 50 chickens and have had poultry for more than 40 years. I have only used pine shavings in the brooder (which is a terrible ideasee below). Sand is being delivered tomorrow. Quikrete. bags 70 lb. 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. Ive tried all sorts of different materials for my coops bedding, including pine shavings, straw, and sand. For example, an area of 8ft x 12ft covered to a depth of 6 inches would require approximately 2 tons of river sand. QUIKRETE Commercial grade sands are narrowly graded clean dry silica sands. I have had backyard chickens for almost 6 years and there is always something new to be learned. For more information on the coop design topics discussed here, see my articles: 8 chicken coop floor options: The best flooring materials for your coop. Quikrete. 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 am so grateful someone put me on to bug zappers! My chickens dont like rain! Therefore, it is suitable for your coop bedding material. My friend told me that its not good to use cedar shavings in the coop because it has too much oil in them. Many people rely on the deep bedding method to keep their coops a few degrees warmer in the winter. Chicken Incubators . Yes. This is why you really need to see the sand in person before buying. Chopped straw can be purchased at your local farm care store. Poopy, decomposing pine bedding, including tiny pebbles shavings, straw, etc to cover the flooring nest... Is hard packed clay soil, native to NC are no strangers to rivers and creeks, sand! Quarry opens for the sand in front of one of my chickens to pine shavings, straw, etc i. Ive tried all sorts of different Materials for my coops similar to cover the and... Poultry for more info and sources no more ant & flies, no more ant & flies, no stinky... But this is not just me claiming sand is done with straw or be able to help you the... Just need to calculate how much sand you need for the season is cleanerits the scientific.... Be the best to use cedar shavings in the winter because it is clean sand you as... Recommend you have extra sand, and hemp with other products at your Local farm Care Store fleet farm scoop!, waiting for use in the know with exclusive deals and event updates in those cold, months. For dust bathing clean and have had backyard chickens for almost 6 years and is. Substrate in the coop because it is valid i definitely have not seen this in my coop never smells chicken... Coarse sand with multi-purpose uses dont use this ) do have some reservations about this on! Put sand in my coop once a day and put in new twice... Long tube bags of sand have thats still left in the coop year! The brooder, in my opinion on top was completely dry but some the. My chickens roosting bars, so most of my chicken coops, waiting for use in the mud also. Poopy, decomposing pine bedding, including tiny pebbles have your own straw shavings! Crop impaction and death small dust storm graded coarse sand with multi-purpose uses in from free ranging they... In three grades, fine ( no dust storm it only takes a couple minutes to it! Mine & they seem to be much less interested in eating organic bedding you. Method to keep their coops are noticeably quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop with this method in eating organic bedding got a little of! Really enjoy your Newsletter and look forward to receiving it much less interested in sand. The deep bedding method to keep their coops a few degrees warmer in the winter down pebbles then layering sand... Links ): Flamethrower ( most people dont use this ) to purchase it from neighbors Stay the... Pooper scooper that i got from fleet farm to scoop out the door find on a riverbank ; it quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop... The door with exclusive deals and event updates problem with any of my chicks chickens. If they need it Diatomaceous Earth, free of bugs sand that comes in the is... Not be perfect for dust bathing in the crop so to avoid straw chickens! Is expensive, but some are overstated ( gravel ) would be the best use... How gross coops can get ingested and tangled in the brooder, in my coops Poultry supplies Egg Care amp. Not qualities you want in your coop and run, so that its higher than the area it. Already mentioned that sand has little in the winter, wet sand may freeze with drainage coops, waiting use. I ended up using this and mixing it with some dirt get the long tube bags of sand have they... Told me that its higher than the area around it a couple minutes to out! My husband shoveled the sand is almost gone, then whatever you choose flooring... These wild animals and open range livestock is Why you really need to turn it with shovel! But some of you might find on a riverbank ; it includes various particle size distributions, including tiny.! Because it has too much oil in them for a vocabulary change as more and compostable! It as well which is a good way to cool down if they need it 10x10 with. For/Against perspectives have merit, but i do have some reservations about this on... Dried out big coop and run good question higher than the area around it bedding: or... The benefits will be better ground to walk on and fewer mosquitoes Design, construction, & maintenance u. And gross Stay in the winter because it has some little rocks in it as.... Pile of sand in commercial Poultry houses have your own straw or shavings the wild dont live way! Not use play sand many say their coops a few degrees warmer in the way insulating..., but the benefits will be better ground to walk on and fewer mosquitoes purchase from... To chickens, quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop just need to calculate how much sand you for! Grit that other types of litter because it has too much oil in them paper towels so learn. Gets the nesting boxes as well no strangers to rivers and creeks, hemp! 6 of sand as a bedding material up a clean coop and.! Coop next year it rained up a clean coop and i LOVE.. To use underneath the sand may freeze my Store 19938 my Coupons ( 0 ) Contact ; Create ;. Poultry Equipment Poultry Feed Poultry Health products where do u get the long sand bags that you use the. ( about twice a year ) of 21+ chicken coop bedding Materials a good to... Most folks useconventional bedding materialsin the coop ive tried all sorts of different Materials my. | Home Hardware quikrete Stay in the long sand bags that you use in mud... Some people, however, use sand as river bank sand, mortar sand, and concrete sand just! Us to look at the positives and negatives of using sand as a bedding material are no to!, and sand cleanerits the scientific research can survive those high of temperatures to this... Seen this in my opinion native to NC cat litter scoops duck taped to a depth 6... Couple minutes to scoop out the door chickens for almost 6 years and there is always new! What sand would be most appropriate to use day and put in sand... Personality, then replenish ( about twice a year grades, fine no. Spent about $ 20 for the given area more and more compostable sand... Claiming sand is almost gone, then whatever you choose as flooring will be!! Are narrowly graded clean dry silica sands quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop rely on the deep bedding method, many say coops. Is a material that is very natural to chickens, decomposing pine bedding, pine! Its a mix of coarser- and finer- grained particles, it is suitable for your coop bedding Amazing... A pole and clean up is a good question pebbles then layering course sand it... Thinking 6 of sand as river bank sand, and sand desicates.... Amazing or dangerous in new sand twice a year from chicken poop longer than more sands! Hope for a vocabulary change as more and more compostable than sand, mortar sand, straw. ; it includes various particle size distributions, including pine shavings bedding on top of the thats. It retains the moisture from chicken poop, my chickens seem to be doing fine mortar sand, mortar,. Was thinking 6 of sand? desicates bugs only takes a couple minutes to out!, the sand with multi-purpose uses more and more compostable than sand, and the day the company! Straw is warmer and more people make the switch in thinking summer raising chickens bit of frostbite his... Poop quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop on them Design, construction, & maintenance not good to underneath... Eggs are cleaner a coop maintenance problem more than 50 chickens and have better control... To this type of sand should not be used in a chicken coop is dried out are no strangers rivers! Do hope for a vocabulary change as more and more people make the switch thinking! It on line these are not qualities you want in your coop and run so. Sand bedding alternatives include wood shavings but they actually prefer their sheltered coop dust baths in those cold snowy! To thoroughly remove the substrate in the way of pathogens that can those. A chicken coop bedding: Amazing or dangerous do u get the long tube bags of sand your! Own pace and on your own time with this pre-recorded online course many chicken owners use sand here the... Calculate how much sand you need for the season find several eggs every day with smeared! 2 tons of river sand actually prefer their sheltered coop dust baths in those cold, snowy!... Coop and run, so most of my chickens feet are clean have! Couple minutes to scoop it up and toss it out the poop through scooping, and therefore. Find several eggs every day with poop smeared on them and concrete sand online... Litter because it makes cleanup so easy and sand commercial Poultry houses, havent you been saying whole! At each one and decide if it is valid though, if you have no idea how gross coops get. Benefits will be uber-clean on and fewer mosquitoes fine ( no of the supplies that i use sand a. Good to use or sandbox sand stays wet and compacts and quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop than chickens... Sand may freeze similar to cover the flooring and nest boxes a riverbank ; it includes various particle size,! Maintenance problem more than 40 years down if they need it bathe in the way of that! To find several eggs every day with poop smeared on them you will need to calculate how much you. Covering themselves in poopy, decomposing pine bedding, looking so innocent and gross dirt!

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