Just got them in May. As an added bonus, its really fun! After a bout of coccidiosis ran through the coop wiping out my chicks and two adult birds, I got rid of the shavings completely. 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. it has plenty of open air holes for air flow the floor is still wet and muddy. That did the trick. 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. 1113) is safe for use in sand boxes intended for children's use. 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? I also live in a place that has extremely clay-rich soil, which means the mud in the winter and spring is horrendous. In the coop and run, most people utilize standard bedding products. Had my chickens for three years without any problems. Drains well, easy to rake and clean, keeps odor down and eggs cleaner. Silicosis is a painful and basically downright awful lung disease caused by breathing in small silica (quartz) particles that cause scarring in the lungs. Its particularly awful in the winter when theyre mostly confined to the coop. If your run area is not covered, you may need to rake it over after a heavy rainstorm or other inclement weather. It would seem that the use of sand didnt catch on for whatever reason. To anyone thinking of getting one of those cute little coops. Do you have sand in your coop? A regular, enclosed coop wont have that exposure to the sun inside and will actually be much cooler. Chicken Incubators . 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. Not everybody does this step, but it gives me peace of mind. The pine shavings bedding on top was completely dry but some of the bedding near the floor was getting soaked. If you put DE in the sand they are probably ingesting some, which keeps away worms. You cant see or feel the crop when its empty, but the more food and water it has in it, the bigger it gets. No, theyll dust bathe in the coop bedding instead. In a worst-case scenario, this could cause your sand to freeze. When I first added sand to my coop in the heat of the summer, I was amazed at the huge reduction of flies. Love your book and read the blog often. 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. 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. For more on using straw, see my article, Straw for chicken coop bedding: Pros, cons, and how to do it right. Just for the sake of being totally accurate heresand is actually terrible at absorbing moisture, but it releases moisture so well that it just doesnt matter. It is only in the coop though. Blast Sand Medium #4 100lb Mfg.# 10091004 Sku# 8909640. My Store 19938 My Coupons (0) Contact; Create Account; Login; Search. Put simply, they need something to poop in. 1113) is a specially graded washed sand that has been screened for children's sand boxes. I honestly dont know what its called otherwise. The delivery cost me $90. ): 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) I have a cement floor heated coop with lots of ventilation and a fan. 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. Wood shavings are easy to clean and have better moisture control than sand, and straw is warmer and more compostable than sand. This stuff is great for the birds grit intake. 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. Chicken Coops. You want your sand to be as coarse as possible, while still being fine enough that most of it will sift through your kitty litter scooper. Over the next year, I will add on to my coops, and I will try sand in one of the runs to see how it works out. Sprockets & Hubs . GO BACK; Energy; Propane. Sand bedding is heavier than other bedding, which means its a bit more of a workout putting it in your coop than other types of bedding. Sand, on the other hand, is used by certain individuals as a flooring material. 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. 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. Ill report back with how well it works. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Sand In Your Chicken Coop Maintenance and Replacement Intervals Most of the sand you buy from big box stores is going to be too fine-grained. Therefore, it is suitable for your coop bedding material. . 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. 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. If you are using electricity in your coop, theres always a chance of fire. I guessed the grain size was around 0.5 mm long and up. You can learn at your own pace and on your own time with this pre-recorded online course. We live in a very sandy soil area so our run has excellent drainage. For interlocking pavers and flagstone Can also be used for interlocking brick and patio block Ideal for patios, walkways and driveways Ideal for new construction and renovation of paver applications CA Residents: Prop 65 Warning (s) Prop65 Warning Label PDF The crop is like a little storage pouch. In the little coop, with the bantams and large cochins, we have a layer of sand and then 6 inches of straw. I have a large dog pooper scooper that I got from fleet farm to scoop it up and toss it out the door. Hi all, Medium- to coarse-grained sand makes excellent chicken coop bedding in coops that do not have drainage problems and do not get wet inside. If it doesnt, I will just add some soil and grass seed and wait for the following spring. What about insulation in the cold winter months? I am thinking about getting a few pieces of sod for one corner for them and replace as they dig it up. Let us know how it works for you in the comments below any problems and solutions. Have you mix sand (desert sand) with manure from layer? They should also have less exposure to parasites, like worms. Really, you dont know what youre in for until you do it. Sand may be used in the run. So, Im really not sure how they determined the grain size of their supply. Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance. My chickens are free range, but they dont like to venture out into the cold weather as much. Im in the Mojave desert too. Eventually, the sand will sink into the mud necessitating new sand. Fine-grained play sand or beach sand do not make good bedding as these may cause major health problems for chickens. All-purpose sand is washed and coarse, making it clean and water-retaining. If you still feel uncertain about what to order, print off this picture and take it to your local gravel company. Also, the coarse grains cannot offer the much required grit that other types of sand have. I use construction grade sand. (Do think twice before you use pine shavings, thoughsee my article, Pine shavings in the coop: The secret chicken killer?). You can see its a mix of coarser- and finer- grained particles. I cant move the coop so trying to keep my 4 girls happy. Remember, they say that to fill an 8x12 coop with sand to a 6 inch depth, youd need about 2.5 tons of sand. . And, if your chickens sense danger at any time, they can stay hidden for quite a while without eating as long as their crops are full. 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 I cover the plywood coop floor with about 3 inches of sand, scoop the dried poop three times a week and toss in the garden. I ordered a large amount of sand so I could use it for several coops and runs, including some we hadnt even built yet. My coop never smells like chicken poop, my chickens feet and eggs are cleaner. You will need a strong back and arms or sufficient funds to employ someone to do the hauling and settling for you. The first time I felt a chickens full crop was unnerving. weight limit 50 pound of All-Purpose Sand Quikrete All-Purpose Sand 50 lb. Chicken keepers are unlikely to realize that their play sand is the culprit. 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. The solution was easy. I worried something was wrong with her. 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. To fill my 10x10 coop with 3.15 cubic yards of sand, I spent about $20 for the sand. Even More Pros In addition to the "pros" already mentioned, here are a few more reasons to choose sand for your chicken coop: Cost-effective. Quikrete is all-purpose sand and is more course than play sand. Yes, sand can get wet when exposed to wet conditions. How do I dry this before I put the birds out which I was hoping to be Tomorrow? Can be used as a fine aggregate in Concrete Mix Can be used to provide traction on Snow and Ice. Fine-grained play sand or beach sand do not make good bedding as these may cause major health problems for chickens. And when I used pine shavings or straw bedding, I just felt awful my chickens were living in their own filth, which isnt a natural way for them to live. I had to stop by and look at all their piles of different sands. If not, the sand could all fall out. All-Purpose Sand Quikrete (421) Questions & Answers (237) Interested in purchasing a pallet, buy 56 bag Washed and graded coarse sand The yearly cleaning can be very labor intensive (more on this below). I have no idea if this is the case, but its a concern. Cheers! Sand is a material that is very natural to chickens. And you can even buy pine shavings on Amazon and have them delivered to your front door! I would appreciate any answers thank you, Hi Tony, Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix 10 lb; Quikrete All-Purpose Sand 50 lb; GARBAGE CANS & BAGS I use shavings on top of feed sacks making it easier to change bedding as needed inside the chicken house which has a wooden floor and have commercial nest boxes with little or no bedding in them. For another example, the Happy Chicken Coop blog estimates that sand costs between $25-$40/ton. 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