I scrape the trays every morning using a taping knife. Thank you! So Im not convinced that it would be much more germ-free than regular straw if you look deep enough. You are using an out of date browser. The pictures below show just exactly what medium- to coarse-grained sand looks like. They wanted me to give them the size in millimeters, but I had no clue. Every time you see this, youll wish you had sand. 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. Quikrete purpose sand chicken coop, quikrete purpose sand chicken coop, free easy chicken coop plans projects buildingachickencoop 16000 plans download pdf format. I thought to mix the DE with the sand in the coop and to use PDZ in the run. I know a lot of city dwellers take this approach, and its a lot cleaner. Obviously, before adding the sand, you should ensure your coops floor is strong enough to support the added weight of the sand. Available in: 50 lb. The exception to this is when people have small coops with only a few chickens, and they change the bedding weekly. 50-Pound PowerLoc Gray Jointing Sand Mfg.# 1150-47 Sku# 614982. How deep of sand are you laying? Still shavings in nesting boxes and one enclosed nighttime coop but sand otherwise. This stuff is great for the birds' grit intake. Just dirt everywhere else. There is no such thing as a maintenance free hen house unless you hire out the daily chores, and what fun would there be in that? Its a nasty way to go. 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. It is more course than play sand. In my smaller coops, I use just a regular kitty litter scooper every day. While it may seem too industrial for hermit crabs, it's safe. No, theyll dust bathe in the coop bedding instead. 1962) and coarse (No. QUIKRETE Commercial grade sands are narrowly graded clean dry silica sands. My neighbor still uses wood shavings and still has frequent outbreaks of coccidiosis, lice and mites. You may want to consider putting gravel in as well to help with drainage. Hi all, Perhaps buy a little extra sand to err on the side of caution. I have a large dog pooper scooper that I got from fleet farm to scoop it up and toss it out the door. Drains well, easy to rake and clean, keeps odor down and eggs cleaner. . See my article here for more info and sources. Below are suggestions on when and why to use sand for gardening: Coop De Chickenville~My Favorite Chickens and Life, Current Social Media Chicken Feed Craze - posted testing results. These kinds of conditions are not humane conditions for chickens. 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. It is so easy to clean. A giant pile of sand in front of one of my chicken coops, waiting for use in the coop next year. 1963). ): 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) All-purpose sand is washed and coarse, making it clean and water-retaining. I have been worried about them in the 114 heat day after day, so Ive been putting a couple of frozen milk jugs of water in there. DRY and controllable DRAFT. We use the sand that comes in the long sand bags that you use in the winter because it is clean 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. Adolf. I ordered a large amount of sand so I could use it for several coops and runs, including some we hadnt even built yet. Im about to acquire my first flock. The chooks can eat the grass and other planted goodies that poke through the hardware cloth without scratching up the roots. When the chickens come in from free ranging, they drag in the mud which also gets the nesting boxes and eggs filthy. 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.. I live in south Florida, all Ive got is sandy soil in my run. Construction sand has been a life saver. You will need to calculate how much sand you need for the given area. A: QUIKRETE Premium Play Sand (No. For the new chicken owner, let me just say something else. Its now in the 8os but the sand is not drying out. I live in southwest Florida and was wondering if the sand you are using is the natural Florida sand in every yard?? And you can even buy pine shavings on Amazon and have them delivered to your front door! Sand that is considered unacceptable for coops and runs is playing sand and sandbox sand. My first year raising chickens, I started with 28 hens and 2 roosters, and I felt terrible for them living on pine shavings. Looking to get our first chicks in a couple of weeks. This allows for better drainage. document.write(CurrentYear) 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. As a mix of smalll pebbles and coarse sand. November 6, 2022. Mix with Portland Cement and All Purpose Gravel to make concrete. This is probably the stuff that can freeze solid in winter, cook the chickens feet in summer, and has minimal insulation properties. It may be true that sand dissipates most of the poop produced, but the cecal poops will trickle down into the lower layers. 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. 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. Because of this, Ive always felt more comfortable brooding my chicks on fresh pine shavings. Also, the coarse grains cannot offer the much required grit that other types of sand have. Even though we barely get rain here, the dew that collected overnight was enough to keep it just slightly damp until summertime. The first time I felt a chickens full crop was unnerving. 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. This may cause long-term respiratory problems in your chickens, who are very sensitive to poor air quality. Chopped straw can be purchased at your local farm care store. Please DO NOT use sticky fly paper in coops as flying birds will fly into it at some point. A common use is pea gravel. I have more than 50 chickens and have had poultry for more than 40 years. It can be lightly dampened to minimize any potential for dust. Thanks! What does this mean? Provides insulation on the floor of coop. Do you have sand in your coop? I also live in a place that has extremely clay-rich soil, which means the mud in the winter and spring is horrendous. 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. Quikrete. Next time I brood chicks (coming up spring 2021! Put simply, they need something to poop in. I am not worried about the run i just want a nice place for them in the coop. 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. My coop flooring is dirt, in a soggy/boggy type area with lots of ventilation provided by the chicken wire used for the surrounding wall + the roof is completely covered with a heavy duty tarp to keep the rain from getting in. The Chicken Chick, however, has used sand in her run for years. Model # 115022 Store SKU # 1000739637 General use 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. It saves me from having to get on my hands and knees to scoop the poop. Quickrete general purpose sand is a washed, properly graded coarse sand with multi-purpose uses. They showed no sign of illness! For more on cost, see my section below, How much does sand bedding for your chicken coop cost? It only takes a couple minutes to scoop out the poop. Your chicks are just learning what to eat, and they may eat the bedding, leading to crop impaction and death. Sand, which is purchased from the gravel company, has been sitting outside for years, maybe decades. Theres very little in the way of pathogens that can survive those high of temperatures. If it doesnt, I will just add some soil and grass seed and wait for the following spring. Will this work for my run? I have looked everywhere for commercial grade sand. Thanks, Your email address will not be published. If your run area is not covered, you may need to rake it over after a heavy rainstorm or other inclement weather. Find A Store; Energy. I have been using river sand in my coop and run. In the coop and run, most people utilize standard bedding products. I use this brooder heating plate from Amazon in my brooder (the chicks love it!). It may save you money in the long run. Beach or sandbox sand stays wet and compacts and freezes. I have been using sand in my coop since we started having chickens, we got as chicks. weight limit 50 pound of All-Purpose Sand Quikrete All-Purpose Sand 50 lb. Composition and Materials: QUIKRETE Commercial grade sand is high quality silica sand. Actually if you read on the bags of play sand it does have a warning that it can cause cancer. Farm Repair. Another benefit is that sand does not rot like straw, hay or wood that leaves behind a stinky slime when wet with droppings or when the birds come in dripping wet (my birds dont mind some rain), so the plywood floor is better protected and stays dry. You dont get the smells with sand that you do with straw, pine shavings, and the like, because the sand isnt breaking down. English Close Contact Saddle Pads Shop All. Chicken keepers are unlikely to realize that their play sand is the culprit. 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. You could either hand-rake or use a small rototiller to turn it over. 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. We use washed construction sand in our big coop and I LOVE it. Chicken Feeders. Because play sands are made through crushing quartz grains into very fine-grained pieces, this type of sand clumps together a lot. Does sand make good chicken coop bedding? For a summary of the latest research on this, see my article, Pine shavings in the coop: The secret chicken killer? I do have grass, so I move the run every week to a different location,, now there are holes all over my yard! All Poultry Supplies Egg Care & Accessories Poultry Equipment Poultry Feed Poultry Health Products . Therefore, it is suitable for your coop bedding material. The hens did fine, my big Bielfelder roo got a little bit of frostbite on his comb and wattles. So, Im really not sure how they determined the grain size of their supply. There seem to be two camps in the sand issue either for or against, with few people taking the middle road of compromise. Can be used as a fine aggregate in Concrete Mix Can be used to provide traction on Snow and Ice. A regular, enclosed coop wont have that exposure to the sun inside and will actually be much cooler. 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). Gravel companies have referred to this type of sand as river bank sand, mortar sand, and concrete sand. They say there is little to no odor, flies are minimal, and it is very little to compost! It didnt dry out until summer the next year. 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. They will deliver. This stuff looks like what you would see on a riverbed. This post contains affiliate links for my favorite products from Amazon. Youll need to look at gravel companies to source your sand. Claire. I disagree that the sand harbors more bacteria than other types of litter because it makes cleanup so easy and sand desicates bugs. 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. One argument was that it kept the chickens feet cleaner and nails shorter. Do chickens need grit if they have sand? 1113) is safe for use in sand boxes intended for children's use. Unlike organic bedding materials, sand is not flammable. Sand in your chicken coop is a good question. 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. I never have to thoroughly remove the substrate in the coop as is done with straw or shavings. Still, if you do a quick housekeeping every day by removing the fresh deposits and hanging flypapers, flies should be minimal anyway. I have no idea if this is the case, but its a concern. Ive used both of these! Pallet **Product production varies by plant. Check out my thoroughly researched article, A Comparison of 21+ Chicken Coop Bedding Materials. You may love itor you may hate it. What size of drainage rock(gravel) would be most appropriate to use underneath the sand? Some of you might even have your own straw or be able to purchase it from neighbors. 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. We want to get the girls soon. Let us know how it works for you in the comments below any problems and solutions. First, you need to make sure your flooring can hold the sand in the first place. The short of it: your chicken may die a horrible death if she gets crop impaction. Depending on where you live, sand may be low cost in the short run as well. Quikrete is all-purpose sand and is more course than play sand. I worried something was wrong with her. You cant see or feel the crop when its empty, but the more food and water it has in it, the bigger it gets. What can we do? Fine-grained play sand or beach sand do not make good bedding as these may cause major health problems for chickens. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock. 56 2800 lb. I have heard a french drainage system works well too. I use trays underneath my chickens roosting bars, so most of my chickens poop ends up on the trays. This meant I couldnt put the sand in the coop. It also can be hazardous to humans over the long term. Yeah, thats rightdo some research. In the little coop, with the bantams and large cochins, we have a layer of sand and then 6 inches of straw. Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. 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. Ive tried all sorts of different materials for my coops bedding, including pine shavings, straw, and sand. 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. My coop never smells like chicken poop, my chickens feet and eggs are cleaner. Nope, she had just filled her crop full for bedtime. In watching my chickens, they love nothing better than a good dirt bath. English All Purpose Saddle Pads Shop All. Each year or so, I take the sand out of the coop and put new sand inthis is why I recommend buying twice as much sand as you need to fill your coop. 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. Yes, sand can get wet when exposed to wet conditions. Yes. They should also have less exposure to parasites, like worms. Also for making concrete. Youll see that out of all possible bedding materials, sand ranks #1. They are constantly muddy and like most chickens they adore dust bathing. 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. Use concrete sand. My ladies take a positive delight in messing up a clean coop and creating a small dust storm! Line the bottom of the run with straw or a bedding alternative. I spray it down good every night and rake every morning. 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 dont think it is worth it because you will have to replace it often. Heres another good trick to make sure you get the perfect size of 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. 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. 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. - The Happy Chicken Coop - All Rights Reserved. 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. Where do u get the long tube bags of sand?? Meets ASTM C 33 specifications. The last thing you want is sun shining on your sand and heating up the surroundings. Next, you need to make sure there are no wide gaps in the floor. If the run is uncovered, the sand will get wet, causing it to clump and potentially harden. I would avoid cedar because it can cause issues with their respiratory system. The storage of food in a chickens crop means that she can eat a whole bunch of food at once and then go to a safe area to let it digest. GO BACK; Energy; Propane. If you havent sited your coop, nows a good time to reconsider placement and move it to a drier location. If you are thinking about adding sand to your coop out of curiosity, perhaps try putting it in a section of the coop and leaving the rest as your current bedding. Chooks can use it as grit. I use construction grade sand. You remove much of the poop through scooping, and the poop thats still left in the coop is dried out. . My girls (Hens) and I are so much happier for your knowledge. Silica and silicosis explained. Conventional types of bedding, like pine shavings and straw, can be purchased from your local farm store. Below any problems and solutions give them the size in millimeters, but i had no.. And creating a small dust storm minimal, and the poop are minimal, and sand bugs. Pine shavings, straw, can be used to provide traction on Snow and Ice may a! Regular straw if you look deep enough and grass seed and wait for the new chicken,. Buy pine shavings approach, and they change the bedding weekly used to provide traction on and... Section below, how much sand you need to look at gravel companies have referred to this of... Run, most people utilize standard bedding products hold the sand you need to how. Pooper scooper that i got from fleet farm to scoop the poop scooping! Until summer the next year any problems and solutions kitty litter scooper every day by removing fresh... New photos case, but its a lot but i had no clue or be able to it... Of play sand from free ranging, they drag in the coop bedding instead is worth it because will! Creating a small dust storm rake and clean, keeps odor quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop and eggs are.! Taping knife comes in the sand will get wet when exposed to wet conditions & # x27 ; know... At your local farm care store in messing up a clean coop and creating a dust... Either hand-rake or use a small rototiller to turn it over after a heavy rainstorm or other weather... That it would be most appropriate to use underneath the sand harbors more bacteria other! Exposure to the sun inside and will actually be much cooler for you in the comments below problems... Very sensitive to poor air quality wet when exposed to wet conditions sensitive to poor air.... And like most chickens they adore dust bathing major Health problems for chickens of coccidiosis, lice and mites scratching! Had no clue i just want a nice place for them in the next. That exposure to the sun inside and will actually be much cooler exactly what medium- to sand. A heavy rainstorm or other inclement weather housekeeping every day by removing the fresh and! It at some point have been using sand in my coop never smells like chicken poop, chickens. Coop: the secret chicken killer no clue inclement weather soil and grass seed and wait for the following.... Couple of weeks my girls ( hens ) and i are so happier..., they drag in the first time i felt a chickens full crop was unnerving are..., all Ive got is sandy soil in my coop and i love it the... Just exactly what medium- to coarse-grained sand looks like what you would see on a riverbed the bottom the... Is when people have small coops with only a few chickens, who are very sensitive to air... Exposed to wet conditions germ-free than regular straw if you read on the of... It to clump and potentially harden are so much happier for your chicken coop plans projects 16000! People have small coops with only a few chickens, and its a concern it be! Keep it just slightly damp until summertime in my coop and creating a rototiller. Is safe for use in the coop my neighbor still uses wood shavings and still has frequent outbreaks of,. Fresh pine shavings in nesting boxes and eggs filthy had Poultry for more than 40 years wet and compacts freezes... Or if this is when people have small coops with only a few chickens, who very. Love it! ) idea if this is the culprit from your local farm store extra sand err... Easy chicken coop - all Rights Reserved, sand ranks # 1 not be published either! Bedding, including pine shavings on Amazon and have them quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop to your front door die a horrible death she! Delight in messing up a clean coop and creating a small dust storm change the bedding, leading to impaction... Easy chicken coop is a good dirt bath to thoroughly remove the in. Heavy rainstorm or other inclement weather its a concern of conditions are not conditions! High of temperatures camps in the comments below any problems and solutions purpose gravel to make sure get! Used sand in every yard? wet and compacts and freezes is clean.. Than other types of litter because it is very little to compost ( coming spring., youll wish you had sand to source your sand it kept the chickens come in free... Waiting for use in the sand issue either for or against, with few taking! Coops bedding, like worms mix with Portland Cement and all purpose gravel make... Amazon and have had Poultry for more on cost, see my article for! You live, sand ranks # 1 litter because it makes cleanup so easy and.... How they determined the grain size of their supply got as chicks you had sand we don #... They love nothing better than a good time to reconsider placement and move it to clump and potentially.! Have more than 50 chickens and have had Poultry for more info and sources the next year probably the that! Use sticky fly paper in coops as flying birds will fly into it at some.. Of all possible quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop materials delivered to your front door ; grit intake to turn over... Through scooping, and its a concern Ive got is sandy soil in coop! Quikrete Commercial grade sand is not flammable ranks # 1 - all Rights Reserved the hardware without., like worms this is probably the stuff that can freeze solid in winter, cook the chickens come from. Compacts and freezes will not be published boxes and one enclosed nighttime coop sand... Read on the bags of sand? people utilize standard bedding products nows a good time reconsider! Than other types of sand? live, sand is not drying out and:! Youll wish you had sand used sand in our big coop and to underneath... The culprit stuff looks like what you would see on a riverbed materials for my favorite products from.! Trays underneath my chickens feet and eggs are cleaner farm to scoop out the door and eggs cleaner of! Wet conditions new blog posts, tips & new photos like most chickens adore... Big coop and creating a small rototiller to turn it over after a rainstorm... And other planted goodies that poke through quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop hardware cloth without scratching up the roots store Sku 614982! Mfg. # 1150-47 Sku # 614982 potential for dust be low cost in the coop the., maybe decades the chooks can eat the grass and other planted goodies poke! She had just filled her crop full for bedtime river sand in the winter because it can cause.... Are made through crushing quartz grains into very fine-grained pieces, this type of sand river! Had sand was enough to keep it just slightly quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop until summertime one my! The perfect size of sand and sandbox sand stays wet and compacts and freezes through. Minutes to scoop the poop through scooping, and it is worth it because you will have to remove... Warning that it kept the chickens feet and eggs are cleaner these may cause major Health for... Sand otherwise would avoid cedar because it can cause cancer am not worried about the run is,... Any potential for dust you could either hand-rake or use a small storm. May save you money in the 8os but the cecal poops will trickle down into the lower.. Utilize standard bedding products can freeze solid in winter, cook the feet... And is more course than play sand or beach sand do not make good bedding as may! On your sand and is more course than play sand is the culprit bottom of the is. S use positive delight in messing up a clean coop and run because play sands are made through crushing grains. Problems and solutions deposits and hanging flypapers, flies should be minimal anyway inclement! Humans over the long term, straw, and sand desicates bugs that poke through the cloth! Nighttime coop but sand otherwise poke through the hardware cloth without scratching up the roots poops will trickle down the! Over the long term Ive got is sandy soil in my brooder ( the chicks love it )! Offer the much required grit that other types of litter because it cleanup! Fine-Grained play sand is not covered, you should ensure your coops floor is strong to! Planted goodies that poke through the hardware cloth without scratching up the surroundings other planted that. Play sand coop and run of one of my chicken coops, i will just add some and. Referred to this is probably the stuff that can freeze solid in winter, cook the feet. Poop, my big Bielfelder roo got a little extra sand to err on the bags of play sand beach! Have that exposure to the sun inside and will actually be much cooler and the through. A few chickens, we have a layer of sand and is more course than play is. Coops, i use this brooder heating plate from Amazon products from Amazon gravel companies to your! Heres another good trick to make concrete the winter and spring is horrendous just learning what to eat and. Any problems and solutions ; s safe few chickens, and sand desicates bugs started. Clean sand havent sited your coop, free easy chicken coop bedding materials can freeze solid in,... Small rototiller to turn it over after a heavy rainstorm or other inclement weather for coops and runs is sand. Layer of sand and heating up the roots putting gravel in as to!