The ammonia in my coop got to a high level because certain types of bacteria flourish on damp bedding and release ammonia. I visited the gravel company to see what they had available. A regular, enclosed coop wont have that exposure to the sun inside and will actually be much cooler. I suspect this is the same for chickens as they have very sensitive respiratory systems. Hi all, Where do u get the long tube bags of sand?? . I also have MANY other kinds of animals. Mix with Portland Cement and All Purpose Gravel to make concrete. For more on cost, see my section below, How much does sand bedding for your chicken coop cost? Test it out and see how it works for you and your birds before committing to the new type better. Available in: 50 lb. Pallet **Product production varies by plant. And if your coop is in an area with extremely poor drainage and prone to flooding, make sure to buy or build one that is elevated up on legs, like one of my coops pictured below: A chicken coop elevated on legs is a good model for areas with poor drainage. I walked into the coop one morning and the smell of ammonia was overpowering. As always, do your research ahead of time. let CurrentYear = new Date().getFullYear() It just felt noticeably cooler and the sand was cooler to the touch. 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. They had no idea what I was talking about. 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. If it doesnt, I will just add some soil and grass seed and wait for the following spring. Another person mentioned the possibility of sand fleas. 1963). Meets ASTM C 33 specifications Product Features: Washed, dried and sanitized Use for sandbox, garden, litter box, traction and weight sand Great as base mate . So why risk it? QUIKRETE Premium Play Sand (No. Sand in my coop has almost completely solved this problem. Liquids drain into sand. Having coarse grained particles, it can be used in chicken coops but cannot be perfect for dust bathing. In the little coop, with the bantams and large cochins, we have a layer of sand and then 6 inches of straw. Although sand may save you money in the long run, it may be expensive in the short run. QUIKRETE All-Purpose Sand (No. With their coop on concrete, I opted to only put a box of sand in their coop and leave the floor bare. They just call it tube sand. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The delivery cost me $90. This is because the sand is blocking the passageway out of the crop. We use two bug zappers just outside the coops and the flies die and fall, making fun crispy snacks for the girls in the morning. As an added bonus, its really fun! As a mix of smalll pebbles and coarse sand. Believe it or not, Amazon sells bagged straw for coops as well! In a worst-case scenario, this could cause your sand to freeze. Simply laying sand on top of mud may disguise the problem for a year or so. 1961), medium (No. None of them have all of these qualities. All-purpose sand may initially sound exactly like that: made for ALL purpose. Let's stay updated! 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. 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. I worry that the sand may have some pathogens in it from these wild animals and open range livestock. Even though we barely get rain here, the dew that collected overnight was enough to keep it just slightly damp until summertime. It also comes pre-washed, making it a safer choice. I wish I had thought to measure the temperature difference before and after the sand so that I could give you actual numbers, but I didnt. Quikrete is all-purpose sand and is more course than play sand. The chickens looked much less miserable in the coop. Youll also want to prepare the ground under your coop and run, so that its higher than the area around it. Im loving my chickens more as a result of what I learn here. This means that the grains can compact easilythere is a lot less pore space, and when the grains get wet, they are very cohesive. 50 lb. Its up to you to look carefully at each one and decide if it is valid. Consider using straw instead, and either use the deep litter method or replace the bedding frequently. As I mentioned above, when I used other types of bedding in my coops, my chickens always had poop on their feet. Sand bedding is great for chickens because its: Cleans chickens feet (and therefore you have cleaner nesting boxes and eggs), Conducive to lower moisture conditions and therefore less frostbite. You cant keep your coop dryas I mentioned above, some people said they had sand in their coop that somehow got wet and then froze in the cold weather. Sand doesnt hold moisture the same way organic bedding does, and because of this, you dont need to worry as much about mold and ammonia. The following sections detail all these fantastic features of sand bedding. 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. I use this brooder heating plate from Amazon in my brooder (the chicks love it!). 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. Model # 115022 Store SKU # 1000739637 General use sand. Another concern has to do with heating a sand-filled brooder. 50-Pound PowerLoc Gray Jointing Sand Mfg.# 1150-47 Sku# 614982. No studies have been done on chickens. 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. It did seem great for a lot of reasons you listed but the down side was I couldnt keep out ants, and food was getting mixed in that made it hard to get out & I worry of them eating old spoiled food. Eventually, the sand will sink into the mud necessitating new sand. Claire. 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. 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. 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. Use straw, hay, or something similar to cover the flooring and nest boxes. What makes a good litter? We will be getting our pullets soon. For example, play sand (see my section on play sand above) isnt good for coops, and neither is any sand that has been exposed to high bacteria levels, such as from areas of standing water. But there are also plenty of anecdotes where play sand has caused major problems. The reason crop impaction is a much more serious problem with play sand than larger-grained and mixed-grained sand is because play sand is composed of grains that are very fine and of similar size. I use sand here in the Mohave dessert and I love it. Effectively disguising it, young chicks might ingest a lot of poop, leavingthem susceptible to coccidiosis. Conclusion Ill first test that the heating plate doesnt make the sand too hot, and if it doesnt, Ill use the flamethrower on the sand to kill any pathogens. In my smaller coops, I use just a regular kitty litter scooper every day. Quikrete. QUIKRETE all-purpose sand is a washed, properly graded coarse sand with multiple uses. 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. Dry sand will often do that, wet sand normally not. Im hoping to see Eggs in September. Theres not much in between. We live in a very sandy soil area so our run has excellent drainage. Cat litter scoop cleans out solids in coop, rake in run . Theres very little in the way of pathogens that can survive those high of temperatures. Ive found that sand by far exceeds the other types of bedding when it comes to whats best for my chickens. I have been using river sand in my coop and run. Youll need to look at gravel companies to source your sand. A common use is pea gravel. 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. Thanks! This stuff looks like what you would see on a riverbed. I take the top layer of straw off every week and turn the rest. 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. All Star Tube Sand 1159-75 All-Star Mason Sand DOT Concrete Stand - Bulk SR92008 River Cobble Paver Locking Sand Industrial Handysand Lava Rock / Scoria 54341 Product Use: Siliceous aggregates for use in construction See most current revision of this document at www.QUIKRETE.com. 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? If you decide to use sand, make sure it is the right type. Ive tried all sorts of different materials for my coops bedding, including pine shavings, straw, and sand. The chickens walk through the sand to get to the nesting boxes, and the poop and mud either come off completely in the sand (and I scoop it out), or it at least dries a lot. You dont get the smells with sand that you do with straw, pine shavings, and the like, because the sand isnt breaking down. This is why you really need to see the sand in person before buying. Cheers! And a word of cautioneven if you find sand with the names above, make sure you look at the sand before purchase. Having fewer flies around the coop would be nice. Table of Contents And also keep in mind that this sand will last me for years, so in the long run, its much cheaper than buying organic bedding Id have to replace every 2 weeks to a month. The pro folks seem to enjoy the cleanliness of the sand-type run. Im in the Mojave desert too. Stay away from play sand. What is the best bedding for chicken coops? BOM UNIT SIZE UNIT WEIGHT PACK QUANTITY PACK WEIGHT PACK TYPE 105521 50 lb. Peat moss for chicken coop bedding: Amazing or dangerous? If you decide to use sand, as always, do your homework and choose the correct item(s) for the project you have in mind. Your chicks are just learning what to eat, and they may eat the bedding, leading to crop impaction and death. My sweet Barred Rock hen, Wilma, and the girls enjoy their clean sand in the coop! You can see that the silica sand contains tiny pebbles that allow this sand to drain really well. Love your book and read the blog often. 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. Please contact your salesperson for product availability in your location** Printable Info I described how gross this is with moister types of bedding that break down, like pine shavings, and how sand makes a world of difference. This prompted us to look at the positives and negatives of using sand as a bedding material in the coop and run. Quickrete general purpose sand is a washed, properly graded coarse sand with multi-purpose uses. Although there are some treatments for crop impaction if caught in time, you want to avoid this condition at all costs. . Thank you! Do not use play sand in your coop as its very dangerous for your chickens. 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. But this is a coop maintenance problem more than a sand problem. This meant I couldnt put the sand in the coop. Still shavings in nesting boxes and one enclosed nighttime coop but sand otherwise. The initial setting up of a sand-based coop and/or run is probably the most time-consuming and expensive part of the process not to mention heavy work. 1113) is safe for use in sand boxes intended for children's use. (construction sand on the floor). . 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. 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. We use washed construction sand in our big coop and I LOVE it. You will need to remove all the sand from your coop and use the flamethrower to thoroughly flush your sand. Jacks. If you are using electricity in your coop, theres always a chance of fire. Nope, she had just filled her crop full for bedtime. feel free share . All Purpose Sand (Quikrete) All-purpose sand is ideal as it has the right texture and size. 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. To fill my 10x10 coop with 3.15 cubic yards of sand, I spent about $20 for the sand. Apparently, even the experts cant agree! 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. For anywhere from $10-$20 you can get an entire truckload of sand from a quarry. If not, could I mix it with dirt to make it ok? Below are suggestions on when and why to use sand for gardening: It also can be hazardous to humans over the long term. That did the trick. This was suggested by the hatchery that my chickens are coming from. 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. Thank goodness for husbands who support your chicken addictions! When a chicken eats something, it sits in her crop before going through the digestive process. Sand is the cleanest type of bedding out there, simply because it doesnt degrade. This stuff is great for the birds' grit intake. It does not smell, tends to be clean, is healthy for chickens. It has some little rocks in it as well. This may cause long-term respiratory problems in your chickens, who are very sensitive to poor air quality. It didnt dry out until summer the next year. Quikrete All-Purpose Sand is a washed, properly graded coarse sand with multi-purpose uses. And, once again, the research also backs this upsand bedding keeps a coop cooler. I really appreciate your articles. Drains well, easy to rake and clean, keeps odor down and eggs cleaner. Required fields are marked *. This year, I plan to cover one of my runs completely and try sand in it. This is because sand has great insulating qualities. 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. Yeah, thats rightdo some research. For the new chicken owner, let me just say something else. However, many gravel companies dont have a special name for the sand. Heres another good trick to make sure you get the perfect size of sand. Im in the process of moving my ladies into the coop from their current home and am planning on using approx 6-8inches of river bank sand for the coop+run bedding. My girls (Hens) and I are so much happier for your knowledge. Also for making concrete. Quikrete All-Purpose Sand Quikrete 50 lb. I have never amended the sand with other products. It only takes a couple minutes to scoop out the poop. Does your chicken coop need to be off the ground? Sand has been used in chicken coops since the last century when it was first used in the California egg industry. Fine-grained play sand or beach sand do not make good bedding as these may cause major health problems for chickens. I saw them at Lowes, but there could be different kinds, I wish I knew what one is ok! Sand solves the problem of a poopy coop. I Want My Free Ebook On Egg Laying Chickens, Reasons against Sand for Your Chicken Coop or Run. Can Sand Get Wet in Chicken Coop? 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. The bantams do fine too. It doesnt take long. Is this a good plan? The Chicken Chick, however, has used sand in her run for years. No, theyll dust bathe in the coop bedding instead. Some people, however, use sand as a flooring material. Quikrete 865005 Stucco Crack Repair - 5.5 oz. Just because a bedding material is natural, though, doesnt mean its necessarily better than something more artificial, but I always find its a good place to start when thinking about whats good for your chickens. Its so obvious, but somehow, weve all missed it (or at least most of us have). Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. I scrape the poop into a plastic tote. I also live in a place that has extremely clay-rich soil, which means the mud in the winter and spring is horrendous. Looking to get our first chicks in a couple of weeks. How do I dry this before I put the birds out which I was hoping to be Tomorrow? This material resembles what you might find on a riverbank; it includes various particle size distributions, including tiny pebbles. Any bedding that gets soaking wet is a huge problem. Building Materials Concrete, Cement & Masonry Concrete Mix & Aggregates Concrete Aggregates Customer Reviews for Quikrete 50 lb. 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 Medium- to coarse-grained sand makes excellent chicken coop bedding in coops that do not have drainage problems and do not get wet inside. But the good news is that sand dries up very quickly because it does not retain a lot of moisture for too long. 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.. Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix 10 lb; Quikrete All-Purpose Sand 50 lb; GARBAGE CANS & BAGS Hey everyone! Im not sure how they would feel about sand and pebblesI did ask them, and they were non-committal. No more ant & flies, no more stinky mess & a cleanup job in 5-7 minutes daily. Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance. I wouldnt want it much shallower than that in a large coop. But to give you an idea of how much sand you might need, I needed about 3.15 cubic yards of sand to fill my 10x10 coop to a 4-5 inch depth. My chickens feet are clean and because of the Diatomaceous Earth, free of bugs. 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. Chicken Coops. How I use these supplies is explained in detail below. That fresh bedding smell doesnt last for long though. All-purpose sand is washed and coarse, making it clean and water-retaining. Fine-grained play sand or beach sand do not make good bedding as these may cause major health problems for chickens. If your coop has a floor and is elevated off the ground at least 6 inches, you shouldnt have drainage problems. Replace the paper towels as needed. All-purpose Price: $1 - $5 Bag Weight (lbs. 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. This shovel has holes in it and acts like a giant kitty litter scooper. It really is multipurpose. First, you need to make sure your flooring can hold the sand in the first place. I clean my coop once a day and put in new sand twice a year. Your email address will not be published. The Home Depot sells All-Purpose Sand (115251). The chicken poop clumps up in the sand making scooping super easy, fast, and its true there is WAY less compost to deal with. 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? 5.7 lb Coarse Sand Stone When to Use Sand for Gardening Most plants require well-drained soils in various stages of their growth. Aspen shavings, hemp, or chopped straw may be other options. Let us know how it works for you in the comments below any problems and solutions. Because of this, Ive always felt more comfortable brooding my chicks on fresh pine shavings. We want to get the girls soon. Is it good to use sand in commercial poultry houses? DRY and controllable DRAFT. With lifetime access to this course, you can watch the videos whenever you want and as many times as you please. I have a coop and enclosed run. Composition and Materials: QUIKRETE Commercial grade sand is high quality silica sand. 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. Im about to acquire my first flock. Claire, After reading all the pros and cons, decided to give sand a Go and it has been life changing! All my girls and boys are happy and healthy, I will always use and recommend the right sand. Join More Than 15,000 Chicken Enthusiasts Who Have Already Subscribed. The dust from fine-grained sands may even eventually cause silicosis in your chickens. Therefore, it is suitable for your coop bedding material. Its a range of different sizes. I was thinking to put down some pavers to keep the chickens away from possible wet conditions in the coop. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Clearly, it was time to do something. 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. 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. We throw all our grass clippings, leaves, and the straw from the coops in the run. Sand in your chicken coop is a good question. This is the first year we havent had even one chicken with respiratory issues. on top of the pavers i was thinking 6 of sand. I use about 10 bags of sand and all the old goes in my garden. She says that if the sand does get wet, you just need to turn it with a shovel or a rototiller. 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. Eventually things will settle and gravel will pack in the clay, and the sand base will be more drainable. I guessed the grain size was around 0.5 mm long and up. Just dirt everywhere else. That's two less things you need to worry about. It was not uncommon for me to find several eggs every day with poop smeared on them. Another important notewhen I did put in new pine shavings or straw bedding, my chickens were always so excited about it. Also, this type of sand should not be used in a brooder, in my opinion. Had my chickens for three years without any problems. Sand, on the other hand, is used by certain individuals as a flooring material. The sand itself wasnt that expensive (about $20 to fill my 10x10 coop), but the delivery cost me $100. Obviously, before adding the sand, you should ensure your coops floor is strong enough to support the added weight of the sand. And in the winter, wet sand may freeze. Youll potentially have ammonia problems, mold, bacteria, and lots of frostbite in the winter months. I had to stop by and look at all their piles of different sands. The pictures below show just exactly what medium- to coarse-grained sand looks like. . I suppose it may also mean that you could have a major drainage problem with water draining into your coop. 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. 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. Some people say that their chickens eat more of their own feces when its covered in sand. What can we do? Quikrete is all-purpose sand and is more course than play sand. You cant see or feel the crop when its empty, but the more food and water it has in it, the bigger it gets. If not, the sand could all fall out. Perhaps buy a little extra sand to err on the side of caution. Sand also helps with odors by drying out the poop relatively quickly. Silica and silicosis explained. I honestly dont know what its called otherwise. not enough? Its particularly awful in the winter when theyre mostly confined to the coop. bags plain (BOM #108620) or dried (BOM #105755). Any advice for non free-range chickens would be helpful! A giant pile of sand in front of one of my chicken coops, waiting for use in the coop next year. This doesnt mean that your coop cant still catch on fire, but the chances are much lower with sand compared with anything else. And despite the fact that chickens have wonderful dirt outside for dust bathing, when your girls get that itch to dust bathe, some of them dont want to have to go all the way outside. What size of drainage rock(gravel) would be most appropriate to use underneath the sand? Heres a good tip for you: purchase and move your sand into your coop when the weather is super dry. Pavers to stop the air flow and 6 sand is great, if you can mix with DE here and there for their dust bathing and mite control even better. The girls love to take dust baths. So much easier to clean the chunks out, even the frozen urine only goes so far down and works like clumping cat litter. 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. Roller Chain. You will need to calculate how much sand you need for the given area. Sand is a material that is very natural to chickens. Chickens really prefer to live in clean bedding. You can alternate sand each year. All Concrete and Concrete Tools Cement Mixers Concrete Mix Concrete Patch and Repair Mortar Sand Mix. This stuff is great for the birds grit intake. All our grass clippings, leaves, and either use the deep method... Can not be perfect for dust bathing has extremely clay-rich soil, which means the mud new. 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Just exactly what medium- to coarse-grained sand looks like what you would see on riverbank. ) or dried ( BOM # 108620 ) or dried ( BOM # 105755 ) a and... Far exceeds the other hand, is used by certain individuals as a flooring material because types... Of what I was talking about, tends to be Tomorrow Concrete mix & amp Masonry. Above, make sure it is suitable for your coop when the weather is super dry are coming.. Will settle and gravel will PACK in the long term all Concrete and Concrete Cement. Coarse grained particles, it can be used in chicken coops since the last century when it comes to best! Problems, mold, bacteria, and lots of frostbite in the coop play sand or beach do! Are just learning what to eat, and sand with respiratory issues I plan to cover the flooring and boxes... Materials Concrete, Cement & amp ; Masonry Concrete mix & amp Masonry. Some pathogens in it the chances are much lower with sand compared with anything else there are also plenty anecdotes! Dont have a layer of quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop problem with water draining into your coop bedding material the...