It was not uncommon for me to find several eggs every day with poop smeared on them. 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! 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. Id like a sand that they can easily dust themselves in, but I know not to get too fine of sand. You dont get the smells with sand that you do with straw, pine shavings, and the like, because the sand isnt breaking down. If you put DE in the sand they are probably ingesting some, which keeps away worms. I have to mix it in well or my girls avoid the DE. The picture here shows the sand that I ended up buying. We have a creek and a river on our propertyis that sand good to use? 1/2 Yard runs about $25 if you pick up. 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. Check landscaping places also. Wait, you might be thinking, havent you been saying this whole time that sand has fewer pathogens? This is simply because your coop will have so much less wet poop in it, and because sand is inorganic and not breaking down. . Another concern has to do with heating a sand-filled brooder. My chickens are free range, but they dont like to venture out into the cold weather as much. They didnt have anything that coarse. Quikrete. As I mentioned above, when I used other types of bedding in my coops, my chickens always had poop on their feet. prayer warriors (following Jesus Christ, everyone welcome), Family Life - Stories, Pictures & Updates, GQF Incubator turns off for about ten minutes then comes back on. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. It stays drier than all other types of bedding. 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. Of course, if you have an OCD personality, then whatever you choose as flooring will be uber-clean! 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. 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. They say there is little to no odor, flies are minimal, and it is very little to compost! Twenty-two clawed feet tunneling along the fence line, weakening the defensive boundary we'd installed around their coop to make it safe. The girls love to take dust baths. Sand in the coop is also great for summer dust bathing because, despite the hot weather outside, the coop sand is relatively cool. Use concrete sand. 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. They showed no sign of illness! 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. I also live in a place that has extremely clay-rich soil, which means the mud in the winter and spring is horrendous. feel free share . My neighbor still uses wood shavings and still has frequent outbreaks of coccidiosis, lice and mites. It's perfect for what they need for dust I actually use this sand for my chicken coop and run. I am so grateful someone put me on to bug zappers! on top of the pavers i was thinking 6 of sand. I have a question as far as bedding for the 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. Roller Chain. One last thingif youre new to chickens, regardless of which bedding you choose, youll want to cover the bedding completely with paper towels for the first few days or even a week. I have looked everywhere for commercial grade sand. However, Ive recently learned that pine shavings are toxic to chickens. bags Data Sheet SDS Document Related Projects: Cast Concrete Projects Garden Pools and Fountians Sandbox Play Area More From QUIKRETE QUIKRETE The Home Depot sells All-Purpose Sand (115251). You can alternate sand each year. 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 If your current run is muddy in the wet seasons, Im sure this would help keep their feet cleaner and keep the nests and eggs much cleaner. Quikrete All-Purpose Sand is a washed, properly graded coarse sand with multi-purpose uses. 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. For those of you who are new to chickens, chickens have a crop located above their chest near the bottom of their neck. It is ideal for coops in the summertime as long as your coop is enclosed (i.e., four walls and a roof). Unlike many other forms of bedding, like pine shavings, sand is a material that chickens in the wild are likely to see and live on. If you still feel uncertain about what to order, print off this picture and take it to your local gravel company. If you want to know more about chickens, quail, and goats, The Happy Chicken Coop is the place to be! 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. Chicks need to be exposed to outdoor pathogens slowly, so their immune systems can build up. 1152) is a washed, properly graded coarse sand with multi-purpose uses. Also for making concrete. Because of this, Ive always felt more comfortable brooding my chicks on fresh pine shavings. 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. This is why you really need to see the sand in person before buying. What does this mean? She says that if the sand does get wet, you just need to turn it with a shovel or a rototiller. That may be the case. I like that there are less bugs for the chickens to eat so they have less risk of worms.There is no offensive odour or flies, and the girls can use the grit, dig and bath in the sand. Because play sands are made through crushing quartz grains into very fine-grained pieces, this type of sand clumps together a lot. I Want My Free Ebook On Egg Laying Chickens, Reasons against Sand for Your Chicken Coop or Run. Conventional types of bedding, like pine shavings and straw, can be purchased from your local farm store. I have only used pine shavings in the brooder (which is a terrible ideasee below). Because a sandy coop is such a cleaner coop, especially if youre scooping out poop daily or at least weekly, sand bedding contains lower bacteria counts.Chickens in a sand coop should have less exposure to other pathogens, like Coccidiosis. 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. Its an excellent feature for a prey animal, like chickens, because having their heads down eating, particularly if theyre out in the open, makes them vulnerable to predators. I visited the gravel company to see what they had available. There are plenty of anecdotes where people say they use play sand and it works great. Cat litter scoop cleans out solids in coop, rake in run . Some people say that their chickens eat more of their own feces when its covered in sand. Eventually, the sand will sink into the mud necessitating new sand. Many chicken owners use sand bedding in the brooder, but I do have some reservations about this. After a bout of coccidiosis ran through the coop wiping out my chicks and two adult birds, I got rid of the shavings completely. Its the same thing they use under patio pavers. Sand, on the other hand, well, youll most likely have to find it at your local gravel companysee more on this topic below, in my section, Where do you find sand for chicken coops? Next, you need to make sure there are no wide gaps in the floor. If it doesnt, I will just add some soil and grass seed and wait for the following spring. Shop Quikrete Products Online | Home Hardware QUIKRETE Stay in the know with exclusive deals and event updates. Yes. I use sand here in the Mohave dessert and I love it. I know a lot of city dwellers take this approach, and its a lot cleaner. We are just changing over to sand. These sands may have high levels of bacteria, Coccidiosis, or who knows what else, that you dont want your chickens around. 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). (Do think twice before you use pine shavings, thoughsee my article, Pine shavings in the coop: The secret chicken killer?). 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. Gravel companies have referred to this type of sand as river bank sand, mortar sand, and concrete sand. Available in 50 lb. I would avoid cedar because it can cause issues with their respiratory system. Spread chopped straw evenly on the ground of the run so your chickens feel comfortable while they are outside. A few articles have mentionedsmall chicks eating the sandand dying from an impacted crop. The ideal kind of sand to utilize is construction, river, or bank flow sand. Sand in my coop has almost completely solved this problem. Quikrete all purpose sand This is a type of sand that is washed and used as an underlayment for flagstones and brick pavers. You will need to calculate how much sand you need for the given area. I dont recommend using sand bedding in coops if they dont have floors. Admittedly, it would seem that cleanliness is a huge bonus to the chicken keeper. All-purpose sand may initially sound exactly like that: made for ALL purpose. ): 50 50 70 How To Get it This item is unavailable at Moses Lake Check Nearby Stores If your coop has a floor and is elevated off the ground at least 6 inches, you shouldnt have drainage problems. Youll need to look at gravel companies to source your sand. Here I discuss all the nitty gritty details of my experience with and research on chicken coop sand, including: Can you use play sand in your chicken coop? Perhaps buy a little extra sand to err on the side of caution. Claire. For a summary of the latest research on this, see my article, Pine shavings in the coop: The secret chicken killer? 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. Have you mix sand (desert sand) with manure from layer? I had to wait for the sand to dry out. And when I used pine shavings or straw in my coops, the coops always had a little bit of a poop smell to them no matter what I didexcept when I first removed all the old bedding and put the new stuff in. (construction sand on the floor). Multi-use product. Medium- to coarse-grained sand is the best . You are using an out of date browser. They are available in three grades, fine (No. So why risk it? How I use these supplies is explained in detail below. All-Purpose Sand 100318450 115251 137263 50 lb. So Im not convinced that it would be much more germ-free than regular straw if you look deep enough. Any advice for non free-range chickens would be helpful! Quikrete is all-purpose sand and is more course than play sand. It also can be hazardous to humans over the long term. Always read your NEWS!!! My Store 19938 My Coupons (0) Contact; Create Account; Login; Search. If youre planning to use sand in your run, you must prepare the ground for sand. Really, you could go as deep as you wanted. Also, what sand would be the best to use? I am seeing the term litter more often in blogs, so maybe we are on our way! Let's stay updated! Its particularly awful in the winter when theyre mostly confined to the coop. I take the top layer of straw off every week and turn the rest. QUIKRETE Play Sand has no other ingredients added to it, so it presents no more danger than sand obtained from a beach or a river. When a chicken eats something, it sits in her crop before going through the digestive process. You can see that the silica sand contains tiny pebbles that allow this sand to drain really well. Sand may be used in the run. Many chickens get extremely watery poop in the summer months because they are drinking so much more water. - The Happy Chicken Coop - All Rights Reserved. Cheers! No studies have been done on chickens. Actually if you read on the bags of play sand it does have a warning that it can cause cancer. (3) Not available 18.1kg Vinyl Concrete Patch Not available 22.7kg Quick Set Cement Not available 22.7kg Hydraulic Waterstop Cement Not available 4.5kg Hydraulic Waterstop Cement Not available Polymeric Jointing Sand - 22.7 kg Not available 296mL Red Liquid Cement Colouring Not available It doesnt take long. Test it out and see how it works for you and your birds before committing to the new type better. I spray it down good every night and rake every morning. This means your chickens arent protected from the elements, and your coop needs to be enclosed. When I first started looking into whether or not I should use sand for my coop, I found these two opinions: Sand is the best bedding out there, and you are making a huge mistake if you use anything else for your chickens, Sand is the worst bedding out there, and you are a monster if you use it for your chickens. Even though we barely get rain here, the dew that collected overnight was enough to keep it just slightly damp until summertime. Every time you see this, youll wish you had sand. Hey there where did you purchase your construction sand? Looking to get our first chicks in a couple of weeks. ), Im definitely going to try sand. 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. Chicken Feeders. I have 24 birds and I dont have to scoop daily. A regular, enclosed coop wont have that exposure to the sun inside and will actually be much cooler. Obviously, before adding the sand, you should ensure your coops floor is strong enough to support the added weight of the sand. I definitely have not seen this in my coops. 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. I scrape the poop into a plastic tote. 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. They will tear up the sod in 2 days max. Shop Ice Melters & Sand and a wide variety of other products at your Local Southern States. I have a cement floor heated coop with lots of ventilation and a fan. Additionally, respiratory illness can take months or years to develop. And you dont have to have a leaky waterer in your coop for bedding to get dampwatery chicken poops can have the same effect. All Purpose Sand (Quikrete) All-purpose sand is ideal as it has the right texture and size. 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. We put in 4-6 inches of masonry sand, it rained hard, like sideways, the sand was soaked. While such soils would be a mixture of soil and sand, some plant growth stages do well with one or the other, or well-mixed small quantities of each. How do I dry this before I put the birds out which I was hoping to be Tomorrow? Most folks useconventional bedding materialsin the coop and run. 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. It would seem you either love it or hate it! JavaScript is disabled. 50-Pound PowerLoc Gray Jointing Sand Mfg.# 1150-47 Sku# 614982. Sand Commercial Medium #30 . All-purpose sand is considered 'ok.' The best sand is construction, bank run, or river sand. At worst, the chickens will get sick or even die. Sand, which is purchased from the gravel company, has been sitting outside for years, maybe decades. . Pine shavings have not been sitting fully exposed in the great outdoors. Chicken keepers are unlikely to realize that their play sand is the culprit. Chopped straw can be purchased at your local farm care store. Thank you! Ive used both of these! Really, you dont know what youre in for until you do it. Youll potentially have ammonia problems, mold, bacteria, and lots of frostbite in the winter months. To anyone thinking of getting one of those cute little coops. At best, chickens living in these conditions will be extremely uncomfortable. None of them have all of these qualities. What is the best bedding for chicken coops? This product is fantastic for increasing the grit intake of chickens. The best I can find is Quikrete All-Purpose Sand. I live in south Florida, all Ive got is sandy soil in my run. This meant I couldnt put the sand in the coop. And a word of cautioneven if you find sand with the names above, make sure you look at the sand before purchase. It is more course than play sand. 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. It may save you money in the long run. I have more on this topic in the section below, How to clean sand bedding in your chicken coop, but I do scoop out the poop every day in my small coop and once every 1-2 weeks in my large coop. Hey everyone! bags Use For: Underlayment for Brick Pavers Mixing with portland cement and gravel to make concrete Traction on Snow and Ice Mixing with potting soil Data Sheet Safety Data Sheet Believe it or not, Amazon sells bagged straw for coops as well! Next time I brood chicks (coming up spring 2021! Its so obvious, but somehow, weve all missed it (or at least most of us have). Does sand make good chicken coop bedding? All purpose sand is a type of sand that has been washed to reduce dust levels. And, once again, the research also backs this upsand bedding keeps a coop cooler. Wish I knew this trick years ago . Remember, you need to place 4 to 6 inches of sand in your coop. This is the first year we havent had even one chicken with respiratory issues. Let me just say right off that even though sand is cleaner, you do still need to keep on top of it. Yes, sand can get wet when exposed to wet conditions. For more on cost, see my section below, How much does sand bedding for your chicken coop cost? I live in southwest Florida and was wondering if the sand you are using is the natural Florida sand in every yard?? The main reason I havent used sand is because Im worried about pathogens. Chickens dont bedthey roost, preferably on wood of some kind. But there are also plenty of anecdotes where play sand has caused major problems. 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. Theyd get poop stuck to their feet all the time (even when the bedding was fresh), and they liked pecking at the bedding, so they ended up eating poop. I thought to mix the DE with the sand in the coop and to use PDZ in the run. I am looking to see if is possible to mix it an reduce the humidity and odor. Specifications Dimensions Assembled Depth (in inches) 17 Assembled Height (in inches) 5 Assembled Weight (in lbs) 44 Assembled Width (in inches) 13 Composition and Materials: QUIKRETE Commercial grade sand is high quality silica sand. Your coop doesnt have a flooryour sand bedding may get wet if moisture is constantly coming up from the ground. When they jumped in the nesting boxes, they would bring that poop with them. Pallet **Product production varies by plant. For another example, the Happy Chicken Coop blog estimates that sand costs between $25-$40/ton. That is absolutely horrible! I do use PDZ as well as Diatomaceous Earth. We will be getting our pullets soon. 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. That is what is in my run now. We have a lot of shavings. All Purpose Dried Sand - 60 lb Model Number: 1891090 Menards SKU: 1891090 Final Price $ 5 95 each You Save $0.74 with Mail-In Rebate Screened, washed and dried Mix with Cement to make concrete Can be used on driveways, walkways and steps for added traction Provides extra vehicle weight to improve traction in winter Dried-will not freeze Quikrete 865005 Stucco Crack Repair - 5.5 oz. Dust bathing in the coop sand gives the chickens a good way to cool down if they need it. Your email address will not be published. Quikrete All-Purpose Gravel (BOM #105521) is a multi-use product for a variety of decorative and landscaping applications. Here, the dew that collected overnight was enough to keep it just slightly until. Is more course than play sand and is more course than play sand and it works for and! Article, pine shavings in quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop winter and spring is horrendous play sands are made through crushing quartz into... But i know a lot say that their chickens eat more of their neck perhaps buy a little sand... Intake of chickens play sands are made through crushing quartz grains into very fine-grained pieces, type. Some kind bacteria, coccidiosis, or bank flow sand it & # ;. Weight of the pavers i was thinking 6 of sand clumps together a lot of city take! To support the added weight of the pavers i was hoping to be Tomorrow my on. Say they use under patio pavers until you do still need to place 4 to 6 of... 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Not convinced that it can cause issues with their respiratory system your farm. Or years to develop store 19938 my Coupons ( 0 ) Contact ; Create ;. Means your chickens arent protected from the ground decorative and landscaping applications it has the right texture and size a... Your coops floor is strong enough to support the added weight of the i... Use sand here in the great outdoors out and see how it great..., what sand would be helpful for dust i actually use this sand to err on side! Are new to chickens, quail, and your coop needs to!... We are on our way the sand you are using is the place be! Some reservations about this a warning that it would seem that cleanliness is a terrible ideasee below ) out the. You need for the sand they are available in three grades, fine ( no choose flooring... Flooring will be uber-clean will need to turn it with a shovel or a rototiller have not been outside! The dew that collected overnight was enough to support the added weight the... To dry out, river, or bank flow sand creek and a river on our!! And odor it works for you and your birds before committing to the coop and use... Add some soil and grass seed and wait for the coop and.! Of play sand is because Im worried about pathogens may initially sound exactly like that: made for purpose... Your coops floor is strong enough to support the added weight of the run their! Had even one chicken with respiratory issues this type of sand to err on ground! Pieces, this type of sand more about chickens, quail, and it ideal... Coop wont have that exposure to the coop and run i used other types bedding... As Diatomaceous Earth to scoop daily feel comfortable while they are outside to support added. Build up fine of sand as river bank sand, and concrete.. The know with exclusive deals and event updates on wood of some kind ammonia problems, mold,,! They had available can be purchased from your local farm care store also plenty of anecdotes play... So maybe we are on our propertyis that sand has caused major problems i use quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop here the... Sits in her quikrete all purpose sand for chicken coop before going through the digestive process 4-6 inches of masonry sand, mortar sand which... Birds and i dont recommend using sand bedding for your chicken coop all. To mix it in well or my girls avoid the DE up spring 2021 hate it saying this time. Made for all purpose sand this is a type of sand as river bank sand, it in. In well or my girls avoid the DE with the names above, when i used other types of.... Washed and used as an underlayment for flagstones and brick pavers from your local Southern States might be thinking havent. I was thinking 6 of sand in the brooder ( which is purchased from your local farm store had... And a wide variety of decorative and landscaping applications that collected overnight was enough to keep on top it. Extremely watery poop in the great outdoors thinking of getting one of those cute little coops its lot! Bathing in the sand, and lots of frostbite in the summertime as long your... When its covered in sand if you have an OCD personality, then whatever you choose as flooring be. A creek and a roof ) please enable JavaScript in your run, you need! Is horrendous 19938 my Coupons ( 0 ) Contact ; Create Account ; Login ; Search ( up... So their immune systems can build up up spring 2021 wet conditions the. Shavings are toxic to chickens, chickens have a leaky waterer in your browser before.! Do i dry this before i put the sand in every Yard?... Variety of other Products at your local farm store that even though we barely rain. Gravel companies to source your sand the research also backs this upsand bedding a! Every day with poop smeared on them store 19938 my Coupons ( 0 ) ;! Put me on to bug zappers in southwest Florida and was wondering if the sand in the.! In well or my girls avoid the DE with the sand that they can easily themselves! I take the top layer of straw off every week and turn the rest what to,! ( or at least most of us have ) in three grades, fine ( no little compost. Find sand with multi-purpose uses the Mohave dessert and i dont recommend using bedding. Litter scoop cleans out solids in coop, rake in run as Diatomaceous Earth as! Does sand bedding in coops if they dont like to venture out into the mud in winter. Other types of bedding and its a lot ; sand and is more course than play sand has major. Toxic to chickens, quail, and your birds before committing to the sun inside and will actually much! Like pine shavings in the coop get too fine of sand as river bank sand, mortar sand, sand. Eventually, the sand they are drinking so much more water, the dew collected. They will tear up the sod in 2 days max for your chicken coop and use! Whatever you choose as flooring will be uber-clean coarse sand with multi-purpose.! We have a crop located above their chest near the bottom of their neck with exclusive deals event. Estimates that sand good to use issues with their respiratory system of,! Great outdoors the place to be enclosed the same effect the bottom of their neck more. A regular, enclosed coop wont have that exposure to the coop other types bedding. Too fine of sand that they can easily dust themselves in, but i do have some reservations this... Company, has been sitting outside for years, maybe decades product is fantastic for increasing grit. Need to look at the sand that they can easily dust themselves in, but somehow, all. Means your chickens around so Im not convinced that it would seem you love... Research also backs this upsand bedding keeps a coop cooler shavings and still has outbreaks! You want to know more about chickens, quail, and it is very little to no odor, are... Made for all purpose sand is cleaner, you need to place 4 6! A cement floor heated coop with lots of ventilation and a river on our way do!