In this post, I will discuss why sand is SUPERIOR in the coop, and how to reap the most benefits from this bedding alternative.
So, why sand?
Sand can be a huge asset in the chicken coop. Especially when it comes to drainage, smell, and even health benefits for the chickens.
We have tried straw and sand. Between the two, sand always wins, unless we are insulating the chicken coop for the winter, which even then we use both!
Why sand ROCKS!
- Sand drains extremely well and does not hold scent as much as straw does. Wet straw is gross, clean sand is SO much better.
- Sand is clean and critter free. No more worrying about some animal lurking in the straw to surprise you. With sand, you can scan the coop to see if there are any visitors. Not to mention that dust mites and lice do not favor sand as compared to straw.
- Sand can help exfoliate your chicken’s feet, preventing bumblefoot. This is a common problem where chicken’s feet can become enlarged and swollen from bacterial infections when the foot stays damp for a long period of time. This can get worse when chicken feces get involved.
- Sand can also be beneficial for chickens that need “dirt baths” or “dust baths”. Chickens don’t need water to clean themselves. Instead, they use sand, dirt, or dust to help exfoliate their feathers and clean any debris lodged or caked into them.
- Sand makes gathering and cleaning eggs easier. Read here on how to clean and and store fresh eggs. No more straw stuck to eggs or eggs hiding under a pile of straw. Sand for the win!
How to choose sand
Ideally, pea gravel sized sand with fine particles mixed in would be the best sand to use. Enter, river sand.
River sand is perfect because it is naturally occurring and the particles are more smooth than construction sand.
Unfortunately, we could not find river sand in my area. So, we opted for “all-purpose sand”, which we buy from our local Menard’s store. All-purpose sand is comprised of both larger and smaller particles of sand, leading to a texture similar to river sand.
How much sand do I need?
In the chicken coop, the enclosure that closes off and houses the nesting boxes and roosts, we aim for 1-3 inches deep of sand.
In the chicken run, the enclosure that closes off and goes around the outside of the chicken coop, (typically with a roof and mesh netting to keep critters out), we aim for 6+ inches of sand.
For our chicken run, under the 6+ inches of sand, we have 1/4 inch mesh wire running below the whole area of the coop. This is to provide the best drainage that we can for the sand. This also prevents any critters from digging up into our chicken run and coop.
Below is an image of our coop. The occasional straw piece is from when we cleaned the coop out in the spring. A piece or two will always stick around! The eggs were just collected in this image, too. Our girls do not lay outside of the nesting boxes. Pretty impressive!
Cleaning the Sand
To clean the sand in the chicken coop, we use a kitty litter scoop.
Nothing fancy! Just a plain old blue plastic kitty litter scoop.
We clean the coop and run everyday. We do this to ensure our girls are in their best health. For anyone that has owned chickens, you know the coop can get out of hand quickly if it is neglected!
If you live in a very wet climate, keep an eye out for sand that is beginning to mold. This can happen around the food and water containers, and can lead to some gross smells and bad times.
When this happens for us, we rake, or shovel, out all of the affected sand. Move out any food pieces, or any other particles around the area. Try to remove as much affected as possible.
Next we add fresh sand, which you will have to do every six months to a year. We typically only need to add a few bags here and there after the initial sand setup haul.
A way to keep on top of sand molding is to move it around frequently. Chickens do a great job of scratching it up and throwing it around. However, you may need to rake it every other week to move the sand around even more.
This helps to further aerate the sand. This helps keep it clean and pristine (almost) for your girls! To help with any smell, although rare, we add diatomaceous earth powder. We find that it helps take the gross smells away, repels lurking flies, and makes our girls less prone to fleas, lice, and other-not-awesome-for-us-to-deal-with bugs!
Diatomaceous earth is great for including in dirt baths, too. We add it to dirt baths, directly to the chicken run, or even sprinkle some directly on our chickens, too! This stuff is wonderful.
Help your chickens “rock out!” Get some sand!
Sand is initially a larger investment than straw or hay. But this investment will definitely pay off in the long run for time spent cleaning the coop, time spent dealing with infections or pests, and much more. Plus, it is very aesthetically pleasing, which never hurts the eyes!
I hope sand works wonders for your family and your flock!
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