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Switched from deep litter to sand bedding and wow what a difference
I used pine shavings for two years in my coop in upstate New York and was constantly fighting ammonia smells and wet spots. Last month I finally tried a 4 inch layer of play sand from the hardware store for $5 a bag. The sand dries out way faster and I just scoop the poops like a litter box now. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed their hens feet stay cleaner?
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blairwhite3mo agoTop Commenter
oh man same here, I was so sick of pine shavings turning into a wet moldy mess after a week. The sand is a game changer for sure, my girls' feet are way cleaner and the coop actually smells like... nothing most days. Only downside is it gets heavy when you need to change it all out, but totally worth it.
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hugow301mo ago
@blairwhite I gotta push back on the sand thing. Tried it for a season and my girls ended up with respiratory issues from the dust. Misting helps a little but then you're back to the moisture problem you were trying to avoid. The deep litter method with hemp or rice hulls doesn't smell bad either if you actually manage it right - lay down fresh stuff every week and turn it. Sand gets heavy as hell when you're hauling it out too. Not worth the hassle for me.
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Yeah, the "coop smells like nothing" part is what got me. I did the switch last winter in my 8x10 coop and it's unreal how much less work it is. But here's my question - are you noticing the sand staying too dusty when it dries out completely? I had that problem after a few weeks and started misting it lightly with a spray bottle before I stir it up. Just curious if that's a common thing or if I'm doing something wrong with how deep I have it.
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