sand or no sand

[bs372280]

I was wondering if anyone put sand in there dirt lots that there showcattle lay in.  When we take are cattle out of the cooler we put them in individual dirt lots.  I have quite a bit of sand to get rid of.  I was wondering about the pros and cons of doing it.  Will sand get stuck in there hair and hurt it more than it does good?  Thanks for any responses.

 

[ruhtram]

I know sand is cooler than dirt and wouldn't  be as dirty when its wet, but I'm not sure how hard it is to keep it out of their hair

 

[brs5]

I cant imagine its anything that a blower couldn't remove, but ive never tried it.

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

sand with cedar fiber bedding on top. Sand helps to drain an dry fast, cedar fiber to keep them clean and looking their best.

 

[ruhtram]

sand with cedar fiber bedding on top. Sand helps to drain an dry fast, cedar fiber to keep them clean and looking their best.

Might get a little pricey if using cedar fiber in the dirt lots jmo

 

[MCC]

Sand is ok and you can wet it down it hot weather to make it cooler BUT it can be hard to blow out. Plan on spending more blower time especially if your cattle have hair.

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

I like to dig out the stalls every summer getting down to the black clay that will turn all kinds of nasty. Fill them back in with the sand that was delivered to the barn for about $100 for about 12 yards so that's pretty cheap for the sand. The Cedar fiber bedding is a lot more efficient compared to pine shaving or wood chips which will actually bio-degrade into a dirt like substance a lot quicker than the cedar fiber. So you don't have to completely take all the shavings out of the stall every month ya know cause the cedar fiber just doesn't bio-degrade but just add a bag or two maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Plus I have seen a lot better condition of the hair, the cedar fiber has natural oils that helps to keep the hair more moisturized compared to the sand which just dries them out and creates split ends. So with the initial filling of the stall with about $60 in cedar fiber plus about another $60 added throughout the year. I would say that i have about $150 invested in each 10x12 stall per year including sand cost . 

 

[firesweepranch]

Missouri state fair has sand as bedding, and all I can say is YUCK! Most people will tell you they hate it. It is hard to blow out, and seems to make them dry skinned.

 

[ruhtram]

I like to dig out the stalls every summer getting down to the black clay that will turn all kinds of nasty. Fill them back in with the sand that was delivered to the barn for about $100 for about 12 yards so that's pretty cheap for the sand. The Cedar fiber bedding is a lot more efficient compared to pine shaving or wood chips which will actually bio-degrade into a dirt like substance a lot quicker than the cedar fiber. So you don't have to completely take all the shavings out of the stall every month ya know cause the cedar fiber just doesn't bio-degrade but just add a bag or two maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Plus I have seen a lot better condition of the hair, the cedar fiber has natural oils that helps to keep the hair more moisturized compared to the sand which just dries them out and creates split ends. So with the initial filling of the stall with about $60 in cedar fiber plus about another $60 added throughout the year. I would say that i have about $150 invested in each 10x12 stall per year including sand cost . 

Thats not bad price wise plus bs372280 already has the sand.

bs372280 how big are your turn out lots?

 

[ruhtram]

Missouri state fair has sand as bedding, and all I can say is YUCK! Most people will tell you they hate it. It is hard to blow out, and seems to make them dry skinned.

I thought it was fairly hard to get out on long haired / nappy haired cattle

 

[bs372280]

Each individual lot is 18x75

 

[ruhtram]

Each individual lot is 18x75

Might be a little expense covering the whole lot with cedar fiber..

I would keep your lots dirt

 

[Freddy]

sOME OF THE SHOW PEOPLE that i have talked to said sand would cut the hair off I suppose they meant when you blew it out of the hair it would damage it ...Just what I heard, the cedar fiber on top of it would work good but you want to wet it down horughly and have at least six inches ...
tHE CUSTOMEERS i HAVE SAY THEY WILL GET 7 weeks or more out of FIBER and the regular chips about a week ,maybe ...The chips you buy are already full of moisture ,fiber will soak up a great amount of water ....We use the the 2 cubic ft . bags and when putting it in the pen just set sacks where we want it and then stick garden hoose in hole in the top corner of the bag... Let the water run till it bust the bottom of the sack or comes out the top ,remove the sack,you wont move it ,it will weigh 3 X what it started at ..  On hot days you can feel the moisture rising from the Fiber, wet and clean every day ,don't have a   high ceiling ,or best  have a air conditioned room...The size of your lots proably won't work .....

 

[bs372280]

I'm not sure if a few of you get my post these lots are the dirt runs that they run in at night.  I put cedar fibers in my cooler and at night they get turned out on dirt lots that I am thinking about putting sand in. 

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

ohhhh, put the sand in. With the black clay if i let them out in the mud it will stick to their leg hair and dry. If i turn them out without washing the dried mud off their legs it will rip the hair right off the leg when their legs sink in the mud and try to pull it back out because it has something to grab like a piece of dried mud from the previous night.

 

[vc]

If you are using it fill wet areas, i would use it and put wood chips over it, if you are planning on covering the whole run with it, I would be leery of the sand. It can damage the hair as the lay down and get up, plus who ever is doing the clipping may hate you if you cant get it all out. Now if you raised show pigs it is supposed to be the best thing to put in their pens, builds muscle and is easy on the joints. Not knowing what is in your pen, it could still be better than some other soils, we have red clay and it can be tough getting out of colored cattle. Took 3 washing to get out of the York pigs legs, we had white pigs with red legs until we put a foot of sand down.