Sand needs to be evaluated on commercial broiler farms to confirm research results before it can be adopted by the industry. Some on-farm testing has been conducted in Alabama, and birds reared on sand had similar performance compared with birds grown in houses having pine shavings. It has not been determined how many flocks can be reared on 300 tons of sand before it needs to be replaced. Economic budgeting would suggest that sand could pay for itself in about 18 months. Sand also may offer the flexibility of marketing litter in markets such as golf courses, sod farms, and a horticultural media for the production of landscaping plants.
Early results do indicate that sand appears to be a viable litter source for broilers.
Litter quality, broiler performance, and processing measurements have not been not adversely affected by sand compared with pine shavings in a research environment. Questions still unanswered relate to the amount of sand placed in a broiler houses and the duration that it can be used without affecting broiler performance. Future field research is needed to help answer these questions and to determine more reliably the practical application of this material as a litter source.