Cleanliness

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GYSOT

GYSOT

In the Brooder
Oct 30, 2016
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Ok so this coop is a mess, this was on the property when we bought a house. Do I need to scrape all of this mess out (2in deep buildup of who knows what) and start off with fresh straw? It seems to be helping hold in the heat that's for sure.
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oh wow! it may be easier to put a new floor in! I would be worried about disease and your chickens. I would have gutted and sprayed everything.
 
Well I just bought this house and the chicken coop was already on the property. I haven't even moved in yet. I've already planned on expanding the coop but I've got to get moved into the house and my tools out of storage. I feel we have to many chickens and not enough room. The coop is 6x8 and there are 20 of them.

So should I just start shoveling it all out and clean out the nesting boxes? What should I spray it down with?
 
Oh joy! Lots of terrific compost there!

Okay. Now I'm going to be very serious. Don't even stir that mess up without wearing a very well fitted dust mask. Hanta virus, aspergilliosis, and plenty of lung destroying dust are real risks. Chickens have even more sensitive respiratory systems, so it goes without saying that it needs to be shoveled and cleaned out. But please do not expose your chickens to the premises without doing some smart things first.

I just got through posting on another thread where someone had just bought a farm and was facing something similar, but with the addition of a live flock of semi feral chickens that had never been properly cared for. I recommended feces samples be sent to a lab to identify the presence of Marek's or other contagious diseases that linger active in the soil and premises sometimes for very long periods and can be passed on to a new flock inhabiting the site. I urged this should be done before introducing any new chickens.

The reason I urge this is because my flock was infected with an avian leukemia virus somewhere along the way, perhaps even in the very beginning when I adopted two adult hens from a friend that had a coop that looked exactly like the photos you've posted. Now the disease is in my flock and I can't get rid of it.

Before you invite the same kind of heartache I've experienced, please take the time and spend a nominal amount of $$ and collect some feces and soil samples and send them to a lab for a quick test so you will know what you're dealing with.
 
azygous said:
Oh joy! Lots of terrific compost there!

Okay. Now I'm going to be very serious. Don't even stir that mess up without wearing a very well fitted dust mask. Hanta virus, aspergilliosis, and plenty of lung destroying dust are real risks. Chickens have even more sensitive respiratory systems, so it goes without saying that it needs to be shoveled and cleaned out. But please do not expose your chickens to the premises without doing some smart things first.

I just got through posting on another thread where someone had just bought a farm and was facing something similar, but with the addition of a live flock of semi feral chickens that had never been properly cared for. I recommended feces samples be sent to a lab to identify the presence of Marek's or other contagious diseases that linger active in the soil and premises sometimes for very long periods and can be passed on to a new flock inhabiting the site. I urged this should be done before introducing any new chickens.

The reason I urge this is because my flock was infected with an avian leukemia virus somewhere along the way, perhaps even in the very beginning when I adopted two adult hens from a friend that had a coop that looked exactly like the photos you've posted. Now the disease is in my flock and I can't get rid of it.

Before you invite the same kind of heartache I've experienced, please take the time and spend a nominal amount of $$ and collect some feces and soil samples and send them to a lab for a quick test so you will know what you're dealing with.
Click to expand...


Well I'm definitely not going to introduce any new birds into the flock. This is my first experience with chickens so I'm just getting my head wrapped around all of this. The previous owners of the home have had these chickens for 5 years and never had any issues eating the eggs.

So with it getting cold at night and short days how can I get all of this cleaned out without exposing them to all of the mess? Also what should I do with all of it? I've got 2 Great Danes that I don't want to get sick from them.
 
Wear a N95 dust mask or better (available in paint departments) and shovel it all out, either to a distant compost heap, or better yet, to a gardening neighbor's compost heap. Then see if any coop repairs need to happen, and move forward. you have room for ten or so standard birds, not twenty. Maybe it's time to cull the group, either totally, or down to the best of the group. If these are 'inherited' chickens, who knows how healthy the group is? Some testing is a good idea; check with your state veterinary path lab, ag extension, or some good source, and see what tests can be run. Mary
 
Sorry for the noob questions but what should I spray it down with afterwards to kill anything left over from cleaning it out?

Also I plan on building another coop. This one is in poor shape with holes all in the side walls and such.

I'll look into composting it. There is a garden there as well that could use it.
 
Last edited:
This is a very good article, it explains why and also gives some tips on cleaning hen houses.

http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2014/04/07/cleaning-and-disinfecting-your-poultry-house/

Decontaminating your poultry house is crucial in order to prevent Marek’s disease, mycoplasma, respiratory viruses, E.coli, mites, and other poultry health problems. Even more important is the control of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), especially in laying hens. There is also issues with Parasites, like mites lice cocci etc.


Good Luck, and CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW HOME!!!









@BantyChooks
 

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