How do I DISINFECT my coop after chicken illnesses?

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JRG

JRG

In the Brooder
10 Years
May 10, 2009
18
0
22
We are sadly culling our flock of 14 chickens and 4 guineas tomorrow due to Macroplasmosis G, possible Coryza, pox, you name it. I was told by one of the Ag guys at the university that I needed to put hydrated lime on the coop. I'm not sure if I use Ag lime or hydrated lime? Do I sprinkle it, paint it on, ....? I thought I would be able to just scrap and scoop out poop and then spray with chlorax and water. Our coop is 12'X12' "converted" horse stall with a window and a dirt floor. Any suggestions on how to best kill all traces of sickness in this coop so it is ready for a new batch?

Thanks a ton!
JRG
 
You can use bleach but all organic material has to removed first. Every last bit of visible manure should be removed. I would then add one and a half cups of bleach to every gallon of water (5000 ppm solution) and spray every surface with it and allow to dry.

You can also use hydrated lime (not ag lime or barn lime). Wear a mask and gloves and spread it everywhere, dust it into every nook and cranny and allow to set for a few days. Then just spread some bedding material over it and place new birds.

Allowing a good period of time to elapse before placing new birds helps also. Just waiting two or three weeks can help break any parasitic cycles that would involve lice, mites, worms, etc.
 
Thank you for your suggestions. I am going to get on this right away to keep busy. I knew this would be a hard day.

JRG
 
I'm really sorry about what you are going through. That is very sad
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I'm just wondering, does the lime take care of any disease that is in the bare ground? Does it kill germs like bleach does on harder surfaces? Just curious. Good info for future reference. (Hopefully won't have too.
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Hydrated lime is caustic and works by raising the pH of the treated area to levels that are very inhospitable to bacteria and parasites. It works on hard surfaces and you can also greatly lower the bacteria count in dirt and manure by mixing in hydrated lime. It's doubtful that it will completely sterilize quantities of dirt and manure, but it would definitely lower the bacteria and parasite load seen by your flock.

Bleach cannot be used in this way because it is inactivated by organic matter. There is a finite amount of oxidizing potential in any bleach solution which is used up in the oxidation process. You want to oxidize the bacteria, not the dirt and manure. When sanitizing with bleach you must clean first and then sanitize. That means dry cleaning the coop to remove all visible organic matter, washing everything down until all surfaces are clean, and then using a bleach solution to sanitize the area. The same would go for Oxine which is also a chlorine based sanitizer.
 
Quote:
When you say "remove all organic matter" what exactly do you mean? In mine there's wood chips and poop (of course I am going to remove that) but what about the dirt at the bottom of my coop and the wood its made out of? "Organic" just means chained carbons... am I going to have to scrap my entire coop and yard they've been in? Am I going to have to move in order to have a future healthy flock?

thanks
 
i wish somebody would answer I am having the same issue.My coop is huge with many nest boxes,roosts,etc and 30ftx13 ft or so big cement floor.Also you can't really rinse it out no where for the water to go.Also wondering if the lime is safe for the chickens
 

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