Quote:
Originally Posted by
Silkie-lover33 
The feed is probably not moldy but there is a chance the hay or the coop it's self could be moldy. What would I do to prevent mold or get rid of mold in the coop?
Yes I just had a major problem in my coop with mold. I put bleach/water mix in a sprayer and sprayed my whole coop - ceiling, walls, floors and everything (be careful of fumes- I held my breath and ran out of the shed to get a breath- it was bad!). I let the whole thing air to dry. This was before I put chickens in it again. I have done this in the past, too...but not with the sprayer- just by hand. Then the chickens are back in it by nightfall. The mold smell is gone now. It worked great.
My shed coop is all metal. If you have wood then you will need to seal it somehow by killing the mold, letting it dry, then painting it with something like kilz paint. But even then the mold can come back with wood, since the mold roots are down in the wood, unlike metal.
I find it helpful in the winter to run lights in there...keeps it drier for sure. Must be careful to prevent fire though.
Also might be good to rule out mites and worms. Some vets will do a fecal test for worms for a small fee if you just bring the poo in.
Here are nice websites in case it is something else:
http://msucares.com/poultry/diseases/dissymp.htm
http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/diseases_poultry_diagnosis_symptoms.pdf
Edited by ChickensAreSweet - 2/25/12 at 1:52pm