Old coop cleaning?

[barred2rock]

I have a coop built by the previous occupants of my home. I don't think this person used bedding or even cleaned the coop. I've gone in the coop to clean the piles of poop on the nesting boxes and where else I could. Because he used just the natural dirt floor as "bedding", I can't tell what's poop & what's dirt on the floor. It's been at least serveral months since this coop has been used. What can I do to be sure this coop is safe for my hens, when the time comes? The chicks don't arrive until early next week, so I have several weeks to prepare.

 

[junebuggena]

Spray all the walls, roosts, and nest boxes down with a diluted bleach solution. Let it dry completely. You may want to layer hardware cloth over the bare dirt to prevent predators from digging in, securing it with fencing staples along the framing. Then cover the bare dirt with several inches of wood shavings, hay, or a combination of both. Bare dirt floors are ideal for deep litter bedding.

 

[barred2rock]

Spray all the walls, roosts, and nest boxes down with a diluted bleach solution. Let it dry completely. You may want to layer hardware cloth over the bare dirt to prevent predators from digging in, securing it with fencing staples along the framing. Then cover the bare dirt with several inches of wood shavings, hay, or a combination of both. Bare dirt floors are ideal for deep litter bedding.

In the coop there are several natural wood branches for roosting. Is it safe to spray those with the bleach solution as well? Roughly how diluted should the bleach be (water to bleach ratio)?

 

[aart]

I'd go 10% solution.
Have GOOD ventilation even if you have to use a fan.
Not sure if any ammonia would be still present in that old manure, but ammonia and bleach can produce a deadly gas.