Should you sterilize your coop before adding new chickens to the flock?

Should you sterilize a coop even if all the chickens are healthy?

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WildPrimal

WildPrimal

Chirping
Jul 27, 2020
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Michigan
My Coop
My Coop
Hello everyone I am new to this website! I have been reading that you should sterilize your coop before introducing new chickens into your flock.

I currently have three, 3 month old Rhode Island Red pullets and 4 Barred Rock chicks. The Rhode Island Reds are outside in my large wooden backyard chicken coop, while the Barred rock chicks are in a brooder. I plan on housing the Barred Rock chicks outside in a chicken tractor once they are about 6 weeks old and ready to be outside. My plan is to eventually put the Barred Rocks with the Rhode Island Reds in my backyard chicken coop (once the Barred Rocks are relatively the same size as the RIRs, so they don't get picked on). Now I don't know whether or not I should go through the trouble of sterilizing my coop before introducing the BRs to the RIRs. It just doesn't make sense to me. My Rhode Island Reds are very healthy and I keep their coop clean and deworm them monthly with diatamaceous earth. What is the point of sterilizing the coop if the chickens are all healthy? I know the answer to my question is so diseases won't spread but say I do sterilize the entire coop and then put the RIRs and the BRs in... if the RIRs had any sort of disease and they poop right after I sterilize the entire coop wouldn't that pass the disease on to the BRs? Doesn't that destroy the whole purpose of sterilizing the whole coop?

Sorry for typing so much I am just looking for some answers and any help would be appreciated!
 
WildPrimal said:
Hello everyone I am new to this website! I have been reading that you should sterilize your coop before introducing new chickens into your flock.

I currently have three, 3 month old Rhode Island Red pullets and 4 Barred Rock chicks. The Rhode Island Reds are outside in my large wooden backyard chicken coop, while the Barred rock chicks are in a brooder. I plan on housing the Barred Rock chicks outside in a chicken tractor once they are about 6 weeks old and ready to be outside. My plan is to eventually put the Barred Rocks with the Rhode Island Reds in my backyard chicken coop (once the Barred Rocks are relatively the same size as the RIRs, so they don't get picked on). Now I don't know whether or not I should go through the trouble of sterilizing my coop before introducing the BRs to the RIRs. It just doesn't make sense to me. My Rhode Island Reds are very healthy and I keep their coop clean and deworm them monthly with diatamaceous earth. What is the point of sterilizing the coop if the chickens are all healthy? I know the answer to my question is so diseases won't spread but say I do sterilize the entire coop and then put the RIRs and the BRs in... if the RIRs had any sort of disease and they poop right after I sterilize the entire coop wouldn't that pass the disease on to the BRs? Doesn't that destroy the whole purpose of sterilizing the whole coop?

Sorry for typing so much I am just looking for some answers and any help would be appreciated!
Click to expand...
You may not know that the old chicks may never accept the newbies. You have a much better chance of integrating them successfully the younger everyone is.
Is it possible to move the babies into the coop now...a look but no touch type set up?
Can you get a few clear pictures of your big coop?
 
:goodpost::goodpost: AND.....
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DE doesn't do anything but waste your money. If you need to worm your flock , it makes sense to determine what type of worms they have if any. One wormer doesn't do them all.
A vet can do a stool sample and tell you what kind and what is the best wormer for that.
All wormers are harsh on the system. Some people just automatically worm their birds when they don't really know if a worm problem exists.
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Make sure to integrate them slowly over a couple of weeks. Keep new birds caged or behind a fence next to the original flock, they can see but not touch each other. After a couple few weeks you can mix them. There will be jostling and bickering, always intervene if it turns bloody. Put out extra food and water stations as the original flock will try to guard these areas. Goid luck!
 

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