Cleanliness

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

I would not panic about disease and start trying to sanitize or burn the whole coop down, smh.
I would not worry about eating the eggs either......unless you insist on spraying/dusting insecticides or other toxics around.

The only real problem I see is they didn't use much bedding so that's 98% poop.
I'd assess the birds and coop for a few weeks before attempting to 'treat' anything.
You've already got a lot on your hands with moving into a new place.
More pics of coop and run(if there is one) and birds might help with 'assessment over the internet'.

I would scoop up as much of that old litter as possible and put some fresh pine shavings down tho.
Yes, wear a dust mask.
Lock the birds outside with feed and water, shouldn't take you more than an hour or two to replace coop bedding.
Don't worry about the flooring(or anything) being 'spic and span', just get most of it out....it's a chicken coop, there's gonna be poop.
Don't use any liquid to 'clean'.....
...that can just add moisture to coop going into winter,
and can also create an environment for molds, mildews, and other organisms to grow.

They may freak out when new bedding is added.... mine do, I do a total change out once a year.....
.....they don't like change, wouldn't come back into coop until dark.
I shovel mine into a large bucket and dump on garden or out in woods or in compost pile.
This year I shoveled it out in the extra run to break down over winter.

What is your climate?
Putting your location in your profile can help folks give better answers/suggestion.

 

[Folly's place]

It's not possible to clean an old coop well enough to eliminate pathogens, so either burn it down and start over, or shovel it out, permethrin spray for bugs, and put in clean bedding. If it can't be made predator proof, or it's swampy, definitely start over. If there's Marek's disease on the property, it will be there, and ordering and isolating vaccinated chicks will work well. If the flock is infected with pathogenic mycoplasma, eliminating the whole flock, some cleaning, and three weeks without birds, will be the only solution. If the birds are improving with real food and care, get to a manageable number and enjoy! Mary

 

[GYSOT]

Hey yall. Sorry we moved yesterday and unpacked all day today. I will update yall tomorrow with pictures of current situation.

So trying to be a handyman and a dyi guy I got a pintrest (sorry to say but I did and you can't have my man card. Lol) and saw an awesome idea. We just so happen to have an extra carport on the lot that was used for tractors and other junk. Well I was going to put my lawnmower under it. So we decided to take 3/4 of one and make a chicken coop out of it.

 

[Folly's place]

Sounds like a plan! Mary

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Hey yall. Sorry we moved yesterday and unpacked all day today. I will update yall tomorrow with pictures of current situation.

So trying to be a handyman and a dyi guy I got a pintrest (sorry to say but I did and you can't have my man card. Lol) and saw an awesome idea. We just so happen to have an extra carport on the lot that was used for tractors and other junk. Well I was going to put my lawnmower under it. So we decided to take 3/4 of one and make a chicken coop out of it.

Lol...that's too funny! I like that...your "man card"

I just joined pinterest myself an oy! Lots of notifications of pics and stuff that relate to "you."

That looks like a really good idea you have, the size should suit the amount of chickens you have a bit better. Of course I'm not the best one to comment regarding numbers of chickens vs proper amount of space, I tend to push that a wee bit (ok...I push it right over actually and off a cliff) but the basic size requirements help when people are new to chickens and such.

I think I have the jist of how that should work...you're making solid sides, front and rear with the cover from the carport built on? Am I anywhere close?

I'd suggest there are two really important things to consider; making certain it's secure and predator proof...and ventilation. There are many how to's and pics and threads and people on here that can inform you so much better on that than I can. I'm still working on my ventilation, I'm currently using a car garage (kind of like you) and we're moving into a much larger building, probably just for the roosters and guineas. (although nothing's written in stone) Neither have normal ventilation. Proper ventilation is really important and it will make your life much easier.

Also, sorry that we "sort of" overloaded you with a lot of varying opinions on your coop and birds...lol. Everyone has there own ideas and experiences and we may come from different angles for how we'd do things. Each member's suggestions have their own merits and no one's right or wrong. A person has to take what they want from the suggestions and apply it how you see fit for your flock. You basically have to do what's right for "you."

I'm very heavy in the offensive; heavy disinfectants and a "closed" flock (I usually bring in new genetics only by eggs, although I did break my rule...I did it very carefully) 99% of the flock is not purebred. I breed my own birds for replacements and what doesn't make the cut goes into strictly egg production. I've figured that much out so far.

(Now that I'll have more room and another building)

The next person may do things completely different with a completely different goal in mind. Just something to consider and just to help you see how we are all so different with our thoughts...lol.

 

[GYSOT]

I'm very heavy in the offensive; heavy disinfectants and a "closed" flock (I usually bring in new genetics only by eggs, although I did break my rule...I did it very carefully)  99% of the flock is not purebred. I breed my own birds for replacements and what doesn't make the cut goes into strictly egg production. I've figured that much out so far.   (Now that I'll have more room and another building)

The next person may do things completely different with a completely different goal in mind. Just something to consider and just to help you see how we are all so different with our thoughts...lol.
[/quote]

Yes, the top will stay on and I will make sides, front and back out of solid wood. I have no clue on the ventilation so I will have to do some research on that part. I took just took some measurements and it is 12ft wide, 7ft7in tall, and 21ft long. I plan to only use 12ft of the 21ft for the chickens and the other 8ft for the lawnmower and such. I will make sure that I use sealant to seal the space between the two so fumes don't go in the chicken side. I do plan on adding a few windows for light to come in. On the back side of the coop part I will put the chicken run on that side. I alresd have 2 sets of fencing on the property that I will put together to make a 10x10ft run for them. I will cover 3/4 of it to keep it dry.

As far as the perch goes I'll make a retractable box filled with sand to sit under the perch for ease of cleaning.

Also I'm in Clover, Sc

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I'm very heavy in the offensive; heavy disinfectants and a "closed" flock (I usually bring in new genetics only by eggs, although I did break my rule...I did it very carefully) 99% of the flock is not purebred. I breed my own birds for replacements and what doesn't make the cut goes into strictly egg production. I've figured that much out so far.

(Now that I'll have more room and another building)

The next person may do things completely different with a completely different goal in mind. Just something to consider and just to help you see how we are all so different with our thoughts...lol.

Yes, the top will stay on and I will make sides, front and back out of solid wood. I have no clue on the ventilation so I will have to do some research on that part. I took just took some measurements and it is 12ft wide, 7ft7in tall, and 21ft long. I plan to only use 12ft of the 21ft for the chickens and the other 8ft for the lawnmower and such. I will make sure that I use sealant to seal the space between the two so fumes don't go in the chicken side. I do plan on adding a few windows for light to come in. On the back side of the coop part I will put the chicken run on that side. I alresd have 2 sets of fencing on the property that I will put together to make a 10x10ft run for them. I will cover 3/4 of it to keep it dry.

As far as the perch goes I'll make a retractable box filled with sand to sit under the perch for ease of cleaning.

Also I'm in Clover, Sc[/QUOTE]
A retractable box...ooooh, that sounds cool! SC is...South Carolina?? Please forgive me...sometimes takes me a moment for State abbreviations. I'm from Canada.

 

[GYSOT]

Yes, South Carolina.

Just did a lot of reading for ventilation, man the coop they are in now sucks!!! There is none St all up high toilet air out! Which is why the ammonia smell is so bad. I've got some work ahead of me to get the current one setup properly while we start building the new one in about a month.

I'll share pics of the current one tomorr.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

That ammonia won't have been the best for them, so it'll be good you'll have a better setup.

I've never had much smell, but I switched from straw to shavings this spring and find it much easier to cleanup because it's loose. An added benefit is that there's no smell now at all. it is dustier than I'd like though. I have problems with humidity, we've been flooding in the past few years. Our humidity tonight outside is 94%; that doesn't help in the coop.

 

[aart]

Love the concept of the carport barn, have seen this done very well for goats.
But.
A big plus for ease and efficiency of ventilation are large roof overhangs and/or top hinged windows.
Carport and many prefab sheds lack this attribute

Mancard thing cracked me up too

I don't like pinterest because there are very few details.....it all looks good, pretty pictures and all, but....well.

Keep in mind when cleaning your existing coop that ammonia and chlorine creates a toxic gas.
I bet there is a lot of ammonia in that old coop and bleach is a favorite cleaning agent,
even tho it's pretty ineffectual in an environment filled with organic mater.