Disinfecting An Old Coop

[Jenwisp]

Hello all, new here but I have my first question.

I'm buying a used coop that probably sat vacant for a while. What are some good ways to disinfect the plywood and OSB?

Thanks in advance!

 

[DobieLover]

Start by just washing it with detergent and water, rinsing it and toweling if off with old towels. You can disinfect it with activated Oxine. That kills bacteria and viruses. Spray that on and let the coop air dry. You can accelerate the drying using a floor or oscillating fan.
Is the interior of the coop painted? Pictures?

BYW - Welcome to BYC fellow New Yorker!

 

[Jenwisp]

Thank you! I had imagined spraying it down with lysol, etc. I will be picking it up from someone today, so I don't have any pictures of my own yet. It doesn't look painted at all in the seller's pics.

 

[DobieLover]

Thank you! I had imagined spraying it down with lysol, etc. I will be picking it up from someone today, so I don't have any pictures of my own yet. It doesn't look painted at all in the seller's pics.

After you get it all cleaned out, I'd prime and paint it. It makes keeping the interior clean easier if it's painted. Not to mention brighter.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'd prime and paint it

I love barn paint. Designed to be used on bare wood with no priming.

(I am, to say the least, an unenthusiastic painter so getting it done all in one step is more than enough upside to compensate for there only being three colors to choose from).

 

[Ridgerunner]

Nothing wrong with painting the inside if you really want to. I don't, just my personal preference. My chickens don't seem to care but some people do. It's your option, not a requirement.

If it's been vacant for a while it probably doesn't need disinfecting, but I'd still consider that a good practice. If I were doing it I'd use a bleach-water solution and soak it pretty good, then let it dry on it's own. It takes a little while for bleach, lysol, or oxide to work so do not rinse it off immediately. If you rinse at all give it a few minutes to work.

I don't know what that coop looks like, how big it is or how it's built. Be careful to not get the spray on your skin, in your eyes, and don't breathe it. If you do paint it inside be careful breathing the fumes. And in any case let it really air out before you put chickens in there. Chickens have a more delicate respiratory system than you do, fumes are more dangerous to them.

 

[perkolator]

Personally I think I’d douse it using a garden pump sprayer with bleach solution, let it soak in, then bust out a hose and a broom/scrubbing tool with some cleaning solution to get at it, maybe a repeat of the bleach at the end and let dry out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If it's been sitting "a while" I honestly wouldn't treat it with anything wet at all. Scrape out anything that's stuck to the surfaces, sweep it out really well, paint if you want, and you should be good to go.

 

[Jenwisp]

Thank you guys. So when I got on site it turned out to be OSB. I found out the coop is about a year or 2 old. It was sturdy and pretty big so i had to dismantle it to get it in the truck.

I'm hesitant to get OSB wet. I've heard it doesn't like water.

This thing hasn't had chickens in it since at least last November or earlier, but I did evict 1 mouse and a lot of spiders. I think the mouse was swearing at me as I was taking down the thing.

Barn paint? Is that available at Home Depot or Lowes, or will I have to order it?

Thanks again for all the tips!

Oh and it is not painted, but most of the OSB seems in good condition.

 

[3KillerBs]

Our Lowes carries barn paint.