Disinfecting coops...How to do it?

SundownWaterfowl

Crowing
14 Years
Mar 16, 2008
9,764
95
456
Southern Columbia County NY
I wasnt sure where to post this, but I am wondering how people disinfect their coops.

I was thinking of taking all of the birds out of the coop, and then taking out all bedding, etc, and spraying down the coop with a diluted bleach solution, and then letting the coop air out and dry. Does that sound good?
 

Chicken Fruit

Songster
10 Years
Feb 25, 2009
1,507
13
173
Echo Homestead
Just dilute it. Bleach isnt toxic to anything- its an irritant, in that if you are exposed to its vapors continuously or drink a large amount of it it will irritate your lungs and throat and eyes, and that irritation can some times cause swelling of said membranes- but we're talking about A LOT of exposure to kill something.

once bleach oxidizes, or dries all thats left is a sodium compound.

Just enough to smell it in the water is usually good. About 1/4 a cup (or a couple tablespoons) in a gallon.

Bleach is a very under estimated cleaner, and over rated toxin.

Just wanted to add... ask me how i know this. Go ahead.
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1) My brother drank a few swallows of bleach as a toddler

2) My son also ingested quite a bit a couple times.

lol! poison control must have me one some CPA list.
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They'd have to had drank a cup or better as toddlers to cause any harm... lol. Really it just kills the bacteria in their gut which gives them the runs.

Theres a reason why its so tried and true, I dont know a serious farmer that cleans with anything else.
 
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byrandom

Songster
12 Years
Sep 22, 2008
391
3
199
Terrell, TX
At the veterinary office that I worked at, we used a 10% bleach solution to clean everything that was infected with Parvo or FIV, left to sit in the solution for 30 minutes.

We used a 1 gallon bottle and used approximately 1.5 cups of bleach.
 

cmom

Hilltop Farm
Premium Feather Member
15 Years
Nov 18, 2007
31,527
35,487
991
Florida
My Coop
My Coop
A great disinfecting solution is ¼ cup bleach to one gallon of cool water. If you don’t need that much then use 1 tablespoon of bleach to one quart of cool water. For area’s that just get more germ exposure (diaper areas, chicken coops, etc.) then stiffen up the bleach to ½ cup per one quart of water. A good soaking solution (for toys, eating utensils, food preparation tools and so forth) use 1 tablespoon bleach to 1 gallon of cool water, soak for two minutes and if time permits allow to air dry.
I use a cup of bleach for approximately 5 gals of water.
 

ZooMummzy

Queen of the Zoo
11 Years
Mar 31, 2008
5,392
119
261
Philomath, Oregon
Bleach is the best and cheapest ($3 a bottle for store brand) disinfectant. I use it everywhere in my house, even on kitchen cupboards. I have a spray bottle on every floor of my house and in every bathroom. I, too, learned to use it while working at my vet's office. We used a 10% solution on everything. I had to buy heavy duty chemical spray bottles though because it loves to eat the cheaper ones and it is rough on your hands so I suggest using gloves if you are going to be doing a lot of cleaning.
 

happyhensny

Brown Barns Farm
11 Years
Sep 23, 2008
2,939
18
221
near Albany, New York
Ok, well I just cleaneed my coop yesterday. Very small, 11 birds. Got the Chickens out, shoveled everything out, emptied nest boxes and sprayed Clorox Clean-up over everything. In the corners, in the boxes. Then wiped out what I could. Their all still alive and happy so must be ok. I guess...
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Indiana hens

Songster
11 Years
Jun 25, 2008
1,037
3
161
Pendleton, Indiana
1st i spray down with water or power wash. Then I spray bleach undiluted from a pressurized yard sprayer; then rinse. Then i spray with hopital iodine wash diluted to suggested mix. lightly rinse then let dry. When close to dry I spray with goat wash permrethrins and let final dry. May seem overkill. I am happy with this.
 
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