Disinfecting coops...How to do it?

[SundownWaterfowl]

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?

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Yup, a lot of sunshine works too. I use oxine and, if I can, keep the coop empty for 24 hrs, but that's not always possible

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Now, with bleach, how should I dilute it? What are the measurements?

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Doesn't the bottle tell you the % for a disentfectiant, I just pour, so i don't know the numbers.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

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.

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.

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.

 

[byrandom]

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]

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]

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]

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...

 

[Indiana hens]

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.