Disinfecting feeders, waterers, etc

[Elegant Chick]

I don't have chickens yet, but plan on getting them in a couple months. I'm wondering how to clean the chicken dishes without using my kitchen sink. I have an outdoor spigot. What do you use to disinfect their feeders and waterers?

 

[Alaskan]

With adult chickens, as long as there has been no disease outbreak....

I scrub the scum off with my fingers and a couple of rinses with plain water.


With baby chicks I clean their waterers in the kitchen sink with hot soap and water.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I'm a finger scrubber too. My chick drinkers never need scrubbing, they get changed everyday so aren't ever that dirty. I just clean them with hot, soapy water when I move the chicks outside.
(Chickens eat their own feces, and that of other animals, they aren't super picky about germs).

 

[aart]

I rinse and use a bottle brush on the waterers everyday in the laundry tub, I have 2 that I rotate, then hang them to dry.
Keeps any bio scum from even getting started...and one trip to the coop, carry out newly filled waterer and bring back the yesterdays for rinse and dry.

Hanging feeder I pull out once a month or so and give a it a good rinse and scrub.

Not really any reason to disinfect unless you have infection in your birds.
Then I would use a 10% bleach solution, rinse well and let air dry/degas for a couple days.

 

[bobbi-j]

Hmm, I've never disinfected my feeders or waterers.... I will wipe the slime out in the summer when it's bad. My chickens free range in the summer, and when they have the option of a clean waterer or a stagnant puddle, they'll choose the puddle every time. As previously stated - as long as there has been no disease outbreak, disinfecting really shouldn't be necessary.

 

[enola]

I only disinfect for newly hatched chicks. All of my feeders and waterers are elevated to keep manure out of them. I take a bucket of hot soapy water to the barn once a week and wash and rinse all waterers during hot weather. In cold weather I will bring any filthy waterers to the house and wash them in the bath tub. I clean feeders once a year, unless the feed accidently gets wet.

 

[donrae]

Hmm, I've never disinfected my feeders or waterers.... I will wipe the slime out in the summer when it's bad. My chickens free range in the summer, and when they have the option of a clean waterer or a stagnant puddle, they'll choose the puddle every time. As previously stated - as long as there has been no disease outbreak, disinfecting really shouldn't be necessary.

And my birds will chose the puddle with horse manure in it, hands down

Don't disinfect. Just clean. I have a big 6 or 7 gallon waterer, I just spray it with the hose. Persistent slime gets a swipe with a washcloth.

 

[SavageDestiny]

If you're really worried, spray the items down with white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, let it sit a minute, then give it a rinse in the spigot. Vinegar and peroxide disinfect extremely well and are non-toxic so if you don't rinse it all, it doesn't matter!

 

[Beekissed]

I never disinfect either...just the finger swish and rinse, both chicks and adults. The plain and simple fact is that chickens eat poop...a disinfected water dish is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Elegant Chick]

Thanks everyone! I guess I worry too much!