How do you sterilize your equipment?

[Anna_MN]

I have a bunch of waterers and feeders that I need to sterilize before the chicks get here. How do you clean and sterilize your equipment? I have a mixture of plastic and galvanized steel

 

[ECBW]

soap and water, good enough for my dishes, good enough for chicks.

Chickens do not need sterile or even clean environment to thrive.

 

[bobbi-j]

soap and water, good enough for my dishes, good enough for chicks.

Chickens do not need sterile or even clean environment to thrive.

Agreed. I don't even use soap and water. Just hose it out. Sometimes I think TOO clean is more detrimental than exposure to germs. How else are they to build up an immunity?

 

[Uzuri]

If I feel a need to do anything more that water (like, say, if I've had a rough year with disease, or ended up with used equipment for whatever reason) I use bleach. It'll work on either of those materials; just watch your clothes and do it outside if you like your carpets. Be sure to rinse thoroughly. A nice dry cycle in the sun is good, too, sunlight kills a lot of things (but often isn't readily available in February).

 

[Anna_MN]

Thanks for the advice. I really want to sterilize my equipment since I will be using them for chicks and newborn chicks don't have an immune system at all yet- better safe, than sorry.

 

[bobbi-j]

Your decision, obviously. I've raised chicks for years and never had a problem. By exposing them, it helps to build an immunity. Not trying to be contradictory, just sharing my experience. I guess if your equipment has been used by sick chickens, I can understand at least using soap and water. If the chickens that used it previously were healthy, I wouldn't worry about it. Again, that's just my opinion...

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

Metal can go into a big stockpot of boiling water. Plastic I would soak in a warm bleach solution.

 

[Anna_MN]

I respect everyone's opinion, so no worries

I can see what you are saying about just making sure it is clean. I got the equipment from my grandfather's barn and it hasn't been used in 30 or more years, so that's why I want to clean it pretty well. The barn was home to many different birds, rodents, raccoons, feral cats, and so on. Normally I just hose everything off, but this seemed like a special occasion that needed a little more attention.

 

[donrae]

Ooohh, can I come dig around in Grandpa's barn too? I love places like that, just full of treasures!

I'm normally with the just hose it off crowd, but in that case I might also give it a bleach rinse. Cause you really don't know who lived or died in/on the equipment. I think it's like ten to one bleach to water and be sure you rinse well.

 

[Oregon Blues]

For equipment for the brooder, I soak everything in a strong bleach solution.

I fill the brooder with the bleach water and everything is dumped into that to soak. After it is rinsed, I expose it to sunlight. The bleach will all evaporate off. Don't put chicks in it until you can't smell bleach any more.