How much is enough..cleaning the coop!

[nuttyredhead]

I culled my flock due to a lingering respitory infection. The necrospy was unable to determine what type of infection. So i have been cleaning the coop, i will list what i have done, or will be doing, please let me know if i have missed anything...

Took all shavings out and shop vac.

Replaced roosts and very dirty boards underneath.

Scrub the poop of the walls (4 feet of white board, top half is wood) then bleach

Wash the floor with bleach.

Soaked all feeders/waterers/equipment in a 50/50 bleach solution.

I am planing on fogging with oxine also.

Now for the run??? I am planning on getting as much of the shavings/poop out of it as possible. Then i was going to spread some lime and new dirt down. It will be 3 weeks before any chickens are back in it.

Does that sound like enough?

 

[Mallory]

What about using some DE? *I'm new, so this might not be helpful*

I'm sorry about you losing the flock. You did the right thing though. Good luck with sterilizing the coop and run! I hope all turns out well with the new flock. Are you getting chicks you think or... ? Just curious.

 

[nuttyredhead]

Quote:
Thank you, I do have both DE and sevins dust also. I think it will kill mites/lice not sure that it works as a disinfectant. I will look that up! I placed an order yesterday through a hatchery for 15 new babies! They are not due to ship till June 1 so at least i have time to get this clean!!!

 

[Mallory]

Oh ... ya know, I'm not sure DE works as a disinfectant either! LOL I told you I might not be of any help!

Yay for new babies, too! What are you going to do with all your free time and no chickens till JUNE!? LOL I'm asking because its very likely I won't get any chickens till around then too.

I guess it depends on how quickly we are able to finish building our coop.

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

Many people here use Diatomaceous Earth and Sevin dust. I am not a fan of either, but especially D.E. PLEASE if you do use either, but ESPECIALLY DE, use a mask and glove -- very few do. DE when the dust is breathed in is like having cement in your lungs. It DOES NOT come out, can not be coughed up or absorbed.

There are alternatives!

If you use DE, read the literature and use the appropriate precautions, PLEASE! for your health (and your animals').

 

[patandchickens]

DE when the dust is breathed in is like having cement in your lungs. It DOES NOT come out, can not be coughed up or absorbed

Not so. Food-grade DE, inhaled accidentally, is no worse than any other mineral dust e.g. road dust. I mean it is not GOOD for you but it is not that bad for you either. Non-food-grade DE is a known carcinogen in large or chronic doses, but not because of the reasons mentioned above.

Neither DE nor Sevin (which is arguably worse for you, inhaled, than either form of DE) will do ZIP SQUAT against viruses or bacteria, though, so there is absolutely no point in the o.p. even thinking about them at this juncture.

To the o.p. -- your precautions sound reasonable so far, personally I would follow up by one or two coats of new paint on all surfaces inside and outside the coop. For the run, I'd be tempted to use quicklime, personally, but a lot of people understandably do not wish to fool around with it or lack appropriate protective gear, so heavy liming and new dirt seems like a very good second choice.

If it were me I would wait more than a month before getting new chickens, though, if you are really concerned. TIME does a fair bit of good as well.

Sorry about your previous flock, good luck with the next, you are definitely doing "due diligence" on it,

Pat​

 

[Mallory]

Quote:
Not so. Food-grade DE, inhaled accidentally, is no worse than any other mineral dust e.g. road dust. I mean it is not GOOD for you but it is not that bad for you either. Non-food-grade DE is a known carcinogen in large or chronic doses, but not because of the reasons mentioned above.

Neither DE nor Sevin (which is arguably worse for you, inhaled, than either form of DE) will do ZIP SQUAT against viruses or bacteria, though, so there is absolutely no point in the o.p. even thinking about them at this juncture.

To the o.p. -- your precautions sound reasonable so far, personally I would follow up by one or two coats of new paint on all surfaces inside and outside the coop. For the run, I'd be tempted to use quicklime, personally, but a lot of people understandably do not wish to fool around with it or lack appropriate protective gear, so heavy liming and new dirt seems like a very good second choice.

If it were me I would wait more than a month before getting new chickens, though, if you are really concerned. TIME does a fair bit of good as well.

Sorry about your previous flock, good luck with the next, you are definitely doing "due diligence" on it,

Pat

 

[KlaHaYa Gardens]

Quote:
Not so. Food-grade DE, inhaled accidentally, is no worse than any other mineral dust e.g. road dust. I mean it is not GOOD for you but it is not that bad for you either. Non-food-grade DE is a known carcinogen in large or chronic doses, but not because of the reasons mentioned above.

Neither DE nor Sevin (which is arguably worse for you, inhaled, than either form of DE) will do ZIP SQUAT against viruses or bacteria, though, so there is absolutely no point in the o.p. even thinking about them at this juncture.

To the o.p. -- your precautions sound reasonable so far, personally I would follow up by one or two coats of new paint on all surfaces inside and outside the coop. For the run, I'd be tempted to use quicklime, personally, but a lot of people understandably do not wish to fool around with it or lack appropriate protective gear, so heavy liming and new dirt seems like a very good second choice.

If it were me I would wait more than a month before getting new chickens, though, if you are really concerned. TIME does a fair bit of good as well.

Sorry about your previous flock, good luck with the next, you are definitely doing "due diligence" on it,

Pat

You and I have different opinions and I respect your right to have your opinion.

A "food grade" designation does not alter the risk to one's lungs. It is a designation regarding toxicity. My knowledge of D.E. and its risks come from professional training. Pat, you may note that "food grade" DE is labeled with instructions to use mask and gloves. You may be comfortable assuring people that is not necessary, I would not do so. Baby powder and corn starch aren't good for one's lungs either. DE is more harmful to the lungs than corn starch. BTW, I never mentioned anything about DE being a carcinogen or not.

If anyone cares to be informed, here are a couple of links. Google is a good tool. So are the manufacturer instructions and warnings worth reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth
http://www.ehow.com/about_6682801_diatomaceous-earth-safe-inhale_.html