Old, empty coop. New birds. How clean?

[willr]

Hi! In January, a mink crept into my run through a tiny hole and ended the 6 birds who lived in there. Jerk. Side note; minks/weasels fit through tiny holes!

Anyways, it is now April and I have 12 new ladies in the brooder waiting to move into their sweet outdoor apartment! I have scooped out the majority of the bedding even though it was relatively new when D day happened. I know that its best to clean the coop out before putting in the new ladies but my question is; how clean. Do I really need to sanitize? It is a little dusty in there with some residual poo here and there but my old birds were pretty healthy and it has been wicked cold (~ negative 30ish) in there since they passed. I am a believer that a little germage is good for the immune system, but I don't know if that applies to tiny chickens...

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[1muttsfan]

I would clean out All the old bedding. A leaf blower does a great job getting rid of dust (Caution: wear a dust mask and eye protection!).

 

[Folly's place]

I would shovel out the old bedding, fix your coop to make it predator proof, and put down your choice of bug control product under the new bedding. I use permethrin usually, or maybe carbaryl. Some people use DE, which will help in a dry environment. Not getting into a debate here! Some diseases will be gone, others (think Marek's) last for many years. If your previous flock was healthy, there shouldn't be a problem. Do get the mouse poo and stuff out! And do wear a N95 or better face mask. Mary