Re-use brooder box for new chicks? Sanitary?

[JuicyFatHead]

My husband built a brooder box for our now 3 week old chicks. I've been out of town the entire time. The bedding wasn't kept up and now the wood at the bottom of the box is covered in poo. I have day old chicks I just got in today. My husband built a larger brooder for the 3 week old chicks and wants to move the day old chicks into the older brooder box. If I clean it out with bleach water... will it be sanitary enough? I thought I heard something somewhere about not reusing brooder boxes (or was that incubators?) for new chicks as they are susceptible to bacteria.

Has anyone done what we are trying to do? I would REALLY appreciate any feedback! My husband says he can't put a new bottom on the old brooder box because he used nails... any ideas?

 

[Fred's Hens]

I'd take it out back with some Clorox Bleach and a garden hose and a garden hoe to scrape it out. We use our coops over and over again. Sanitize it, dry it out, and use it.
Our world is full of bacteria. It is part of nature. Unless your earlier batch had some horrid disease, which you don't indicate, there's no reason in the world to try and avoid the reality of this world. Chicks are tough and chicks have to build up immunity. If Mother Hen had them out in a box in the coop, they'd be exposed to all kinds of stuff. It's just life.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I reuse my brooders all the time. I just hose out and if necessary scrub down with dish soap.

Like Fred's Hens said, bleach is good!

 

[JuicyFatHead]

Fred's Hens :

I'd take it out back with some Clorox Bleach and a garden hose and a garden hoe to scrape it out. We use our coops over and over again. Sanitize it, dry it out, and use it.
Our world is full of bacteria. It is part of nature. Unless your earlier batch had some horrid disease, which you don't indicate, there's no reason in the world to try and avoid the reality of this world. Chicks are tough and chicks have to build up immunity. If Mother Hen had them out in a box in the coop, they'd be exposed to all kinds of stuff. It's just life.

Thank you! You are so right. If they were being raised outside they would be exposed to much more. I really appreciate your input

 

[GiddyMoon]

Fred's Hens :

I'd take it out back with some Clorox Bleach and a garden hose and a garden hoe to scrape it out. We use our coops over and over again. Sanitize it, dry it out, and use it.
Our world is full of bacteria. It is part of nature. Unless your earlier batch had some horrid disease, which you don't indicate, there's no reason in the world to try and avoid the reality of this world. Chicks are tough and chicks have to build up immunity. If Mother Hen had them out in a box in the coop, they'd be exposed to all kinds of stuff. It's just life.

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

Do you guys use bleach full strength or diluted? And would you use the same for a periodic cleaning of a big coop? I was glad to read this because I'm just getting ready to clean one out.

Juicy, I've switched out batches of my own hatchlings on the same day without even sanitizing, just changing the shavings. No signs of any problems. But when there's time I sanitize just for good measure.

 

[Judy]

Dilute the bleach.

If by chance they had cocci, replace the bleach with ammonia.

 

[Anianna]

A 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) should be more than enough to sanitize the old brooder.