Sanitizing the Coop - Ultimate

lmdengler

Songster
6 Years
Jun 2, 2017
241
157
151
Upstate New York
We are expecting some warm weather the next few days and I am considering an ultimate sanitizing of the coop and run to rid the germs or bacteria or whatever it is that is plaguing and killing my chickens one by one. Can anyone give me a solution that will work? Spray? Suggestions?
 
No suggestions without knowing what is killing your chickens.
Some things can be taken care of with a simple cleanout, some things defy good sanitation and there are even things that require the housing to remain vacant for up to a year AFTER sanitation.
How many birds have you lost? What is the ventilation like and what is the stocking density (#birds per sq. ft.)?
Here is your state poultry lab to send a chicken for necropsy and lab work to find out what the bacteria/virus/parasite/fungus or whatever is in your coop/soil.
Animal Health Diagnostic Center
College of Vet Med, Cornell University
240 Farrier Road
Ithaca, New York 14853-8002
Phone: 607-253-3900
 
No suggestions without knowing what is killing your chickens.
Some things can be taken care of with a simple cleanout, some things defy good sanitation and there are even things that require the housing to remain vacant for up to a year AFTER sanitation.
How many birds have you lost? What is the ventilation like and what is the stocking density (#birds per sq. ft.)?
Here is your state poultry lab to send a chicken for necropsy and lab work to find out what the bacteria/virus/parasite/fungus or whatever is in your coop/soil.
Animal Health Diagnostic Center
College of Vet Med, Cornell University
240 Farrier Road
Ithaca, New York 14853-8002
Phone: 607-253-3900
I just called and left a message. They don't open until 8:00 EST but was hoping to get in the queue. We just built our coop - but of course the issue would be in the coop whether it is new or not. I really hope I can figure this out.
 
Did the birds have any symptoms before they died?
When did this start? How many were lost? How old were they?
Some of these labs have someone on call 24/7. Some will provide you with a FedEx label for shipping the bird. I've also hand carried a bird to the vet school several times. Once it was at midnight on a Saturday night. They are constantly getting carcasses and live animals delivered for euthanasia and necropsy. Lots of dogs come in around the clock.
Our lab has one teaching avian pathologist that handles all the birds that come in.
 
No real symptoms that I can see. The last two dies 2 weeks apart from each other. The first of these two - I was shocked. She was lively, laying, and just fine. The next morning - dead under the water font. This last one - she was hanging out in coop, then only in the nest. I brought her into the garage. Started giving her electrolytes and vitamin water with a dropper. She had watery poop. Then I read to give her warm medicated chick feed. I put some of that in her mouth. She hated it. She later died.
 
I don't want to steer you the wrong way because there can be so many reasons for sudden or unexplained death. The necropsy should determine the true cause but besides disease, it could simply be management or feeding regimen. For instance feeing layer feed too early or for a length of time when birds aren't building egg shells can cause kidney damage. Urolithiasis can kill a bird quickly even when they appear healthy and continue to lay eggs.
 
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I am so disheartened. I feel like I do when my kids give me potted plants only to find the potted plants dead in a week. I am also really thinking a lot more about bio-security.
 
Well, at least you're trying to get to the bottom of it.
IMHO, raising chickens shouldn't or needn't be difficult with a few early precautions.
Start with breeds suitable for one's climate, start with healthy stock, keep stocking density low, provide way more ventilation than you think you need and feed quality feed according to the feeding directions on the bag. Free range on pristine forage if possible.
 
Well, at least you're trying to get to the bottom of it.
IMHO, raising chickens shouldn't or needn't be difficult with a few early precautions.
Start with breeds suitable for one's climate, start with healthy stock, keep stocking density low, provide way more ventilation than you think you need and feed quality feed according to the feeding directions on the bag. Free range on pristine forage if possible.
I am wondering if I carried germs back from a chicken farm south of me.
 

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