Sterilizing the chicken run

[Irishcwgrl25]

Good morning I was wondering if anyone knows anything about possibly sterilizing a chicken run on the inside for parasites and disease and what do use I think my chickens recently got coccidiosis I’m treating them but I want to make sure that the run is good my soil is like a clay and mud it’s not very loose it’s actually pretty hard compact in some areas so I don’t know what else I could put in a run besides sand or mulch I do clean out regularly and I gave them pay and it’s not in direct, it’s in shade and it’s dry I’m in southern New Mexico does anyone have any reference on this or ideas of what I could do?

 

[nuthatched]

I don't think you can sterilize dirt, quite frankly it's easier for them to get an issue and you treat it. coccidosis is easy to treat as are worms and mites.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
'Sterilize' is a strong word, and the short answer is that it can't be done out there. Clean, sure, but not that clean!
Mud is a very bad chicken substrate, and fixing that is what's needed. When it does rain, does the water run off, or pool there? Fix any drainage issues, and add bedding. Most of use prefer shavings, wood chips, and plant materials, as better and easier on the birds, rather than sand.
Mary

 

[allenw]

I had a very good vet tell me coccidosis is always present in the environment and gut. It becomes a problem in times of stress and builds up beyond the body's ability to control it. We were talking cattle but I feel it would apply to all animals.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC. Where, in general, are you located? Climate matters.

Sterilizing the run is neither possible nor desirable -- you'd eliminate all the good bacteria along with the problems.

The first thing to do about a muddy run is to figure out why it's muddy.

Is water running into the run off the coop or other nearby buildings? If yes, you need to install gutters to direct water away from the chickens?

Is rainwater flowing through the run via a natural drainage channel in the land? If yes, you need to dig diversions ditches, create grass swales, and/or install French drain to divert the water away from the chickens.

Is water collecting because the run is in a natural low spot in the ground? If yes, you need to either move your coop and run to a place with good drainage or you need to bring in fill to raise the level up. This is best done by a professional who really understand grading so that it doesn't cause other water problems elsewhere -- especially around your house.

Is the problem your climate -- seasonal (or constant), heavy rains? Putting a roof on the run is likely to help.

Beyond this, the best thing to do about mud in the run is to put down dry organic material. Coarse wood chips, the sort you get from a tree-trimming service, are often considered the gold standard for keeping a run clean and fresh. Here in the USA's Steamy Southeast I have access to pine straw (the fallen needled of the Loblolly and Longleaf pines), which are especially good in heavy rain because they drain freely and always dry out on top quickly after the rain but they aren't available in most areas.

 

[Ridgerunner]

my soil is like a clay and mud. .... I do clean out regularly and I gave them pay and it’s not in direct, it’s in shade and it’s dry I’m in southern New Mexico does anyone have any reference on this or ideas of what I could do?

How sure are you that it is actually Coccidiosis? I think that is the first thing you should do, find out for sure that is what you are dealing with. Maybe call your county extension office and ask them how to get an inexpensive fecal float test for cocci. That will also check for certain worms.

You say it is dry yet you mention mud. Dry is good, wet is bad. If it is wet you need to fix that. Coccidiosis can thrive in wet conditions but dry usually keeps it under control. I could write a long boring post on the life cycle of the bug that causes Coccidiosis and how to manage it. The highlights are to keep things dry and that if the chickens are exposed to that bug for about three weeks they develop an immunity to that specific strain of Coccidiosis.

I agree, you cannot sterilize the soil. If it is Coccidiosis it is going to live forever in your chicken's intestines anyway. The best way to manage Coccidiosis is to help them get that immunity.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have considered rototilling it. I never have done so, but I have thought about it. However, I am in pretty much pure sand, and I do add quite a bit of old hay. In the winter before a snow storm, I pile up the haystacks, and then flip it on top of the snow after the snowing stops. Encourages the birds to come out.

People do get very worried about disease and parasites, and keeping things clean, but I have had chickens for years and never had anything... my nemesis is predators, but I think I got that one fixed.

Mrs K