Using Used Nesting Boxes??

[lahaskell]

I bought a really old metal 10 hole nesting box & it was pretty filthy. I blew everything off with the air compressor & am throwing away the floors of some of the boxes because they were so matted with old bedding & manure, but am wondering what else I can do to clean it or what the risks are to adding to to my (new & pretty clean) chicken coop. I don't want to spread disease to my healthy chickens, but the metal is probably relatively hard to clean & the wood roosting perch was really soiled so I need to scrape the poop off that & clean that somehow. What are your suggestions?

 

[Percheron chick]

I would scrub it down with soap and water, rinse and sanitize. I use chlorhexidine (Nolvasan) over bleach for this. A 16 oz bottle will last you forever. You only need 1-2 oz for a gallon of solution. Saturate everything with a spray and just let it air dry.

If the grain of the wood on the perches is rough and split, sand it down to eliminate the crevices for bacteria to grow in.

 

[lahaskell]

Thank you. I don't think it's been used in years so it's "old" poop, but i still thought I should ask.

 

[redstar14]

Wash with water and antibacterial dishsoap

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would scrub it down with soap and water, rinse and sanitize.  I use chlorhexidine (Nolvasan) over bleach for this.  A 16 oz bottle will last you forever.  You only need 1-2 oz for a gallon of solution.    Saturate everything with a spray and just let it air dry.

If the grain of the wood on the perches is rough and split, sand it down to eliminate the crevices for bacteria to grow in.

I agree with this but I’d just use bleach, mainly because I’ve always got bleach handy. Definitely some sanitizer that will kill viruses and bacteria. Yeah, don’t put it on then immediately wash it off. Give it time to work.

With something this old you are probably pretty safe but sanitizing it raises “probably pretty safe” to a whole new level. It’s not that much work for the possible benefit.

Just don’t do this where the chickens can get to it. Wash it down and sanitize it well away from the chickens. You don’t want to go through sanitizing it then have them catch something from the wastes you washed out.