What should I be doing to clean/ sanitze coop for pullets?

[Sphynxcrazy]

I am cleaning my coops, and just wondering what i should use? I don't want even 1 mite hanging around in there, so will bug bombs do the job or what? What does DE do? where do you get it? Any thing else i should use to ensure my pullets don't get any diseases that could be lurking?

I got rid of my hens today. I posted them yesterday night, they were all gone by 2:30 today. I threw them on craigslist for $2 a piece. that was a little cheap but i wasn't wanting to end up keeping them all winter, as the 50 chicks are going to need to move in.There was a nice old man who took most of them, for his grand kids. hope they enjoy them. I kind of feel bad as i raised the all from chicks.

On top of that, i noticed 2 of my guinea keets, out of 4 living with the chicks were missing. I am raising them in an old dairy shed, that the front is open, (whatever there called). we store stuff in there. I started looking around some boards, under the pallet the box is on, etc. Then i moved out of the pen that there brooder boxes are in. i checked around a couple stacks of tires, and found one!!! It was sleeping, cozily warm to the touch. I looked for like 2 hours all over, even outside of the shed, as the other could have gotten out of the pen,(its for older chicks) and went to the scrap wood pile. I took one of the keets and had it call. nothing. so i am down to 3 keets. I believe the cat got the keet. She is a good hunter. Anyway, i feel bad i literally lost a keet.

thanks for reading, any sanitation advice welcome

 

[aoxa]

I use oxine when I clean my coop. To keep mites out, I believe keeping the litter dry is key. Some people use DE - but it does not work for me. The DE is way over priced in my opinion as well.

Provide a dust bath area, and they will keep mites/lice at bay.

Sorry about your keet

 

[Sphynxcrazy]

How long does it take bugs, and diseases to die out, with out any hosts?

I just don't want them to get anything. On top of that the hatchery screwed up and they weren't vaccinated for mareks. I will move the 5 i kept into the pen that is far away, and try to wear different shoes and clothes around them, just in case.


now for dustbaths, should i be using sand, or just powdery dirt? or??

 

[aoxa]

How long does it take bugs, and diseases to die out, with out any hosts?

I just don't want them to get anything. On top of that the hatchery screwed up and they weren't vaccinated for mareks. I will move the 5 i kept into the pen that is far away, and try to wear different shoes and clothes around them, just in case.


now for dustbaths, should i be using sand, or just powdery dirt? or??

Did your last group have diseases?

It depends on what diseases you are talking about. Some are very hard to kill, others don't live long without hosts.

I use black earth with sand and peat moss.

 

[Sphynxcrazy]

not really any diseases i know of. I did have to dust for bugs, and do vasaline for there feet a while back.

 

[pigeonguy]

I use oxine when I clean my coop. To keep mites out, I believe keeping the litter dry is key. Some people use DE - but it does not work for me. The DE is way over priced in my opinion as well.
Provide a dust bath area, and they will keep mites/lice at bay.
Sorry about your keet

DE is $50 $60 online but at my local feed store it is only $18 for 50 pounds of perma guard white flour food grade.
DE is a good preventive and helps keep things dry when spread generously on coop floor.

 

[aoxa]

DE is $50 $60 online but at my local feed store it is only $18 for 50 pounds of perma guard white flour food grade.
DE is a good preventive and helps keep things dry when spread generously on coop floor.

We all have our opinions on DE> Mine is that it is not worth the money. It cost me $10 for a tiny bag. I mean a freezer bag full. It was ridiculous. I still had lice. I used sevin and it worked within 10 minutes.

I bought the DE at the feed store as well, not online.

Stall dry also works to keep the coop dry - which will help prevent bugs. I would not suggest DE as a treatment, but it does dry the litter up. It's the price that is not worth it to me.

 

[mickey328]

We paid about $20 for a 25 lb bag of food grade DE at the feed store. That will likely last us for years. It worked very well for us on mites. When we clean the coop, I sprinkle about 1/4 cup in with the new litter...and add another tablespoon or so when we put more litter in. When we change out their dust baths (we have Rubbermaid tubs for them since their run is on grass), we add in a tablespoon or so to the dirt as well. It took about a week to get rid of them and haven't seen a single one since. We also use Sweet PDZ and it works amazingly well! I sprinkle about a cup in with new bedding (our coop is only about 4 x 5) and even after a month, everything is still dry and has almost no odor whatsoever.

 

[aoxa]

We paid about $20 for a 25 lb bag of food grade DE at the feed store.  That will likely last us for years.  It worked very well for us on mites.  When we clean the coop, I sprinkle about 1/4 cup in with the new litter...and add another tablespoon or so when we put more litter in.  When we change out their dust baths (we have Rubbermaid tubs for them since their run is on grass), we add in a tablespoon or so to the dirt as well.  It took about a week to get rid of them and haven't seen a single one since.  We also use Sweet PDZ and it works amazingly well!  I sprinkle about a cup in with new bedding (our coop is only about 4 x 5) and even after a month, everything is still dry and has almost no odor whatsoever.  

Sweet PDZ is the same thing as stall boy I think I will get some myself.

Again, DE is way over priced here

 

[mickey328]

Yeah, I think it's also called "stall dry". I think there are a few things out there that were designed to do the same thing...they're meant to absorb the moisture in droppings...and it's the moisture that makes things stink, LOL. They're all safe for consumption which is good cuz pretty much any critter will end up ingesting some of it.