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

[aoxa]

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.

That's good. The worst smell out of it all is food mixed with water. That is something I can't quite describe. It smells repulsive after 1 day. I keep my food very far away from my water now, because my waterfowl were being very naughty.



I think I will get some stall dry next time I go in. I need more shavings. It seems like I spend way too much on bedding. :/ It was only a month ago that I bought 10 bales of shavings. The big ones. They cost 5.99 each.

You know what I need? A poop board.. How the heck do I do that with the # of chickens I keep though?

 

[nova022]

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.

When you use sevin do you put it in the coop while the chickens are using it, or do you just use it when you are cleaning out the coop? I don't have problems yet, but would llike to be prepared in case. I do use DE, but I agree it is very expensive.

 

[aoxa]

When you use sevin do you put it in the coop while the chickens are using it, or do you just use it when you are cleaning out the coop? I don't have problems yet, but would llike to be prepared in case. I do use DE, but I agree it is very expensive.

I put sevin in their dust baths, but not in the coop, though you can. Some people say sevin is dangerous, but I have never experienced any ill effects from it. I get worse reactions to proactive. When I clean out the coop I pressure spray everything. The ground is cement and the walls are wood. I haven't cleaned since getting oxine, but I will be using that to spray down the roosts/nesting boxes. I dust my chickens individually with sevin if I notice any issues. My silkies were the only ones that had any issues because they didn't dust bathe like the other chickens. I handle my silkies more than the others, and they get dusted twice a year as a preventative. The other birds are great and self administer.

My dust bath is just a kiddie pool filled with black earth, sevin and peat moss. There are plenty of shavings in there now from the chickens scratching around. I need to refill it. ETA: Looks like there is lettuce in the dust bath here as well

 

[nova022]

You have a really nice set up. I am on a much smaller scale with only four girls and a cockrel. They are seven weeks and took their first dirt bath. It was a hoot to watch. Thanks for the info on the sevin.

 

[aoxa]

You have a really nice set up.  I am on a much smaller scale with only four girls and a cockrel.  They are seven weeks and took their first dirt bath. It was a hoot to watch.  Thanks for the info on the sevin.

My chicks take their first dirt bath in shavings as young as a few days old. When I first saw one sunning I swore she was dead. lol

Since you have such a small group of birds, I would dust them individually and not worry about adding it to the dust bath. Do it late fall (November) and again in early March. Check them throughout the summer. If they don't have parasites, I wouldn't bother treating.