Once the long and cold winter is over, it’s time for spring cleaning! Cleaning and disinfecting your chicken coop is an important part of chicken rearing that must not be skipped, especially if you plan on bringing in new birds or replacing your flock.
Regular decontamination is important to provide healthy living conditions and prevent a number of diseases like Mycoplasm, E.coli, Marek’s disease, and respiratory viruses.
At the same time, cleaning and disinfecting offer an easy way to control pests and prevent Salmonella Enteritidis, which leads to egg contamination.
This makes it absolutely essential to clean and disinfect your chicken coop every year and after each flock. Scroll down to read some amazing tips that can help you run a clean and healthy chicken coop.
First Things First
Start by removing your chickens from the coop. Keep in mind that cleaning and disinfecting a coop may take some time. Therefore, it is important to have another suitable resting place for your birds. Once all the birds are shifted, remove the equipment and accessories, like feeders and drinkers, from the coop. It is advisable to clean this equipment at another place, away from the coop.
Dry Cleaning
Dry cleaning is the first step of the decontamination process. Sweep the dirt and blow dust from all parts of the coop including the walls, ceiling, light and heat bulbs, fans and cages. Accumulate the dirt and debris on the floor. Also, scrape as much manure as you can before sweeping the floor. Remove all the litter from the floor. You can even use a small vacuum to do the job for you!
Bring in the Water Hose
Once all the dry litter is swiped out of the coop, it’s time for wet cleaning. In other words, it’s time to bring in the water hose. This part requires you to soak, wash, and rinse the coop. Keep in mind that warm or hot water works best for cleaning the organic matter. It softens stiff dirt and manure to the point where it can be scraped away easily.
Let it Soak
Start by soaking the most heavily soiled areas like the roosting place or the floor. Use a low-pressure hose and soak the area thoroughly. Let the accumulated dirt and manure absorb as much moisture as possible. In the meanwhile, wash every surface in the coop including the walls, windows and ceiling trusses.
Wash it off
Time to get your hands dirty! Use a stiff brush to scrub the soiled areas. While you can also use a high-pressure sprayer, manually scrubbing is still the best way to ensure proper cleaning. Clean until all the dirt is removed. Be extra careful while cleaning the electrical parts. In fact, it is advisable to turn the power off before you even start soaking the accumulated dirt and manure.
Choosing a Detergent
A number of disinfectants and detergents are readily available in the market. While a neutral cleaning solution will work just fine, it is advisable to go for an alkaline detergent to ensure you kill all the harmful germs and microbes.
Happy Cleaning!
