Sanitizing a chicken coop is an important part of bird care. We will discuss the details of the procedure and its frequency in this article.

How often and why to disinfect

Chickens quite often suffer from various types of parasites: ticks, lice and others. The presence of parasites causes the bird physical inconvenience and nervous stress, which affects the productivity of the herd. In addition, parasites can serve as a source of various kinds of infections.

Birds cannot get rid of them on their own, so the owners of poultry farms carry out sanitary treatment of the chicken dwelling.Chickens are creatures far from accuracy: scattered food, litter on the litter, spilled water from a drinking bowl - these factors also contribute to the creation of an environment favorable for the propagation of pathogenic microorganisms. Preventive and ongoing sanitary treatments help protect birds from health problems and prevent diseases. Depending on the type of procedure, it is carried out from once a week to several times a year.

Did you know? In calm weather, in the absence of wind, the cock cry can be heard at a distance of two kilometers.

Types of disinfection

Sanitary disinfection is undertaken not only as a method of combating diseases and parasites, but also as a preventive measure. According to the intended purpose, disinfection is divided into the following types:

• preventative - the chicken coop is first processed before the herd is settled, then as necessary (replacing the herd). Ideally, prophylaxis is carried out once every two months, often as a prophylaxis, lime disinfection is carried out;
• current - carried out upon detection of parasites or birds;
• final - carried out after the recovery of the bird, confirmed by laboratory tests.

The methods of disinfecting the room are also excellent. Depending on the preparations and manipulations used during disinfection, the following methods of procedure are distinguished:

• mechanical - replacement of infected containers for water and food, perches, parts of flooring or polishing in order to remove the infected surface;
• physical - disinfection using hot steam and water, quartz lamps, ultraviolet light;
• chemical - the use of active and often aggressive chemicals to kill pathogens;
• biological - the method has not yet received widespread use, since it is more appropriate in large poultry farms. With this method, bacteria and parasites are destroyed with the help of their natural enemies;
• combined - during the epidemic, a set of the above sanitary measures is taken.

Did you know? The largest egg weighing 170 grams was laid by a chicken of a Georgian peasant in 2011. The record was recorded by the Guinness Book of Records.

How to disinfect a chicken coop

Today there is a large selection of different means for disinfecting a chicken coop. Some products are ready to use, others can be prepared by yourself from the available components. Each method operates in different ways, consider in more detail:

• aerosols - sanitation of the room gives a good effect. Sprayed in the air, the drug enters into all cracks and inaccessible places during physical or mechanical processing. You need to use it in the absence of the herd, protecting yourself with overalls;
• saline solutions (monosodium salt, sodium hypochlorite) - A good result and a gentle way of processing, but you need to use it regularly, otherwise the effect of application is quickly lost;
• lime - the cheapest way, they are used mainly as a preventive or additional method, minus lime is that it does not destroy fungal spores and the effect of its use is short-lived;
• iodine (iodine blocks) - an effective drug, being a strong antiseptic, it destroys the smallest manifestations of bacteria, you can treat the room without removing the bird, since iodine is not a toxic agent;
• smoke bombs with ammonia - in addition to parasites, they prevent lung diseases in birds, can be used in the presence of a herd;
• sulfur drafts - the effect of using 100%, destroys mold, parasites, all available bacteria. Less - you need to ventilate for a long time, since the drug is toxic to poultry and to humans.

Important! Contact with chlorine solutions is contraindicated in people with asthma. Vapors may cause an asthma attack.

How to do it right: sequence of actions

For a stable and high-quality result, disinfection is carried out comprehensively, carefully preparing all the necessary tools and preparations, thinking through the whole procedure.

Training

For preliminary manipulations you will need tools:

• shovel or scoop;
• scrapers;
• broom;
• rags.

It is also necessary to prepare work clothes, if necessary - to protect the skin and mucous membranes from the influence of aggressive agents. If processing is carried out in its absence, the bird must be moved to another room. Prepare equipment for the removal of waste and accumulated garbage.

Cleaning

Using scrapers, you need to clean all surfaces from chicken droppings and other dirt, change the litter layer, remove containers for food and water. If there is a need to grind mold-covered surfaces, replace parts of structures (perches, nests), if possible.

Washing

All available surfaces - walls, floors, ceilings, perches, etc. are washed with hot water. For greater effect and to remove an unpleasant odor, a little vinegar is added to the water. The lime-whitewashed walls and ceiling are washed off completely from it, since their layer has already served. After all the procedures, you can whitewash again.

Disinfection

It is advisable to disinfect the premises in the absence of a bird, in the warm season, when it can be released into the street. In this case, the processing will turn out to be better and faster.

Having previously protected yourself from the effects of drugs, begin processing the room. The disinfection process begins from top to bottom: ceiling, perches, floor. It is still advisable to choose less toxic agents, since the effect of toxins can affect the productivity of the bird. An ideal disinfection option would be the use of integrated measures.

Important! Many poultry farmers use formalin in the old fashioned way: cheaply and efficiently. But the drug is extremely toxic to human health, even the smallest fumes can cause serious poisoning.

Among the drugs on the market, there are several time-tested, effective remedies. Experienced farmers recommend:

Is it possible to do disinfection in the presence of a bird

When processing in the presence of birds, sanitation is mainly used; this method is considered the safest. There are a number of rules for a quick and high-quality sanitary procedure:

1. Cleaning is carried out in parts - the old litter is removed, the dishes and improvised equipment are cleaned and washed on the street, then they are washed with a disinfector, washed with running water and dried.
2. Metal surfaces are treated with a gas burner.
3. Before wet cleaning, it is advisable to remove accumulations of dust (with a vacuum cleaner) so as not to spread dirt.
4. Walls and ceilings pass through several layers of lime; copper sulfate can be added to remove fungus qualitatively.
5. Do not forget to rinse with the disinfectant all the elements of the room: ventilation holes, mesh brooders, latches and handles.
6. For sanitation, they use disinfectants safe for the bird (iodine checkers), closing the room with birds for half an hour, then airing it well.

Video: chicken house disinfection

To summarize: chicken coop disinfection is a necessary condition for bird care. The procedure will help protect birds from diseases, while already existing viral or infectious diseases will reduce the risk of an epidemic and pestilence. Room disinfection should be carried out at least once a year.