Preparing or disenfecting a chicken coop.

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

I just moved an 8x8 chicken coop onto my property and set it up. It is an all wood structure that is set about 2' off the ground on 4x4 legs. It was used as a coop up until past fall. It still had all the straw and droppings in it when I picked it up. I've raked it and swept it out. Should anything else be done to it to clean it? I have no idea about the previous flock that was in it. Also the floor needs to be covered and Im looking for suggestions. The structure was originally a kids playhouse. The floor was built like a deck of 2x6's with gaps of up to 1 1/2" between them. The last owner threw a piece of carpet over it for the chickens which I tore out along with all the straw and droppings. The 2x6's are in good shape but the gaps between them are quite large. Has anyone used OSB board for their coop floor? It seems like the cheapest sheathing to buy.

-- Emil in TN (eprisco@usit.net), March 25, 2002

Answers

Emil,

I think I would use sometype of chicken wire maybe 1/2 inch on the bottom of the coop or maybe hardware cloth 1/4 inch. I think you could also use a garden sprayer with a mild bleach solution to sterilize the coop. Also If you have some type of barn spray for mites, spiders and such that might be a good idea. Don't however mis the two in your sprayer or spray when one is still wet. Hope this helps. Linda

-- Linda (awesomegodchristianministries@yahoo.con), March 25, 2002.


I suggest you use hardware cloth 1/4". It is strong and will keep unwanted critters from squeezing up through the boards. You can put plywood over it also and/or old linoleum. I found that old linoleum is easy to clean. I can pull it out when to clean and protects the plywood. Plywood will also keep out drafts. OSB is that pressed board? That is what is in my coop. Where it got wet, it did rot a hole, that's why I like to have the linoleum on top, so I can pull that out to clean.

I also suggest that you use a pine cleaner instead of bleach. I read an article on the web, which I can not find now, which compared different cleansers for use in stalls, coops and so forth. The pine cleaner was much more effective at disinfecting when manure and dirt was still present. Bleach was only effective when the surfaces were already clean. From my own experience I have found that this probably tends to be true.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), March 26, 2002.


As chicken will peck at a wooden floor, especially if it gets any water on it, I would take this into consideration. Have heard of them pecking their way through floors made out of that waffle board.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), March 26, 2002.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ