# How to thoroughly (and naturally) clean rented chicken coop/barn?



## chigasaki (Jan 10, 2012)

My husband and I are getting ready to move to a rental that has a chicken coop and barn already on the property. We are allowed to use about one acre of the land and are so excited to get some chickens. Unfortunately, it looks like the coop and barn have not been cleaned out in quite some time, at least not thoroughly! So besides a routine cleaning that should be done to prevent disease between animals, how do I actually _clean_ all that junk out and sanitize it?

Oh, one more little itty bitty preference I have is that it be a natural cleaning method. (I can't and won't use bleach!) I read a wonderful article about disinfecting with vinegar and tea tree oil, which is something I do at home. Both vinegar and tea tree oil are naturally antibacterial. Thoughts on this?


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## elevan (Jan 10, 2012)

chigasaki said:
			
		

> Oh, one more little itty bitty preference I have is that it be a natural cleaning method. (I can't and won't use bleach!) I read a wonderful article about disinfecting with vinegar and tea tree oil, which is something I do at home. Both vinegar and tea tree oil are naturally antibacterial. Thoughts on this?


Vinegar is a great cleaner.  But I guess it depends on how dirty the coop is.  I would apply lime to the floor and any surface areas if you can for a few days before you clean.  Then remove the lime and start scrubbing.  I believe that tea tree oil is supposed to be great to get rid of bugs so I'd probably add that too without any qualms.


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## elevan (Jan 10, 2012)

What are your feelings on peroxide?  It's a great disinfectant getting rid of germs, bacteria and other ickies.


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## Beekissed (Jan 10, 2012)

I'd advise you NOT to clean or disinfect that closely.  The existing bacteria could be beneficial to your flock and there is no way to sanitize the area/ground so thoroughly that they won't pick up something from their environment.  

I'd clean out obvious bedding/manure build-up and just let the good ol' country air do its job of drying and killing the exposed germies.  Any feed troughs, water containers, etc. can be given a more thorough cleansing with soap, water and ACV...but just simple cleaning and drying out in the sun, wind and weather is going to do more good than anything else.  

Wear a face mask when cleaning out the old, dry poultry manure and bedding as the dust is a problem and could even cause some histoplasmosis down the line.  If it is too dry, I'd sprinkle it down to dampen it before starting the job.


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## chigasaki (Jan 10, 2012)

elevan said:
			
		

> What are your feelings on peroxide?  It's a great disinfectant getting rid of germs, bacteria and other ickies.


Thanks for the idea! I haven't done enough research on peroxide to know for sure, but I'll definitely look into it!



			
				Beekissed said:
			
		

> I'd advise you NOT to clean or disinfect that closely.  The existing bacteria could be beneficial to your flock and there is no way to sanitize the area/ground so thoroughly that they won't pick up something from their environment.
> 
> I'd clean out obvious bedding/manure build-up and just let the good ol' country air do its job of drying and killing the exposed germies.  Any feed troughs, water containers, etc. can be given a more thorough cleansing with soap, water and ACV...but just simple cleaning and drying out in the sun, wind and weather is going to do more good than anything else.
> 
> Wear a face mask when cleaning out the old, dry poultry manure and bedding as the dust is a problem and could even cause some histoplasmosis down the line.  If it is too dry, I'd sprinkle it down to dampen it before starting the job.


Thank you for your reply! I guess my only concern is that I don't know the previous tenant that kept chickens. I'm not even sure when chickens were last kept. I suppose I should ask the landlord. I don't know if they had any diseases or if there were other problems. I do realize the importance of them being in a natural habitat and that they will be exposed to lots of things in that manner (not necessarily a bad thing).

However, if I can help prevent disease, I would like to at least try. So I guess my question is this: concerning diseases, would removing the old bedding and manure and sanitizing the feed troughs, water containers, etc. be enough to help prevent against any diseases that the previous flock may have had? I'm not expecting to completely eliminate all risks, of course. Just what I can.


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## chigasaki (Jan 10, 2012)

elevan said:
			
		

> Vinegar is a great cleaner.  But I guess it depends on how dirty the coop is.  I would apply lime to the floor and any surface areas if you can for a few days before you clean.  Then remove the lime and start scrubbing.  I believe that tea tree oil is supposed to be great to get rid of bugs so I'd probably add that too without any qualms.


How did I manage to miss this one? Haha. I hadn't yet heard this idea. I will definitely look into it!


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## Beekissed (Jan 10, 2012)

> However, if I can help prevent disease, I would like to at least try.


I've moved new flocks into old coops before without a smidge of problems...and without disinfecting.  Old coops are nearly impossible to cleanse, so one has to count on developing a flock with a good immune system from the start.  That's the only known way I know of to actually _prevent_ disease transmission, as you can never disinfect every nook and cranny in a coop or run.


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## Nova+Sassy (Jan 10, 2012)

what about bleach? is that ok to use, on my coop, just for a good cleaning?


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## PattySh (Jan 10, 2012)

I use a pressure washer in my barn for a major cleanout. Not sure I use chemicals either. The chickens are probably going to stratch in the ground outside and whatever is inside is probably outside also. Most chickens are pretty hardy. If it has been vacant for awhile  I would probably dust them for mites before putting them in the coop and watch for scaly mites on their legs or preventitively dip their feet in oil (mineral/olive etc) a week after putting them in the coop and monthly if needed. Mites seem to live in Old barns that have been poultry occupied.


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