Another warm day today, so we decided it was time to deep clean the chicken coops on the allotment. We normally do this three times over Spring/Summer, and once in the Autumn. This means that the Allotment coops haven't had a deep clean since last October.
They are cleaned out completely, regularly. A "Deep Clean" is more involved. It means not onlu scraping ythe roosting bars, but actually scrubbing them until they are like new. It means praying poultry shield into ever centimetre of the house. It takes a long time.
We started by emptying the large shed, which is the preferred coop of most of them. DH helped empty, and as soon as it was empty and dusted, I sprayed with Poulty Shield. As this also involves spraying the roof, I was wearing a shower cap, which looked very fetching.
While the shed ws drying, I scrubbed the poo trays (water with Virkon), and the roosting bars, and the roosting poles. When they were done, I sprayed everything wit Poultry Shield.
I then went to NUmber 1 coop (home of 3 Girls) and found it contained a very broody hen. I decided to give it a normal clean instead, but I did scrub (Virkon) and Poultry Shield the roosting bars and the poo tray. This should make it quicker when I do a Deep Clean next week.
Number 2 Coop (home of Norman and her 2 sisters) had two broody Girls in. They tend to sleep in the nest boxes anyway, so all this needed was a normal clean. I'll aim to deep clean it next week.
Waterers were cleaned and disinfected; chicken bottoms inspected and cleaned where necessary (3 of the Dinner Girls have the same pear shaped bottom as Custard). DH fenced off another area, raked it over, and sowed some grass seed. Not sure that it's going to germinate, we will need to water it by hand.
By now, the shed was dry, so sprinkled Stalosan (a Poultry Safe powder dinisfectant) on the floor, put the poo trays in, put Aubiose everywhere, and Diatomed the roosting bars, poles & the nest boxes. Everything looked and smelled lovely., apart from me. I was platered in stinky water; I had red Stalosan powder down my trousers and on my shirt, diatom on my shoes. When I took my shower cap off, my hair was clean underneath - but damp.
I've just had a shower and put clean clothes on. Wish now I'd hoiked the broodies out and done their coops today.... but it's too late now.
They are cleaned out completely, regularly. A "Deep Clean" is more involved. It means not onlu scraping ythe roosting bars, but actually scrubbing them until they are like new. It means praying poultry shield into ever centimetre of the house. It takes a long time.
We started by emptying the large shed, which is the preferred coop of most of them. DH helped empty, and as soon as it was empty and dusted, I sprayed with Poulty Shield. As this also involves spraying the roof, I was wearing a shower cap, which looked very fetching.
While the shed ws drying, I scrubbed the poo trays (water with Virkon), and the roosting bars, and the roosting poles. When they were done, I sprayed everything wit Poultry Shield.
I then went to NUmber 1 coop (home of 3 Girls) and found it contained a very broody hen. I decided to give it a normal clean instead, but I did scrub (Virkon) and Poultry Shield the roosting bars and the poo tray. This should make it quicker when I do a Deep Clean next week.
Number 2 Coop (home of Norman and her 2 sisters) had two broody Girls in. They tend to sleep in the nest boxes anyway, so all this needed was a normal clean. I'll aim to deep clean it next week.
Waterers were cleaned and disinfected; chicken bottoms inspected and cleaned where necessary (3 of the Dinner Girls have the same pear shaped bottom as Custard). DH fenced off another area, raked it over, and sowed some grass seed. Not sure that it's going to germinate, we will need to water it by hand.
By now, the shed was dry, so sprinkled Stalosan (a Poultry Safe powder dinisfectant) on the floor, put the poo trays in, put Aubiose everywhere, and Diatomed the roosting bars, poles & the nest boxes. Everything looked and smelled lovely., apart from me. I was platered in stinky water; I had red Stalosan powder down my trousers and on my shirt, diatom on my shoes. When I took my shower cap off, my hair was clean underneath - but damp.
I've just had a shower and put clean clothes on. Wish now I'd hoiked the broodies out and done their coops today.... but it's too late now.
