[AmandaH]

Mornin'  

Now it's started getting chillier (well, it is in Buckinghamshire), I was just looking for some advice on cleaning out...

I have a tidy up every day and replace the newspaper and Cozy Coop completely every three days or so.  That's still easy enough to do in the winter.  But what about the big clean out I do every week-ten days?  I disinfect everything with Barrier V1, go a bit mad with the Poultry Shield and then puff Diatom in the nest box.  

I am just not sure about the Poultry Shield bit - up until now, I just opened up the coop, sprayed it all out and left it to dry before putting back together.  But, if my washing is anything to go by, you can leave stuff outside for *days* in the winter and it will NEVER get dry  

What does everyone else do?

I can't put the chooks back in a damp house, but I have to clean it out properly...  

Any advice gratefully received x

[poultrygeist]

Hi Amanda. I only use Poultry Shield in the summer or a very suitable day in winter. I left it last winter and just changed the shavings and straw when needed.

Obviously, everyone does it differently but I've had no problems with this so far.

Rob

[AmandaH]

Oh, OK, thanks Rob - it's OK to ease off on the creepy-crawlie prevention in the winter then?

I can still still disinfect the floor of the house (it's one of those trays you pull out with a metal bottom) as I can dry it but everything else is wood.

That's good news - will make life so much easier.

[Foxy]

Whats I use in the winter is to use a powder disinfect called "stalosan F" it is perfectly safe for chooks and is effective in killing most bacteria, viruses and fungi. I clean out the chooks then leave a thin powder film on the floor before adding easibed. It also has a slight drying effect useful if you are worried about soaking the house in Jeyes or something similar!
I dont worry so much about redmite once the temp drops and the first frosts are on the ground, but give the house a real good clean on any dry sunny winter days. In the early autumn all my houses are checked for loose bolts etc and taken apart, repairs made then thorough clean with Virkon S (my preferrred disinfectant)
Personally I feel a real deep clean and disinfect is more effective at killing bugs then a cursory clean every week or so.Equally important is making sure the houses aren't overstocked with birds.
Finally, although its tempting to worry about our birds in the winter, I find they tend to get less bugs than in the summer, make sure though they have plenty of ventilation, but not drafts in the henhouse. :)It is surprising how well they cope in the winter!

[poultrygeist]

Is stalosan safe for birds to have direct contact with ?

There was a thread a few days ago where the chooks had eaten a little bit 

ROb

[AmandaH]

Oh brilliant Foxy, thanks, I didn't realise there was such a thing as a "powder" disinfectant.  I shall get some of that for the winter and have a good clean out when we have a nice day.  If I still do my daily routine, would a good clean-out monthly over the winter suffice?

I only have four birds in the house and it seems that two sleep squashed up together on one end of the perch and the other two sleep squashed together in the nest box (I know because I went and peeked at them late last night and they told me off).  They are ex-batts so, if they want to sleep in the nest box, that's ok by me.  I poo pick every day so the nest box is pretty clean.  

The ventilation holes are at the top of the house so any draughts would be over their heads.  Should I put anything else in/over the house in winter, so they are warmer?  A hot water bottle, perhaps?    In a furry cover?

[Foxy]

Is stalosan safe for birds to have direct contact with ?

There was a thread a few days ago where the chooks had eaten a little bit 

ROb

It is safe for birds being non-toxic and recommended by defra