Washing and disinfecting chicken coops
Livestock such as poultry are exposed to many microorganisms, viruses, bacteria and insects. Good Agricultural Practice must be implemented to maintain hygiene and proper sanitary conditions in the chicken coop. To this end, disinfection and pest control services for livestock buildings should be carried out. Building disinfection is a treatment that destroys all microorganisms, while pest control is a service that fights insects such as the glossy mould beetle. Chicken coop cleaning and disinfection services must be carried out before each batch of poultry is placed in the coop.
The DDD Panfil company offers professional and thorough cleaning of chicken coops as part of its service package. We have extensive experience and a wide range of cleaning and disinfection agents, which means that the level of sanitary hygiene in the coops will be unquestionable.
Why is it so important to clean and disinfect chicken coops?
Cleaning and disinfecting chicken coops is a very important task that must be carried out by a professional disinfection company. Proper hygiene and sanitary conditions in the coop are essential in terms of legality, public health and the profitability of breeding. Existing viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites are a threat to poultry and cause numerous diseases and even mortality of these animals, which then negatively affects profits. In order to prevent this situation, it is necessary to clean the buildings using effective chemicals and selecting the right tools.
A common poultry disease caused by neglecting the henhouse and contaminated drinking water is coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is a collective term for parasitic diseases in industrial animal husbandry caused by parasites in the intestinal epithelium.
The poultry industry suffers huge losses due to parasitic infections, as coccidiosis in poultry leads to an increasing mortality rate among both chicks and adult birds. Coccidiosis in poultry can be prevented by disinfection, i.e. thorough cleaning of the henhouses, and by administering anticoccidial drugs to the feed.
Stages of cleaning chicken coops
To ensure that the cleaning of chicken coops is carried out effectively, it is important to follow the correct sequence of services.
Initial disinfection of the chicken coop
The first step is to carry out a preliminary disinfection of the walls and ceilings. Disinfection is done using an insecticide to destroy insects that hatched during the previous rearing of the hens.
Cleaning before disinfecting the henhouse
The next stage is the proper preparation of the henhouses, which involves removing litter, droppings, dust, cobwebs and any feed residues. To prepare the building for further work, the poultry equipment and facilities must also be cleaned.
Washing the henhouses
Washing the buildings is the next step in effective disinfection. The chicken coops are washed by spraying the entire surface of the coop, water lines, feed lines and chimneys (from above) with a selected agent using high-pressure washers and the best quality equipment and preparations. The hen houses are cleaned with pressurised water at a temperature of 75°C (hot water cleaning). The complete cleaning includes the hen house and all equipment such as drinking troughs and fans. It is important to note that dirt cannot be disinfected! Therefore, the cleaning service is very important.
Disinfection of the hen house
After cleaning, the hen house is disinfected by spraying or fogging with a chemical agent. Covering the entire surface of the hen house with a special agent limits the growth of harmful microorganisms. Only certified products that destroy bacteria and viruses are used for surface disinfection. Thermal fogging services allow chemicals to reach hard-to-reach areas. Coccidiosis and other diseases can also be controlled by burning the floor – the high temperature kills the parasites that cause coccidiosis.
Final preparation of the hen house
In order for the chemical to work effectively, it is important to close the facility for a few hours. Then the disinfected hen house must be thoroughly aired, after which the straw can be spread over the surface of the facility.
In order to protect against coccidiosis, prevention against these parasites must be started well in advance. Only then can you be completely protected from them. It is also important to remember that it is not only medication that is supposed to ward off potential diseases – the most important thing is to maintain a proper level of hygiene.
Andrzej Panfil’s Disinfection, Pest Control and Rodent Control Company has many excellent references from poultry farmers. To meet the expectations of breeders, we adapt to ensure that the interval between batches of chickens is trouble-free. We provide accommodation for the duration of the cleaning of the henhouses; we have our own caravans to minimise the service time.
Examples of henhouse cleaning services
