Is it Necessary to Disinfect a Chicken Coop for New Chicks?

Raising baby chicks requires significant time and a financial investment. Baby chicks are relatively fragile animals who can become sick and die fairly quickly. A variety of illnesses plague chickens, if you fail to disinfect a coop before placing young chicks into it, you risk your new chicks becoming sick.

  1. The Importance of Disinfecting the Coop

    • It's not guaranteed that you will endanger your chicks in an unsterilized coop, but you will increase the likelihood of them surviving and thriving if you make sure everything in your coop is as clean as possible before you introduce new chicks. Diseases and bacteria can stay in the environment long after an animal who lived there was sick, whether she recovered or died from her illness. If a member of your former flock had any type of illness and you do not sterilize the coop, you put your chicks at risk for catching the illness.

    Preparing For New Arrivals

    • To thoroughly clean a coop, remove any disposable items from the coop, such as old bedding or any old feeds, and throw those away. Take your nesting boxes, and your feed and water dishes, out of the coop. Wash them thoroughly with a disinfectant. Check the sides of your coop for loose nails, broken boards or any gaps your chicks could escape through. Repair as needed.

    Disinfecting the Coop

    • To disinfect your chicken coop you will need to sweep out as much of the old dirt, dust and debris as you can, then hose the inside of the coop down to remove the rest of the dirt. Once you have removed as much of the dirt as you can, spray the coop completely with disinfectant. You can use a commercial disinfectant such as bleach or a natural disinfectant like vinegar to remove any lingering strains of disease from your coop. Allow the disinfectant to sit in the coop until it dries; do not attempt to dry it with a towel or wipe it off.

    Placing Your Chicks In the Coop

    • Place the nesting boxes, feeders and water dishes back in your chicken coop and place fresh bedding inside the boxes. Once your coop is sterilized and has new supplies in it, you can place your chicks in it. Keep an eye on your chicks to make sure they are adapting well to life in the coop and show no signs of illness, such as unwillingness to eat or lethargy.