Disinfecting the coop is not something that is required on a regular basis. A good cleaning of the coop and equipment is enough to keep potential pathogens under control. However, after a disease outbreak, preparing a quarantine area, or bringing used equipment in, it is necessary to really disinfect and kill all pathogens. We also recommend disinfecting the coop and equipment annually.
There are several disinfectants. Each has different properties as listed in the table below.
It’s important to clean the surface before applying disinfectants as they won’t work on organic matter. As with any chemical, always follow the instructions and read the warnings (for example phenol-based products are toxic to cats and pigs). Also realize that disinfecting takes time.
Although there are non chemical ways to disinfect like boiling water, direct sunlight, and high heat, they are not always practical.
At Clorofil, we use Virkon S and a Quaternary disinfectant cleaner.