Preparing a Poultry House

Cleaning and disinfection:
The starting point for the next production cycle starts at the end of the last cycle. Apply an insecticide immediately after the house has been depopulated before the litter and building have cooled down. If the insect infestation is high, this may need to be done again. All equipment such as heaters (brooders), tube feeders and bell drinkers should be removed from the house and placed on an external concrete area for cleaning. Automatic feeders and drinkers should be raised. Any maintenance on the house or equipment should be done and completed before cleaning and disinfection is done. After the house has emptied, the dry cleaning can begin.

Dry cleaning:
Using a scrapper and a brush (or a blower) remove all the accumulated dust, litter and cobwebs from the air inlets, fans, beams, curtains in open-sided houses and ledges. Remove all the waste matter from the house, including left over feed. Take care to not leave any feed around outside the house as this can attract pests. All pest and rodent control measures must be maintained to ensure that the house remains free of pest during the resting period. Litter removed from the house must not be stored on the farm or spread on the land close to the houses. Ideally, it should be removed at least 3 km from the site and incorporated into the soil or composted.

Wet cleaning:
Before any wet cleaning begins, it is important to turn the electricity off and cover electrical equipment to protect from water. A pressure washer where the pressure can be varied can be used. Use low pressure to apply a foam detergent to soak the house, starting from the ceiling and working down the walls to floor, to soften all hardened matter for easy removal. Several different industrial detergents are available in the market and the instructions given by the manufacture should always be followed. Check that the detergent is compatible with the disinfectant that will be used later. While the house is still wet, manually scrubbing of the floor and walls using a stiff brush to loosen materials. Pay attention on hard to clean places.

Using high pressure and hot water, with detergent, clean the debris from all surfaces. Pay special attention to the following areas:
• Fan boxes
• Fan shafts
• Fans
• Ventilation grills
• Tops of beams
• Ledges
• Water pipes
• Feeder lines

The house must then be thoroughly rinsed down with clean water. Excess water should be removed using a squeegee (a rubber edged broom) and if necessary, a mop can be used to soak up water in difficult to reach areas.
The outside of the building must also be cleaned and washed, paying special attention to:
• Air inlets or curtains
• Gutters
• Concrete pathways especially at the entrance and exits to the house

If a header tank is used to store water, it should be drained along with the water lines. The tank should be opened and scrubbed clean with disinfectant. Flush the tank and the lines with an approved sanitiser at the correct dilution. Then fill the tank and the lines with the solution and leave to stand for at least four hours to kill bacteria and remove biofilm from the waterlines. Flush with fresh water and change filters if required. Make sure that the water system is refilled before the chicks arrive. Once the washing has been completed, no dirt or debris should remain. Attention to detail is important to ensure that this is done correctly. Open the house and allow to dry if disinfection is not to follow immediately. Heaters or fans can be used to speed drying of the house if necessary.

Disinfection:
There are several different broad-spectrum disinfection compounds available on the market, such as phenolic compounds, iodine, or iodophors and chlorine compounds. These can be applied using the pressure washer using a fan nozzle. It is important to follow the instructions on the product label for safe use and correct dosage for effective disinfection of the poultry house. A good disinfectant is one with a wide spectrum of activity (non-selective germicide). Thoroughly soak all the interior surfaces and equipment working from top to bottom. The same areas that needed special attention during washing, also require special attention during disinfection.

A rest period of at least 7 days is important before introducing the next flock into the house. Normal biosecurity procedures must be reinstated to restrict access to people and animals to avoid the introduction of pathogens. It is important to monitor the efficiency of the cleaning and disinfection. This can be done by taking swab samples and sending them to the laboratory for quantitative tests. This microbiological monitoring can confirm how effectively undesirable organisms such as salmonella have been eliminated. Routine monitoring will indicate if continuous improvements are being made in the farm hygiene. It can also be used to compare the effectiveness of different cleaning and disinfection options. The target is that no salmonella species should be found after the clean out procedure has been completed.

Conclusion:
A successful cleanout requires that there is good planning so that all the operations are carried out in the correct order and on time. This period should be used to perform routine maintenance tasks and to achieve effective cleaning and disinfection of the house. A detailed plan should be drawn up, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), to ensure that all tasks are completed successfully. This will minimise disease challenges and support the health of the new flock.

Get in touch with your local De Heus Specialist to learn more about preparing a poultry house - https://www.deheus.co.za/meet-our-team