It is extremely important to maintain a clean, dry environment for our birds to live in while they are in our barns. Usually the housekeeping is done during our regular barn chores. However, sometimes the cleaning takes a little longer, so we add an extra crew member to speed up the process. That might mean adding a time in our schedule for barn housekeeping after lunch and before afternoon barn checks. Once a barn is flagged for housekeeping, we make it a priority to get it done right away.
Housekeeping is done whenever it is needed. Sometimes it is needed daily, especially in A rooms where the chicks are younger. Usually once a week is enough to keep our barns clean. Air movement and the humidity level in the outside air has a huge effect on air quality in the barns. Hot, humid weather for an extended period of time requires more time on barn housekeeping to ensure a comfortable living quarters for the birds.
Housekeeping Chores
- We top dress with Drygiene and Mistral in any damp areas. Drygiene and Mistral are powder products that absorb moisture and also reduce ammonia. If any areas are too wet for good control with dressing, we remove the wet dressing and start over.
- To keep bedding in good shape and humidity down, we top dress the areas that seem to get dirty more. We locate problem areas and top dress with the absorbent powder, then dress with wood shavings in the A-rooms and straw in the B-Rooms.
- Spilled feed also can increase humidity (and pests). We clean all spills immediately.
- We make sure the ventilation system in the barn is running at full capacity.
- We clean up all water spills and fix leaks right away.
Humidity can be a huge problem in barns. Think about how uncomfortable it is for humans when it is humid. We want the best living conditions for our birds, so keeping humidity down is a daily concern. Birds grown in overly humid conditions can develop chronic health conditions like septic lung and other respiratory infections. Proper ventilation, housekeeping, and diligence goes a long way in keeping humidity down in our barns. The hotter and more humid the weather, the more work it takes to keep the barns a healthy living environment for our chicks.
If you want to try your hand at raising pheasant or partridge chicks in a controlled environment you can contact Brian Davis at [email protected] for expert advice. Keep an eye on our website for chick specials! Our manual on chick rearing can be downloaded for free if you want to read up on raising healthy chicks!
