Simple steps to maintain good hygiene and help protect your poultry from disease.
If you keep poultry, good hygiene is particularly important because it can help prevent the spread of diseases such as avian influenza and salmonella.
Here are some key hygiene measures to follow:
Key Poultry Hygiene Guidance
- Clean and disinfect housing regularly. Remove manure, litter, feathers and spilled feed before applying a disinfectant. Disinfectants work much more effectively on clean surfaces.
- Use a DEFRA-approved disinfectant at the correct dilution for the disease you are targeting. Products such as Virkon™ S are commonly used, but disinfectants should always be mixed and applied according to the product label.
- Provide clean feed and water daily. Prevent contamination with droppings and clean drinkers and feeders frequently.
- Control access to poultry areas. Limit visitors where possible and provide clean footwear or appropriate footbaths if others enter.
- Wash your hands before and after handling birds, eggs, equipment or feed.
- Keep rodents and wild birds away from poultry feed and water, as they can spread disease.
- Store feed securely in sealed containers to help prevent contamination by pests.
- Remove dead birds promptly and dispose of them in accordance with applicable regulations.
- Quarantine new birds before introducing them to an existing flock where possible.
Good Biosecurity Matters
Keeping poultry housing, equipment, feed and water clean and limiting opportunities for contact with wild birds and pests can help reduce the risk of disease entering or spreading within your flock.
Cleaning Your Feeders & Drinkers
Cleaning poultry feeders and drinkers properly is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of diseases such as
salmonella, coccidiosis and avian influenza spreading within a flock.
Daily
- Empty and refill drinkers with fresh, clean water.
- Remove any feed that has become wet, mouldy or contaminated with droppings.
- Check feeders and drinkers for dirt, algae or biofilm and clean them when necessary.
Weekly Cleaning
Clean more frequently if feeders or drinkers become dirty.
1
Empty feeders and drinkers completely.
2
Wash with warm water and detergent to remove dirt, feed residues and biofilm.
3
Scrub all surfaces, paying particular attention to corners, seams and nipples or valves on drinkers.
4
Rinse thoroughly to remove all detergent.
5
Disinfect using a suitable disinfectant, such as Virkon™ S, mixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
6
Leave the disinfectant on for the recommended contact time.
7
Rinse if required by the product label.
8
Allow equipment to dry before refilling with feed or water.
Important:
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when preparing and using disinfectants, including the recommended dilution and contact time.
Best Practices
- Keep feeders under cover to help prevent rain and contamination from wild birds.
- Raise feeders and drinkers so birds are less likely to scratch litter or droppings into them.
- Clean up spilled feed promptly to discourage rodents and wild birds.
- Replace cracked or damaged plastic equipment, as scratches can harbour bacteria and make effective cleaning and disinfection more difficult.
- Wear gloves when cleaning and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Good hygiene and biosecurity play an important role in keeping poultry healthy. Regular cleaning, fresh feed and water, pest control and careful use of disinfectants can all help reduce the risk of disease entering or spreading within your flock.