How to Clean Poultry Transport Cages
Many people use poultry transport cages or crates to move birds from one place to another. If you are a hobbyist or small producer who uses crates to move poultry from one pen to another or during transport of new stock, it is imperative that you clean the cages after use. Adopting a cleaning process for poultry transport cages is one way to help reduce, control or even prevent external contamination and disease.
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Things You'll Need
- Poultry transport cages
- 1 gallon of bleach
- Handheld pressure sprayer
- Pressure washer
Instructions
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Cleaning the Poultry Transport Cages
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1
Prepare the pressure washer by following the manufacturer's instructions. Typically, this consists of filling the water tank to the recommended level and providing fuel or electricity to power the engine.
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2
Spread the poultry transport cages out so that each one can be cleaned. While a cement or wooden surface is preferable, a grassy area will also work.
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3
Spray each of the crates, inside and out. Flip the cage over and repeat the process. The pressure of the water should loosen and clean the poultry transport cages with one washing. If not, repeat the process.
Disinfecting the Poultry Transport Cages
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4
Mix 1 cup of bleach with 2 gallons of water in a handheld sprayer. Pressurize the sprayer by pumping it up.
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5
Spray each poultry transport cage with the bleach water to disinfect the crate. Begin by saturating the inside of the cage completely. Then spray the top and sides of the cage. Flip the cage over and spray the bottom and sides of the cage.
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6
Rinse the inside and outside of the poultry transport cages with clear water from the power washer. Start by spraying all of the inside surface areas followed by the outside surfaces. Flip the cage over and rinse them again.
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7
Dry the cages in the sun for two hours before stacking for storage.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Power washers are relatively inexpensive to buy, or you may rent one from a supplier.
A local car wash is also a good place to clean poultry transport cages.
There are varying opinions as to whether a crate needs to be disinfected, but it is usually better to err on the safe side.
Rinse all of the poultry transport cages thoroughly after disinfecting with bleach.
Follow manufacturer instructions when operating a pressure washer.
Due to the large quantity of water needed to clean the poultry transport cages, avoid cleaning the crates on a dirt surface or you will soon be working in a puddle of mud.
