Free Roaming Chicken Barn

[ceb58]

Ceb58, I was the one that mentioned "washing down". It's probably been 15 years since I have been in a laying house but I had a chicken farmer that I did work for. If memory serves me right the birds layed for about 18 month or until production dropped off. After the birds were gone he always washed down and disinfected before a new batch of birds came. I just assumed this was standard practice for all laying houses.

And you are probably correct in a laying house or brooder house. I am more familiar with top out houses. The biddies are brought in and fed until they reach 5-6 lbs. then off to the processor they go. These houses are kept as dry as possible to reduce the ammonia.