Last week we talked about human babies and the need for keeping their living spaces clean and disinfected.
As important as that is for our human babies, it is equally important for our animal babies many of which will be joining us over the coming weeks and months.
Without further ado, let's make some clean and disinfected rooms/pens for those babies!
Cleaning
Having grown up on a dairy farm, I understand the importance of keeping our animal's pens and stalls clean and free from debris and fecal matter.
In spite of knowing it, I still didn't like the seemingly endless hours of pitching manure and keeping those pens clean!
My favorite part of growing up on the farm was taking care of the babies! I loved the little calves and baby chicks.
Now one of my daughters raises goats, chickens, turkeys, calves, rabbits, and horses. It is like being a kid again when I am on her farm. The big benefit is that I don't have to clean pens!
But, I digress, back to cleaning! (I procrastinated like this when I had to clean the pens as a kid, too!)
When I was a kid, we didn't have the kinds of animal diseases that are prevalent these days like H1N1 (Swine Flu), Avian influenza, canine flu, horse flu, and many others that have adapted to flourish in a variety of hosts including humans.
A few years ago, the "bird flu" was especially bad and outbreaks of it still infect and kill many birds.
In fact, as reported in November 2021 by the World Organisation for Animal Health, "Since 1 May 2021, outbreaks of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed in 41 countries from different regions in poultry and wild birds. Currently present in Africa, Asia, and Europe, the disease is a threat to economic stability, food security, and livelihoods. Commonly known as bird flu, avian influenza is a very contagious disease that affects several species of poultry, as well as pet birds and wild birds, and occasionally, humans." (1)
While cleaning out manure, straw, and other debris from the animal's pen or stall is important, it is also important to disinfect their stalls especially when new babies are expected--typically in the spring.
Cleaning the areas where your new babies will be living can be as simple as wishing them down with a power sprayer or hose. But the next step is vital to their health.
Disinfecting
After you have washed down your pen, stall, calf hutch, or wherever your new babies will call home, it is important to take the next step--disinfecting.
You may already know how good Vital Oxide is at disinfecting areas in your home. If you have used it, you also know that it is safe to use on virtually any surface and that it is also safe to use by people or animals.
Vital Oxide can be used to disinfect and sanitize dairy parlors, poultry houses, animal pens, and equipment. With livestock (cows, chickens, sheep, goats, etc.), manure covers floors, walls, pens, stalls, and any other place that animals move around. Vital Oxide can be used as a disinfectant and diluted to a sanitizer for spray and/or foam application. There’s no smell and it’s safe for animals and humans.
Our newest babies are more susceptible to bacteria and other germs and it is important to give them the best chance at surviving in a world full of disease.
"Vital Oxide helps make the likelihood of humans and animals becoming infected with viruses and bacteria less of a threat. Currently, Vital Oxide is used to reduce the spread of pathogens on farm premises, veterinary clinics, and animal care facilities, as well as businesses, schools, hospitals, public mass transit, and in homes across the globe.
"Vital Oxide is unique because it is highly effective against pathogens while being colorless, odorless, and free from nauseous fumes and harmful residues. It also has a safety rating that is not common with other disinfectants. Vital Oxide has the lowest toxicity level that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gives pesticide (disinfectant) applications – Category 4 – which means that you do not need to wear gloves or any other personal protection equipment while applying it for general use. Vital Oxide is safe to use on virtually any surface that can get wet; it’s non-corrosive to treated surfaces." (2)
Here are some of the suggested steps to disinfect farm areas, pens, stalls, and more with Vital Oxide. (2)
Remove all animals and feed from the premises, vehicles, and enclosures.
Remove all litter and manure from floors, walls, and surfaces of barns, pens, stalls, chutes, and other facilities and fixtures occupied or traversed by animals.
Empty all troughs, racks, and other feeding and water appliances.
Thoroughly clean all surfaces with soap or detergent and rinse with water. Vital Oxide may also be used for this pre-cleaning step.
Saturate all surfaces with Vital Oxide undiluted for a period of 10 minutes for disinfection.
Immerse all halters, ropes, and other types of equipment used in handling and restraining animals, as well as forks, shovels, and scrapers used for removing litter and manure, in Vital Oxide for 10 minutes.
Allow surfaces, tools, and equipment to air dry.
Ventilate buildings, vehicles, and other closed spaces.
Drain any pooled product and/or rinse the standing product with potable water. Do not house livestock or employ equipment until treatment has been absorbed or dried.
So there you have it. Vital Oxide can help keep your farm and your precious new babies safe and healthy in spite of diseases.
Questions?
If you want to learn more about how Vital Oxide can help you or if you have any questions, you can contact an agent near you. They will be happy to assist you.
Resources
1 https://www.oie.int/en/the-world-organisation-for-animal-health-oie-calls-for-increased-surveillance-of-avian-influenza-as-outbreaks-in-poultry-and-wild-birds-intensify/
2 https://vitaloxide.com/blogs/blog/avian-influenza-spreads-in-europe-and-asia
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