pressure wash chicken/turkey farms

S

Scott

New member
This may the wrong category to delve into this.
However; has anyone ever pressure washed chicken or turkey farms. If you have , what did you charge and what techniques, challenges did you run into.

Don't be chicken.
 
I have done a laying house which is like a chicken house only it has cages for nest and a floor,there is a driveway down the middle.Take a extra change of cloths or you'll smell like chicken do do all the home.Me and another powerwasher helped a friend of ours clean two laying houses which we NEVER do again at the price he charged,he only priced them at 250 each which should have been atleast 500.There is alot of chicken houses west of me,I have hearded they get 500 and more for cleaning them,I do not know for sure tho.

I can tell you what we ran into,you have to wash the ceiling too,which is alot of overhead work,spiderwebs covered everything not counting the chicken do do in the cages and floor.You'll spit offen unless you get used to the taste of chicken do do,the spiderwebs are monsters which want come off easy.

When we got there that morning the doors on the houses where open and when you look from one door though the building out the backdoor you'll think your fixen to wash a football feild,thats how big they looked.No cleaning chemicals where used only a viruses bracteria eliminater which we upstreamed.
 
I don't know about bidding this type of job, but I do know it would be a very wise investment to have the right personal protective equipment to do such a job.For example a good resperator perferably a full face, good rain suite with hood, rubber boots, rubber gloves, and duct tape to seal boots and gloves to rain suite.
 
I will agree,we had everything except the resperator,which is good advice.We couldn't work with the faceshields on,couldn't see ever will from the overspray from above.We tried dodging the do do as to the spitting but the resperator would have solved that.I can see where a fellower could make money cleaning them,I think more gpm would be what you needed.Its not that bad of a job,takes a little while to get used to the smell tho,heck before you get 50 feet done you want even realize there is a smell.The resperator with a bubble gum scent added would be nice.........it takes a long time with a 5 gpm rig,need atleast 10 or better to keep the customers cost down.
 
I do about 6 chicken houses a year and it is horribly nasty work and about 250 is max on price around here. Some do them under contract as a business for 98.00 each but they work every day and do 4 or 5 a day. Not me boys that is nasty. I charge 250.00 no chems just water and yes the ceilings get thick spider webs. A little trick is to mask yourself and wear goggles and go through quickly and use a high power blower to blow down the house first. Makes washing easier because most of the thick cob webs and dust blow off. I always ask to have the electric turned off and open the curtains up and doors for light and ventilation.
 
Hey Bigboy, with the right filters on the resporator there is no oder, and with a full face with a good seal around your face you can can take the nozzle off the gun to rinse with as often as needed to keep your vision clear.
 
Guys,

Thanks for the great replies.I don't want to run afowl any longer, but I have a few more questions.

1.) Hot water? Cold Water?
2.) Are there EPA laws about poop runoff?
3.) How long did it take you?
4.) How high are the ceilings? If there are alot of spiderwebs, could you not just knock them down first with a brush and long wand?
5.) Are there scheduled cleanings that poultry farmers adhere to? Mandated by law?

I only have cold water at this point . I have a trailer with 3600 psi.4 gpm, and 150 feet of high pressure hose. 230 gallon water tank. Am I being realistic?

Thank you for your kind responses. I realize that these jobs are low on the pecking order.

Scott
 
I understand Bill,we run open guns tho.

Looks like it would build up alot of dust when blowing the ceilings with air as to not see unless they have the fans on.

Scott when you walk in and lookup,it looks like a monster spider has been hard at work,some houses are so thick with them like hanging from the ceiling.

The house I did was a laying house,with floor and cages which took longer.Most have no floor or cages,you wash the ceilings and walls.Hotwater isn't really needed,they told us not to spend to much time on the spiderwebs,if they didn't come off just pin them to the ceiling.

The laying house would take you most of the day if not alday with a 4 gpm.I'm sure with the right setup and washing only the ceilings and walls 2 to 3 hours.The guys whats doing them for 98 is the ones you need to talk to,I'm sure their setup is for speed.

I wouldn't look at it as being low on the picking order,It took us to long with the 5 gpm rigs at the price he bid.With the right setup I wouldn't mind blowing chicken do do
 
Big Boy you are right. Ive seen the rig those 98.00 guys use. Flatbed truck, 1500 gallon tank, 3 guys all with wands. Truck has about 5 power washers mounted on it. 2 hot water skids then 3 cold water units. They only use cold water no chems as I do.4 hours they did a farm with 4 houses. The average salary per man was 10.00 so 150.00 labor then business costs at say 60 per day still nets him about 190.00 profit on those 4 houses with half a day left to do something else. Not too bad. I get the ones that want the houses cleaned thoroughly. 4gpm 3000 psi 225 gallon tank 150' hose and it takes me 6 hrs to do one house @ 250.00. Works out to about 30.00 per hr after business costs. Not terribly profitable but thats why I do them in winter when other work is slow at least it pays the bills but I only do 6 a year and to me that is enough. Here there are no rules against poop runoff and I have tried brushing with a stiff broom first, I still find that when you protect yourself properly and use the blower works better for me. Takes a 1/2 hr. to 45 mins to blow the whole house out if you go quickly so 5 1/2 to 6 hrs to wash. Lots and Lots of nasty dust but that just rinses away, the cobwebs are the worst. Here we also must wash ceiling and 4 rows of drinking lines that run the entire length of chicken house. If you don't want to work and work hard, chicken houses aren't for you. Most of the houses here are 500 - 600 feet in length. Just giving you my way of doing it.
 
i live in laurel, DE and i also want to earn some extra cash but i dont have to wash the whole house i want to know if any of you have ever just wash the fans, vent boxes, or the drinking lines on the house and how do you think i should charge for doing it either by myself or with another person.
 
Scott said:
Guys,
Click to expand...
Scott said:
Thanks for the great replies.I don't want to run afowl any longer, but I have a few more questions.

1.) Hot water? Cold Water?
2.) Are there EPA laws about poop runoff?
3.) How long did it take you?
4.) How high are the ceilings? If there are alot of spiderwebs, could you not just knock them down first with a brush and long wand?
5.) Are there scheduled cleanings that poultry farmers adhere to? Mandated by law?

I only have cold water at this point . I have a trailer with 3600 psi.4 gpm, and 150 feet of high pressure hose. 230 gallon water tank. Am I being realistic?

Thank you for your kind responses. I realize that these jobs are low on the pecking order.

Scott
Click to expand...

1) Cold water should do just fine. The added cost of Hot water will take away your profits.


2) I do hog barns I know it is not the same but as long as you stay inside you do not have to worry about waste. Their system is supposed to take care of it all. My brother works up north like an idiot he opened the back door and some manure when out. It just happened that DNR was driving on the highway and seen the door open and water coming out. Got a $500 fine.


5) As far as cleaning schedule I would bet it is the same. You clean and disinfect when they empty the barns for us once every 7 weeks.<O:p</O:p
 
There is no way I would do that kind of work for that kind of money !! That is specialty work, and hazardous duty pay should apply, but there will always be some idiots willing to do it for chicken feed..... pun intended.
 
I did one laying house 15 or so years ago 50 feet wide 500 feet long, held 9,000 birds. The birds got pulled out and sold for soup. We had 36 hours to clean all the cages nonstop, they were set set up in a sort of a frame style 4 rows if I remember right. Paid $2,500 in the middle of January. Hot as hell, ammonia smell was BAD changed out respirators every two hours. NEVER NEVER NEVER again. Just in case you missed it NO FREAKING way would I do it again for 2k. The minimum for that size house would be 5.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top