An effective sanitation program should be executed logically and approached on a continuing basis. It is mandatory that all objects, whether cage, syringe or brooder, be thoroughly cleaned before any type of disinfection or sterilization take place. Good old soap and water, a multi-purpose cleaner or a recommended disinfectant, whatever will eliminate organic matter such as feces, bird dust and old food, is a good choice.

A practical disinfection procedure would be to use 3 containers: the first vessel contains detergent and water, the second an intermediate-level disinfectant, and the third plain rinse water. Soak contaminated object in detergent and water, remove all solid matter, then soak in disinfectant solution for a minimum of thirty minutes, and thoroughly rinse in clean water. Place on a drying rack, in the sun if possible. Chose a high-level or medium level disinfectant for a more through disinfection. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DRECTIONS CAREFULLY. A sterilizing agent may be necessary to prevent or stop the spread of disease. It is recommended that surfaces and objects in contact with a bird be sterilized periodically. Use a high-level disinfectant such as Wavicide-l. Overnight soaking is recommended for complete sterilization. In most cases, good sanitation does not necessitate sterilization but should be utilized periodically. With disease outbreaks, sterilization is highly recommended but is not typically warranted. Sterilization may be accomplished by autoclave, by fire, in a hot oven, by steam under pressure, by ionizing radiation or by boiling for 20 minutes. For avian use, cold (chemical) sterilization, using a high-level disinfectant, is the most practical.

Based on the pathogenic micro-organisms found in a psittacine breeding operation, the brand of disinfectant for baby brooders and feeding syringes should be a safe bactericide product with some fungicide and virucide properties as well. The disinfectant for cages, walls and floors should be an effective virucide which is least affected by the presence of organic matter (Mark Hagen, M Ag., Disease Prevention Through Proper Sanitation and Disinfection In An Indoor Psittacine Breeding facility, Dept. of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph. Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G2W1).

When developing a sanitation program, selection of a disinfectant should be based on the type of organism to be controlled, the surface or object to be disinfected, the risk of harm involved and, of course, cost effectiveness. Disinfectants are not uniformly effective against all pathogens. Therefore, a product or products should be chosen based on its effectiveness against important pathogens and its safety to humans and animals. A failure to choose an effective disinfectant can result in the spread of disease. To reduce the numbers of infectious organisms in an avian environment, it may be necessary to customize a sanitation program incorporating more than one disinfectant, using a "rotation."

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