Apply the disinfectant. Allow the disinfectant to dry completely. Bed the area with fresh materials and rinse all water and feeding equipment before refilling them. The relative importance of these characteristics will depend on your individual situation, but efficacy and toxicity to animals are always important concerns. The most commonly used disinfectants are the phenols, iodophors, hypochlorites, and quaternary ammonium.
Phenols are coal-tar derivatives.
They have a characteristic pine-tar odor and turn milky in water. Phenols are effective antibacterial agents, and they are also effective against fungi and many viruses. In commercial poultry operations, phenols are used for egg dipping, hatchery and equipment sanitation, and footbaths. Iodine compounds are available as iodophors, which are combinations of elemental iodine and a substance that makes the iodine soluble in water. Iodophors are effective against bacteria, fungi, and many viruses.