help with organic disinfectants

i cannot find phenols on the national list from NOP.

i had a couple of very young guineas die. it was probably from poor breeding. nonetheless, i wanted to disinfect the cage, which is simply 2x2s and hardware cloth. Tek-trol was recommended. It certainly must be strong, it is recommened for flood damaged areas, and claims to killl many bacteria and viruses. it also remains acitve in heavy organic materials, including soil. likely spraying it in the bird cage could later disqualify me if i were to want to become organic [though not likely in the next three years].

more than organic disqualification, what else can it do to the soil and air? i am not sure i want to breathe it. recommended contact time with a surface is 10 minutes!!! i didn't want to buy a gallon, and have it sit around, how do you dispose of such a thing? i found it available in a small aerosol can, [smaller amount and costs less], but re-read this paragraph for more objections, and i prefer to not use an aerosol when possible.

so what else could i use? i have a 40% bleach spray, but the bird farm i bought our other guineas from says that won't kill most things that make birds sick

OK, please no mention of bird flu here, that was NOT the case, and if you want to discuss that, there is a good thread in the farm life forum.

thanks for help, suggestions, etc.

OK, one more, i feel stupid... exactly what classifies a substance as a "phenol"?

tf

Well I had to look it up: Phenol =

A caustic, poisonous, white crystalline compound, C6H5OH, derived from benzene and used in resins, plastics, and pharmaceuticals and in dilute form as a disinfectant and antiseptic. Also called carbolic acid. Any of a class of aromatic organic compounds having at least one hydroxyl group attached directly to the benzene ring.

from dictionary.com

can't say I can answer your question - I can sure understand why you want a natural alternative.

Folks used to use lye, or iodine. And the sun is a my favorite disinfectant; you can concentrate the solarizing effect with clear plastic, but I think plain old direct light and fresh air does wonders. On the soil you could use a weed torch, turning the soil now and then. But, like sunlight, the soil micro-organisms tend to kill pathogens too.

here's a good overview of types: http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/INF-PO_Sanitation.html

weed torch sounds like a good idea. I don't think hardware cloth would be hurt by that would it.

Tea Tree essential oil is antibiotic, antiseptic, antiviral and antifungal. A dilution of 12 drops of oil in 600 ml of water applied as a wash or using a plant spray is recommended to keep animal beds etc. bacteria and virus free.You may find "The Fragrant Pharmacy" by Valerie Ann Worwood an interesting and useful book - I think you could get it on Amazon. Essential oils are very safe if diluted correctly and have a multitude of uses.

thanks a zillion! to all of you :-)

turns out it was an airborne cold, & the other guineas survived it well... & now they are really happy, since i took out the divider, they have the whole area to themselves. they play relay races now LOL

tf

Patbarr... it ought to be a good book! Amazon has 2 used from $146.28 USD!!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0333484428/002-9133147-4414461?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance

Those must be first printings. There are 19 copies from one seller on ebay for $15 each. http://cgi.ebay.com/Fragrant-Pharmacy-by-Valerie-Ann-Worwood-1992_W0QQitemZ4587124449QQcategoryZ378QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

www.abebooks.com has many inexpensive copies of the same book too. I'd use one of the U.S. dealers there, rather than the ebay seller. I never use Amazon for used books; takes forever, and they overcharge.

I bought my new copy from Amazon for £7.50 sterling so it isn't expensive and they had plenty in stock - unless they have sold out now. By the way, tests have shown that tea tree is more effective than phenol at killing some of the worst bacteria and viruses.