Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is shown to be safe on animals and has many applications in the poultry industry including hatcheries, broiler houses and processing. HOCl can be applied to eggs in hatcheries via misting and is cleared by FDA FCN 1811. Hypochlorous acid can be applied via sprinklers and misters to maintain a sanitized environment for chickens, increasing growth rates and decreasing feed to growth ratios. HOCl can be used to sanitize whole or processed chickens as a no-rinse sanitizer.