people with house chickens

[spook]

No ill intent here, but lately I've met 2 ladies that have developed an allergy and lung condition to their birds. Even after being washed and then handed to her, she still has to wear a mask and begins having issues where her oxygen stats drop needing her oxygen increased. Scarey! Mind you, I have had several birds in the house over the years for atleast a month at a time healing or rearing, and to watch the broilers and turkey poults do what they do creates a lot of work dusting.

(for those of you that are happy with house chickens, more power to you and its so great to hear that scuffing somewhere around the corner! ha ha)

 

[iluvcks]

Thank you for your concern. But as you know I am sure, the lung condition you speak of can be a result from any bird. From the $1,500 parrot to the $1.50 chicken. I can only speak for myself, but I assure you I know the risk, and would live my life no other way. The fact is I could lay in my bed tonight and a tree could fall on my house crushing me to death. I will not live my life in fear on what MAY happen. Let it come and may the chips fall as the must. I'm OK with that.

Thank you again.

PS I have fibromyalgia and some other health conditions, I was actually tested for that when I told my Dr I have chickens in the house. All tests were negitive.

 

[VelvetDragon]

jossanne: Awww, Snowball is ADORABLE. I want to squish her headfloof.

iluvcks: I am so sorry.

It's so hard. There are some pets I've lost years ago and still cry every time I think of them. A decongestant can sometimes help with crying headaches.

spook: You are right! And it's something everyone who keeps birds -- any species, indoors AND out -- should know about!

It doesn't matter if you have your pet indoors or if you have a lot of chickens outdoors -- many chicken keepers who never have a chicken indoors have developed this disease.

It's actually not an allergy, though it's related. It's an autoimmune response that causes the body to attack itself when exposed to certain proteins found in bird dander. People may also get this reaction to mold ("sick house syndrome"), other animal dander, dairy products, grain, wood bark, water vaporizers such as air conditioning units and humidifiers, chemicals, and various other organic antigens. Basically it is caused by exposure to organics in dust. It is most commonly disease of farmers -- repeated exposure to dust while cleaning coop, working with hay (dust and mold) and so on. Even though they don't keep their birds inside. So it is something for all chicken keepers to be mindful of.

"Studies document 8-540 cases per 100,000 persons per year for farmers and 6,000-21,000 cases per 100,000 persons per year for pigeon breeders." Huge variances in rates according to different studies. "Prevalence varies by region, climate, and farming practices. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis affects 0.4-7% of the farming population. Reported prevalence among bird fanciers is estimated to be 20-20,000 cases per 100,000 persons at risk." (From Medscape.)

Not everyone who is exposed to the antigens, even repeatedly over a lifetime, will get this disease. No one knows why some people do and some people don't, but it's expected to have a genetic component.

The proper name is "hypersensitivity pneumonitis". It is also called extrinsic allergic alveolitis, or chicken-keeper's lung, bird-keeper's lung, bird fancier's disease, or farmer's lung.

The most common antigens responsible are bird proteins and certain mold species.

The most important thing to do is limit your exposure to bird dust. Feathers break down into dust, dander, and poo particles when dry turn into dust. This means keeping coops very clean, and wearing a *properly rated* mask when cleaning them if you have a lot of birds (most of the ones you buy at the store are not adequate). It also means using damp clean methods -- don't sweep or "dust" in ways that release dust into the air, especially in your home. Use a damp rag to wipe things up.

Don't keep birds in your bedroom where you'll be sleeping with them every night. It is better to keep their nighttime roosts or cages in another room.

Finally, I recommend ANYONE who has a pet bird of any kind get HEPA filters. (Ionic filters DO NOT WORK. It must be HEPA.) These are air filters rated to catch allergens and antigens. I have one pet bird, but she's a particularly dusty species, an African grey. We have three HEPA filters -- one in the living room where she lives, one in the computer room where we spend a lot of time and also there are electronic equipment (don't do well with feathers and dust in them!) and one in the bedroom where we sleep. They're set on "auto" and every time she flaps her wings all three kick on to "maximum power".

Despite all the filters, there's still a thin layer of bird dust on things!

If you DO get hypersensitivity pneumonitis in reaction to birds, the ONLY thing you can do is completely limit all exposure to all birds. (Or all mold if you get it to mold, etc.) Even temporary exposure will cause lung damage. No matter how many air filters you run or how clean your bird is.

I know all this from experience. My mom had it. We raised doves at the time. I had to rehome all of them, and it's still crushing to me. I also had to rehome two budgies and a conure and two button quail. I couldn't part with my African grey... so I moved out. My parents had to tear up ALL the carpeting, sell all the fabric furniture, throw out all the curtains, and have the ducts and house professionally cleaned.

It is a very serious disease, and something to always keep in mind.

 

[spook]

VelvetDragon Thank you so much! I had not heard of any of this until recently and its scary to me. I found this spring it was tough to clean the coop without a face mask, but that was me. Great info and super facts that I did not know.
ilvcks- awesome on being clear for the lung issues, not that fibro is much better, I have autoimmune issues and fibro, it stinks! Perhaps you can find another fuzzy butt to bring in with you, its not right to upset and have to fight for everything. How much terrorizing can a pen of chickens do!?!?
Chin up, I'll have you in my thoughts to bring you peace through the "higher ups" that sign the paperwork. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss and its funny how special needs people really do understand the process of life and spirit. Hugs to you and thank you for putting up with my foolishness at a time of sorrow, I missed where you had your loss!

 

[mylittlechickpea]

iluvcks, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope that you can comfort in know that you gave him the very best while he was with you only a short time. That pic is adorable of him.

VelvetDragon, when my husband (then boyfriend) were living in New York last summer we were both getting sick, I had constant heaches, fatigue, and nausea, after determining that I wasn't pregnant (even though he was having similar symptoms to a lesser extent) my hubsand thought it may have been carbon monoxide poisoning. We were living in a basement apartment and connected to the radiator room or whatever it's called with the little maintence room with all that stuff in it, water heater, filter crap... Anyways, he went out to Wal Mart and got a new smoke detector with a built in carbon monoxide detector and that thing never went off, while my symptons persisted...

After about two months of living there, miserably, we had a huge rain storm... The carpet in the bedroom started flooding up and mushrooms started growing. Mushrooms!! In the carpet!!! Mushrooms in the carpet of the bedroom!!!! And then one day I had accidently put a hole in the drywall down near the baseboard. I was kneeling down and didn't even notice until I got up. My knee went straight through the drywall! I felt awful, I'm a big girl and thought that my "girth" had done the deed, but I didn't realize at the time, there was no sound to it happening, and not to mention that I didn't even feel it!

Well I peeked down behind the wall paper and torn drywall.... Black mold!!!!!! Black mold had been causing my ails this entire time.

"Sick building sydrome" And it still took us two additional months to get the heck out of there! Still fighting a year later to get our security deposite back, too..

That guy was such a d-bag, I'm not even going to go onto the ensuing fight to get out of our lease...


But from the time I brought Chickpea home I vacuum regularly, "almost" everyday, to keep down on the alergens for fear anything may kick up on my lungs and I'll get sick again, smoking is next on the list to go.. I'm on my "last pack" now.. See how it goes.

But, yea. Dangerous stuff and now to know chicken fluff can cause the same symptoms I'll be even vigilant about it. Thanks.




Jossanne, that is one cute chicken

 

[t4dbirds]

VelvetDragon, I know what you mean about African Grey's and dust. A few years ago I had someone clean my house. They came and asked me what all the weird white/grey dust was they found coating just about everything. I pointed to CJ my grey. He covers everything!

I was thinking about getting an air purifier (I don't have a/c or central heat) to help keep the 'animal' smell down and some of the allergents, so this topic is timely. Anyone have recommendations, I intend to put it in the living room where everyone lives and need to keep the price down? I've looked online but soo many to choose from

some days I hate having so many choices LOL.

mylittlechickpea: Sometimes people just amaze me. I hope he gets taken to court and the property condemned so no one else goes through all that suffering.

 

[iluvcks]

I had about 10 kids in the chicken yard today. I put up a laminated poster in the coop with all the girls names on it. Each girl has a band on her ankle. Yellow is for the 1 year olds and pink is for this years girls. Each number coraspondes with her name. So the kids kept chasing the chickens and running back to the poster to see who they had. I know most of them by heart, but some of the new girls I am unsure of. This way we will all know. It really comes in handy. Like for istance Ruby had a poopy butt a few weeks ago, I'll keep a closer eye on her. Right now Genivieve and Gertie are my broody crabby girls. So I can make sure they are getting out of the coop for excerise and water and food.

My point to all this rambling is... with all that chasing today my baby girls(13 weeks) are going to be sooo much fun to catch now. NOT

 

[t4dbirds]

Quote:
Hehehe... Great idea though for keeping them all straight and remembering year born, which is always useful to know for the vet! Good luck catching one... maybe an extra special treat???

 

[iluvcks]

food is a great motivator for love

 

[spook]

And kids can be a ease to sorrow. The laughter is so healing, and its great!!