Biosecurity for a chickaholic at the county fair

[aart]

funnel cake.

Mmmmmmmm!!

 

[Matilda Belle]

I practice the same routine going to fairs as I do visiting another person's flock. I have a special pair of shoes I wear that I don't wear anywhere near my flock. I have shoes I wear inside my coop that I never wear any place else. Also, if you touch any of the chickens, obviously wash your hands with soap and water.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Our 700 member chicken meetup group used to have a couple coop tours every year.
No one paid much attention to biosecurity. Then HPAI became a thing along the Mississippi flyway and everyone started paying attention. Everyone installed boot washes outside their gates. I never opened my place to coop tours for the group but I did have my place open for garden tours in the annual Sustainable Living Backyard Tour two years in a row but I had disposable plastic booties that everyone who owned poultry or had been to a site with chickens had to wear. One guy thought I was kidding. I had the back of the driveway blocked off so they had to put them on before they got past the house.

 

[fox623]

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread! We are going to a fair tomorrow and there will be other animals there, including a hatchery with baby chicks. Is it safe for us to go near them? Our girls are vaccinated for Marek’s (two are still in quarantine because we just brought them home two weeks ago), and none have exhibited signs of illness. Still, I don't want to expose the babies to anything before they've even had the chance to get vaccinated.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Apologies for resurrecting an old thread! We are going to a fair tomorrow and there will be other animals there, including a hatchery with baby chicks. Is it safe for us to go near them? Our girls are vaccinated for Marek’s (two are still in quarantine because we just brought them home two weeks ago), and none have exhibited signs of illness. Still, I don't want to expose the babies to anything before they've even had the chance to get vaccinated.

How old will your 'babies' be when they are vaccinated?
As for your first question, are you concerned about the hatchery chicks at the fair carrying something or disease at the fair in general? The greatest danger from bringing something home to your birds is off of your shoes and clothes. Wear shoes you don't use around your chickens and disinfect them when you get home, thoroughly wash your hands or preferably take a shower and wash the clothes you wear there, and you should be good. Definitely do all this before you walk around your chickens.

 

[Folly's place]

Also park your car away from the crowd, especially away from the exhibitors, so your tires don't bring anything home. When I get home, everything, shoes on up, goes right into the washer.
mary

 

[fox623]

The fair organizers actually did not exhibit chickens, due to bird flu. I’m glad that they made that call.