biosecurity for chickens questions

[talkinboutchickens]

Hello everyone so I will be starting a job at a petting farm soon that has many animals along with chickens and I personally have 15 chickens at home. How can I prevent the spread of parasites and diseases from their chickens to my own? Like one question I have is how should I disinfect my boots after a shift at the farm? I'm not worried about my babies spreading anything to the petting farm chickens because I know that mine are healthy chickens and I will continue to watch them for signs of disease and pests.

Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Use good biosecurity with hand washingwith soap and water, changing clothes between the chickens ate work and yours, having a special pair of shoes to enter your chicken area are good. Some people have a cleaning station for boots and shoes using a shoe bath with a disinfectant such as Virkon S, Odoban, or 10% bleach water. During the med cow scare in the UK, we had to step into a shoe disinfectant to enter farms there years ago. Some chicken breeders use this when someone comes on their property as well. If I saw any signs of disease in the poultry there, I would be concerned.

 

[WingItRanch]

That sounds fun! I personally would buy a separate pair of muck boots that is a dedicated work boot and just either keep them in the truck or (if they let you) keep it at the place of work.

 

[saysfaa]

Wash your hands before touching your car. Take off your work shoes at your car, slip-on shoes are easiest but if not, disinfect your hands after taking your workshoes off. Then don't let the shoes you wear home touch the ground outside your car at work. Put the work shoes into a bin in your car. Wash your hands after putting the work shoes into the bin. Leave the work shoes in the car.

It wouldn't hurt to have car shoes different than home shoes. And do a similar separation protocol when you get home.

Do a similar thing with work clothes as soon as you get home. Lol, not at the car, of course. Go straight to the laundry room or bathroom or wherever you can keep work clothes separate from home clothes or what homes touch and wash between sets of clothes.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I have a chicken/garden outfit, complete with shoes, that I only wear on my property. Seems like others have the same thinking.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Use good biosecurity with hand washingwith soap and water, changing clothes between the chickens ate work and yours, having a special pair of shes to enter your chicken area are good. Some people have a cleaning station for boots and shoes using a shoe bath with a disinfectant such as Virkon S, Odoban, or 10% bleach water. During the med cow scare in the UK, we had to step into a shoe disinfectant to enter farms there years ago. Some chicken breeders use this when someone comes on their property as well. If I saw any signs of disease in the poultry there, I would be concerned.

That sounds fun! I personally would buy a separate pair of muck boots that is a dedicated work boot and just either keep them in the truck or (if they let you) keep it at the place of work.

Wash your hands before touching your car. Take off your work shoes at your car, slip-on shoes are easiest but if not, disinfect your hands after taking your workshoes off. Then don't let the shoes you wear home touch the ground outside your car at work. Put the work shoes into a bin in your car. Wash your hands after putting the work shoes into the bin. Leave the work shoes in the car.

It wouldn't hurt to have car shoes different than home shoes. And do a similar separation protocol when you get home.

Do a similar thing with work clothes as soon as you get home. Lol, not at the car, of course. Go straight to the laundry room or bathroom or wherever you can keep work clothes separate from home clothes or what homes touch and wash between sets of clothes.

I have a chicken/garden outfit, complete with shoes, that I only wear on my property. Seems like others have the same thinking.

Thank you guys, you are always so helpful and full of wisdom. Should I also disinfect the inside of the boots? Or would that just not be possible because the inside would never dry out and would get ruined?
No disease that I know of although they have a real bad mite problem that keeps coming back. You don't think mites would hitch a ride on me and attach to my chickens do you? I suggested to them to use what I used (Elector PSP, which I used for lice but also works for mites) because if they have a mite problem that keeps coming back that just means that they aren't disinfecting things properly afterwards or the chickens could just be getting it from around the barn from nooks and crannies around the place.
And yes, definitely getting a different pair of boots for sure!! Thanks for the suggestion of keeping a bin in the car with work boots. That is a good idea.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Should I also disinfect the inside of the boots? Or would that just not be possible because the inside would never dry out and would get ruined?

Crocs makes a boot, depending on your shoe size. The entire thing is rubber and easily disinfected.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Crocs makes a boot, depending on your shoe size. The entire thing is rubber and easily disinfected.

I just looked those up, and those would be very convenient! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes, mites could be a problem.