Can a germaphobe raise backyard chickens?

[KOdin]

Wear some rubber gloves and a mask lol

 

[Folly's place]

Playing in the coop and bedding every day, 'cleaning' it out, just means wearing that face mask (at least a N95!) and gloves daily.
And washing in soap and water, and leaving the barn shoes, barn boots. and clothes out of your living areas.
Mary

 

[chickens really]

Chickens are filthy birds. Lots of poop, dust and carry many diseases. Definitely something to consider before getting any.

 

[Blooie]

There is probably no bigger germaphobe on the planet than me. Hubby has Sarcoidosis and Pernicious Anemia, so his entire immune system is compromised. Our littlest granddaughter Kendra has Spina Bifada and has had her excretory system surgically altered, so we access her colon for her daily enemas via an external button called a Chait and her bladder through a stoma in her belly button so we can do her 5x daily catheterizations. When she’s not in her wheelchair she crawls everywhere she wants to go, so even at 7 years old she’s always on the floor. She’s also Autistic and developmentally delayed so her cleanliness is totally our responsibility. I have COPD and asthma. And I had gangrene several years before we got chickens. You only have to go through that once to learn to respect the power of the germ! We’re probably more at risk around here from stuff the grandkids bring home from school!

We have had zero illnesses due to keeping chickens in the years we had them. Kendra loves the chickens, carrying in eggs on her lap, and we had one big old Brahma hen that loved to snuggle on Kendra and go for wheelchair rides. We have coop shoes which slip on and off and never wear our regular shoes out there. We wash our hands frequently. As far as cleaning the coop and run, that gets done about once every two years or so.

There’s nothing you can get on you that won’t come off with soap and water. Cover cuts. Wear a dust mask when cleaning the coop if you feel more comfortable doing that. If possible, brood chicks outdoors from the start. Many of us do that and skip all the dust, dander, and indoor brooder cleaning in the house. Raising chickens couldn’t be considered a “sterile” hobby. But it’s not as bad as you fear. So if you get chickens, relax and enjoy them!

 

[Dbendell]

I've always wanted to raise backyard chickens (I'd like to keep 4 or 5 layers), but as someone with an aversion to vomiting, the thought of salmonella scares me a little. Google backyard chickens and you'll get a bunch of articles on how backyard chickens got a bunch of families sick over the last few years.

Should I be OCD about cleanliness? What are ways to reduce the spread of illness?

 

[Dbendell]

I'm also something of a germophobe. I have 3 hens. I scoop the waste out of the coop every day with a cat litter scoop. Once a month I clear out the old wood shavings, scrub the coop with soap and water, and put in fresh bedding. I don't wash the bloom off the eggs when I collect them, and I keep the eggs in a covered plastic egg holder that I can wipe out with bleach cleaner. I wash my hands every time I touch anything associated with the chickens. I have had chickens for 18 months and have not gotten sick.
You should be okay if you are meticulous about cleanliness.

 

[PotatoHead]

I thought I was a germophobe until reading all the responses in this thread. You all make me feel normal!

 

[Dawng97]

When you clean or bed your coop you can wear gloves and a mask. Lightly clean eggs and refrigerate.

Dr. Internet pH.D has many anecdotes about everything. Some of them are partially true! Consider how many people are on this site and how few of us have any worries about salmonella.

And of course you'll wash your hands after you deglove. Seriously having chickens leads to compulsive hand washing, but that won't hurt us, right?

Yes!!! I am now a compulsive handwasher, that is hysterical! I thought I was the only one! Even my 7 and 6 year old have been turned into OCD handwashers after chicken Contact. Lmao!

 

[ellend]

If you are on immune suppression drugs, you shouldn't be the one cleaning the coop or bowls. If you have to, please wear a respirator (not just a mask.)

 

[ellend]

Germaphobe: I, too, am not worried about salmonella, since I wash my hands. I'm a nurse. I pick up chicken poop bare handed.
HOWEVER: Know thyself. If you have a weekend of vomiting, which happens to all of us now and then (we acquire infections from other humans...) are you going to panic and not want to care for the chickens any more? They are living creatures. Be as sure as possible that you can handle it before you take on the responsibility. It can be difficult to give chickens away, as nobody wants to expose their flock to the possibility of disease. If you handle chickens at all (and you need to frequently check them over for parasites and wellness) you WILL get chicken poop on you. Guaranteed.
Have you considered putting up a Craigslist ad, asking a nearby chicken owner if you can help with chicken chores to see if you want to start a flock? Since you don't own any, you wouldn't be a biosecurity risk to their flock, and you can also learn a lot from an experienced keeper.
Good luck with your decision.