Chicken clothes and boots (for you)

[K0k0shka]

It's surprisingly hard to search BYC for this without turning up a ton of entries on hardware cloth or clothes for the actual chickens. But I want to know what special clothes YOU have for spending time with your chickens (for all of you whose pet chickens are held and who climb you with their dirty little feet). I figure I'll set aside a pair of garden boots (for each family member) to be worn inside the chicken run/coop. Then I thought maybe using an apron, like for cooking, to wear while hanging out with the chickens. But what about arms? An apron won't cover the arms, yet chickens may perch there. Or climb on my legs when I sit down. These chickens will be socialized pets and I will want to interact with them as much as possible, but at the same time, I don't want to have to change an entire set of clothes every time I've been in the chicken run. And I don't want to wear dirty chicken footprints on my clothes inside the house... I also have two little kids who will love interacting with the chickens, but who will also need to be kept clean somehow. How do you guys do this? We had chickens growing up and had "barn shoes" we changed at the house door, but the animals were more livestock than pets and so we didn't have to think about poopy chicken footprints on our shoulders....

 

[Wezdin]

Muck boots are a must for me, i have an old army jacket that i wear out also, i don't really care if it gets dirty.

 

[ColoradoPip]

Primarily:

But in the summer I wear running/walking shoes.

 

[K0k0shka]

@ColoradoPip do you put the overalls on and take them off after you're done with the coop, or wear them all day if you're on a farm? I'm not on a farm, I'm in the 'burbs so will probably need something to put on and then take off just for the chickens...

 

[ColoradoPip]

I'm technically in the burbs and get to pretend it's a farm because I'm zoned for it

Right now I only have chickens so this is my standard uniform for taking care of them. The boots hang out on a covered back porch (yup they are dang cold in the winter!) and the bibs can hang there also (or in the laundry room in winter cause I don't want those body parts cold!!). I don't wear them if I'm not taking care of the animals. Like when I work on the current coop build I change into other jeans.

I like bibs because you can put them on over whatever you are wearing. A lot of them have very wide legs so you don't have to take your shoes off even

 

[RUNuts]

I like bibs because you can put them on over whatever you are wearing. A lot of them have very wide legs so you don't have to take your shoes off even

And they are very snazzy! I get compliments on my bib overalls and Muck Boot ensemble.

DD#2 has taught select members of the flock to be lap chickens. She was very proud of her work. Me, not so much. The protective overalls come in handy during the muddy season.

To collect eggs in the evening, work clothes and muck boots for that office casual, wading in chicken poop look.

 

[K0k0shka]

Thanks! Wide legs sounds very practical. I'll look into it. Maybe a combination of bibs and jackets of some sort (for three of our four seasons... And then in the summer we'll just go in naked and hose ourselves off after, because it turns into a sauna over here!)

 

[Acre4Me]

For the kids, a mans short sleeve button down shirt can work well. Might cover their arms. This has always worked well for messy things for the kids, easy on/off, easy to hang up or wash. Pants: so easy to get larger elastic Waist band/ pull on pants, even in kid sizes (look in pj area or at goodwill) that is what I’d go with bc kids usually get dirtier than adults. Everyone gets outside boots. Adults have outdoor jackets and old jeans. We change if we go anywhere or are cooking (don’t want the chicken dust/dirt/dried poo to have an opportunity to enter the human food chain).

 

[Henry&Friends]

Whatever pair of old shoes I can find, and whatever clothes I’m alre wearing. Just try not to fall and get changed when you come back in

 

[ColoradoPip]

Large rain pants are also great for pulling over clothes and are easier to clean than denim: