Cleaning and sanitary concerns while brooding in the house.

[Hatrick]

We have three small kids and our "girls" are currently sharing the dining room with us. Since they're only three weeks old we have a few more weeks of this arrangement. Besides hand washing after handling how can I make sure that everyone stays healthy.

The poster at our local feed and farm shop said that we should avoid visitors and wild animals, and I've heard that you should have a particular set of clothing for dealing with the birds.

This can't mean that I have to change my clothes everytime we handle the birds, does it?

And we don't have a laundry basin so when I wash their food and water containers I do it in our kitchen sink. Is this alright? I've been bleaching out the sink when I'm done.

 

[SMan]

Mine are in a spare room, we just wash hands. I haven't head about special cloths or keeping visitors away. I would avoid wild animals that could be vectors, other than that have fun. We handle ours 5 times a day-ish and they warm up to you (and not just the feeling of warm poop on your shoulder

). Maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[vnploveschickens]

When our 6 chicks were in the brooder, we just made sure to wash our hands well. I also washed the waterer in the sink, lots of hot water and soap. Cleaning the bedding every few days was the dusty part. Wear a mask! We had no problems though.
Have fun! Good luck!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I know what you mean about the poster. My feed store handed out a brochure when they sold the chicks.

I just wash my hands with antibacterial soap after handling the chicks. I just rinse the kitchen sink really well after changing the water and usually once a day, I scrub the sink with antibacterial soap.

For the big chicks out in the coop, I wear a barn coat out to feed, clean and hold them.

To cut down on dust and smell in the house, I recommend you use wood pellets for their bedding. I'm loving it for my 3 wk old banties. It smells good, dries out the poo in a couple minutes, doesn't get kicked up in the food or water as easy.

For the big birds, I used shavings and when my ten got to be 3 wks or so, man did it stink and get dusty.

 

[Rolsjo]

We started ours out inside as well. I also washed their waterer in the kitchen sink and just cleaned it well with bleach. We also washed, washed and washed our hands again. I like the mask idea for changing out the brooder litter, I wish I'd read this a few days ago. It would have saved me a very sneezy afternoon yesterday!

 

[TipsyDog]

My 4 day old chicks are on my dining room table too right now. I'll be moving them to the garage in a couple of weeks as it's getting much warmer outside. We just wash our hands well after handling them. I stopped using my kitchen sink for their water and food dish because I got sick of bleaching it all the time. Now I just rinse and wash it out in the bathtub. I figured it was safer than bringing anything of theirs into my kitchen.

Good luck with your chicks!

 

[Robin L]

I think what they are talking about with visitors is say I come to your house and my birds have something I can bring it to your house. Or if you go to the feed store and someone else walked in whos birds have something you can bring it home to your birds.

Kinda of like open run verses covered, each person has their own veiw on it.

I personally dont worry too much but dont invite people to come look at my chickens but wouldnt turn no one away.
I have work/town shoes and chicken yard shoes, I still could bring something home and get it from where I walk from my van to house I guess. Im sure someone else will help out.