dangers of intercoop visiting?

[Trishkabob]

we are going to be taking care of a neighbor's flock for a week and wonder if we need to be concerned about going between the 2 coops. I've read that this can be a way to introduce illnesses but not sure how vigilant we need to be. Should we bleach the boots we use or...?
How likely is the danger?

 

[Patinas]

My answer is yes. If it were me I'd be vigilant when working in both coops. I would have separate gloves, boots, etc. for each coop. I think bleaching boots is good too.

Just as you should quarantine new birds, consider your neighbor's flock as quarantined from yours and vice versa and do not use anything that has touched one coop to be used in the other.

An ounce of caution can save tons of regret!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

we are going to be taking care of a neighbor's flock for a week and wonder if we need to be concerned about going between the 2 coops. I've read that this can be a way to introduce illnesses but not sure how vigilant we need to be. Should we bleach the boots we use or...?
How likely is the danger?

Yes, you should be concerned about going from someone else's coop/flock to yours.
Illness can be spread on shoes, clothes, equipment, dust/dander, etc.

Have a bio-security plan in place. The best thing is to have a pair of shoes and clothes for your neighbors flock only while taking care of them. Don't come back to your own chicken yard to tend your flock until you have changed shoes, clothes and washed your hands.

Once you are done taking care of the neighbors flock, clean your boots well - bleach is good. Of course, launder your clothes.

Google bio-security for chickens and you will find a lot of tips to help prevent the spread of disease from one flock to another.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2016/08/biosecurity-for-backyard-chickens/
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/tips.html

 

[Kiki]

Yes. For sure a bleach shoe wash.

Change your clothes and wash your hands.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is a good question but about as hard to answer as "how high is up"? There is no easy answer.

A flock can and often do develop flock immunities to certain diseases or parasites. Some flock owners would not recognize if their flock has these, especially if they have an immunity. So it is certainly possible you could carry something back and forth to either flock. Have you ever gone to look at their chickens or have they looked at yours. This may have already happened and no one noticed.

How important are your chickens to you? Commercial operations that depend on the chickens to feed their families are normally very vigilant about biosecurity. Often their employees are not allowed to keep chickens at home and keep their job, it's condition of employment. When feed trucks arrive they have to drive the tires through disinfectant baths. They may need to take a shower and change clothes when they show up for work. What is your risk tolerance with your chickens and theirs?

Diseases and parasites can spread different ways: air, insects or other vectors, eating or drinking together, or by things transmitted by dirt especially if that dirt has their poop in it. I don't know how far away the neighbor's chickens are.

The actions I'd take would be to use different food and watering buckets and get the food and water from different sources. You can disinfect your boots if you wish but I'd be happy with changing shoes. I would not change clothes but you could, that would be an extra layer of safety.

 

[feedman77]

Be concerned if you want to be as they are your chickens.

But most places that have strict bio security plans are for birds or hogs or cattle (veal) that are in close quarter confinement. In the environment even the air in and out of the building is controlled.

If a disease gets started in the confinement building it would be catastrophic to their bottom line.

If you let your birds range pretty much all the bio security in the world just went out the window.

As they will peck and bathe in dirt, eat bugs, snakes, worms, and poop from dogs cats other birds.

As well as grass weeds seed. So unless your yard is bio controlled your birds are exposed to who knows what. Did the previous owners have duck, geese, turkeys, cows, goats, a bird feeder or chickens. Because some diseases stay viable in the soils for years.

I raise my flock as survival of the fittest. I want them exposed to as much as they can be to build up resistance or tolerances to things.

I like to goto auctions, swaps, and poultry shows. So if I had to follow bio protocols I would take a lot of enjoyment out of the birds I have.

So do what makes you feel good about your neighbors flock and yours. Just giving you some inputs from a different perspective.

 

[Mrs. K]

Another issue is what do you mean by a neighbor? If this place is relatively close to your own set up, it is a non issue, most chicken diseases are spread by air and your birds and theirs are exposed.

The number of birds you have, and your emotional attachment is important. To me, healthy looks healthy for the most part. If I thought there was any problem in the other flock, I would be VERY CAREFUL or maybe not do it.

But a healthy flock, not too far from my own, I would not worry too much.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

Have you ever gone to look at their chickens or have they looked at yours. This may have already happened and no one noticed.

Very good point....that would make 'bio security' moot.

 

[Folly's place]

I'm very careful about biosecurity, and would make every effort to keep everything separate for the sake of my flock, and the other person's.
If they were close neighbors, with plenty of flock interactions already, there's not much point. I'd still be looking for mites or lice, and generally not share.
Mary