Disinfecting Shoes?

[barred2rock]

I've seen it recommended numerous places that one should disinfect their shoes everytime they go out to the chicken area. Does anyone actually do this? What do you use as a disinfectant?

I have one pair of boots that I were everywhere. I've never disinfected them. Am I putting my flock in unnecessary risk?

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

Well, it depends. I don't, but then I don't have neighbors with chickens. I also wear different shoes when I go to shows and places than when I am in the coop.

One stupid simple thing you can do is fill a kitty litter pan with bleach, and just step in that whenever you enter the coop.

 

[IZZYBELLA]

The primary reason for disinfecting is if you are traveling to other farms or having exposure to other flocks that might have different diseases than yours. If you are remaining on your own farm/in your own yard, you are presumably not introducing new bacteria or pathogens. I never wear my barn boots off of my own property, so I therefore do not disinfect them.

 

[barred2rock]

The primary reason for disinfecting is if you are traveling to other farms or having exposure to other flocks that might have different diseases than yours. If you are remaining on your own farm/in your own yard, you are presumably not introducing new bacteria or pathogens. I never wear my barn boots off of my own property, so I therefore do not disinfect them.

So, I should probably get "barn boots" rather than using the boots I use every day on & off property?

 

[Folly's place]

Yes! Barn boots and barn shoes, which can walk through bleach as needed, or are washable, like running shoes. Biosecurity is very important. Mary

 

[IZZYBELLA]

So, I should probably get "barn boots" rather than using the boots I use every day on & off property?

Yes. To be safe I would keep a pair of dedicated shoes for the barn. Plus, you don't want to be tracking chicken poop everywhere.

 

[barred2rock]

Yes. To be safe I would keep a pair of dedicated shoes for the barn. Plus, you don't want to be tracking chicken poop everywhere.

Or maybe I do...

 

[Chickassan]

Yeah just have one pair of poo shoes. And don't run out the door half asleep and forget to put them on. ..not that I know anything about such mishaps.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are you putting your flock at an unnecessary risk? A lot of that depends on where else you wear those boots. If you wear them when you visit other flocks you could track something back to your birds, or you could infect that flock from something your birds have. It's not likely but there is a risk.

If you wear them to chicken shows the same thing could apply but in my mind the risk is reduced. At a show you have a concentration of chickens and people walking around that have chickens so there is some risk.

If you wear them to a feed store again you could pick something up because people that have chickens are walking around there and may have something on their boots. Again I think the risk is pretty low but it's not zero.

That disinfectant thing comes from commercial chicken operations where they have several thousand chickens on site and depend on them to feed their families. Introducing any disease could be a disaster. They generally require their employees to change clothing, not just shoes, before they start work. They generally have pits of disinfectant delivery trucks drive through to disinfect the tires. They take biosecurity extremely cautiously because the potential consequences are so high.

I think I take biosecurity pretty seriously. I have one pair of house shoes that are for only in the house. That's to keep my wife happy and stay married. I have one pair that I only wear when I go visiting or to town. That way I'm not tracking chicken poop into the car, a friend's house, or a restaurant. And I have a pair of shoes I only wear outside, in the garden or with the chickens. I do not disinfect any shoes but I change shoes a lot.