Do you all keep a pair of 'coop only shoes'?

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I never keep shoes, gloves, etc. outside because I once put my hand into a garden glove that was stored on a shelf outdoors with the tools and found a wasp setting up house in one of the fingers.

I would never be able to put a glove on again!! The wasps up here were so bad this year and I'm seriously still freaked about it. Everything even remotely sheltered had a wasp trying to build in it. I had FIVE along the inside of the roughly 20' shelter off the coop, THREE in the 8x16 topped run that housed some of my extra boys earlier this year, at least FIVE in the rabbit hutch that I had to take down, some set up shop behind feed bags I'd hung to keep snow off the coop deck in the winter, any bikes had to be checked for nests under the seats before ridden for a long time, one tried to build in the door frame of our front door, even an old soggy cardboard box left sitting outside with less than 2 inches of 'top' to it had a wasp nest built in the corner of it. It was total madness!

I had the same thing happen only it was a giant spider. I put my hand in the glove, felt the squish and pulled my hand out to see a nice fat gooey spider on my finger Never will I ever keep anything I wear outside again!

This is why I don't leave footwear or anything else I wear outside. Even if it's inside, if I don't wear it frequently, I have to inspect for spiders before putting it on.

 

[NatJ]

I never keep shoes, gloves, etc. outside because I once put my hand into a garden glove that was stored on a shelf outdoors with the tools and found a wasp setting up house in one of the fingers.

I had the same thing happen only it was a giant spider. I put my hand in the glove, felt the squish and pulled my hand out to see a nice fat gooey spider on my finger Never will I ever keep anything I wear outside again!

Mine was a shrew in the toe of my rubber boot-- felt like a ball of fuzz when I put my foot in, but when I dumped it out, it ran off. (Or it might have been a mouse; it was many years ago, and I've never been very good at telling them apart, especially when they are moving fast.) That boot was in the garage, not actually outside, but the garage was clearly not rodent-proof.

Even since, I am prone to dumping my rubber boots before putting them on. I've found plenty of pieces of hay or leaves or other stuff over the years, which has convinced me that dumping my boots is a good idea anyway.

 

[Iluveggers]

I have a half-dozen other choices of barn/yard shoes for visitors, and they are required to change into them if they visit the chicken pen. I explain that it's messy and poopy in there, and they don't want to mess up their nice shoes. Never an argument.

This is a great idea, I will be on the lookout for clearance knockoff crocs & plastic clogs!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I answered yes because we currently have chicken only shoes in a trash can by the run, but before the HPAI scare we did not (so I just used my garden shoes back then). The garden shoes don't leave the property but since we have waterfowl that hang out in certain times of the year, best that I don't track around the property and then wear those boots into the run.

 

[Hermits Garden]

Yes. I have a pair of crocs for quick trips (to scoop poop and fill feeders/water) and a pair of chicken boots for longer stays or when the weather is really nasty. We've had insane monsoon rains this year, so the boots have been awesome. I only wear them from the garage to the run, and nowhere else. A friend of mine who has chickens says, "Jeez" about it, but her coop/run standards are basement level low.

 

[Happy hen lover]

This is a great idea, I will be on the lookout for clearance knockoff crocs & plastic clogs!

Always wear chicken shoes kept right inside back door- no creepy crawly things that way.
I'm cheap ! So I look for shoes that have smoother type soled on them at my local thrift store I volunteer at. I know I know some will freak out. But low and behold what did I find? but a pair if brand new (with tags) PURPLE!! Sloggers one size too big. ! BONUS!!!!! . My point is to get slip ons, a little big and keep separate. In summer I have a pair of old plastic platform sandals and in winter I even found a pair of brand new UGGs 2 sizes too big , spring and summer it's the sloggers.