Free range hens, children and poop?

[TX2CA]

I was wondering how y'all handle free range poop. My 3 year old loves his chickens and is very gentle with them. But he does loves to follow them around when they free range. I'm worried about the poop! We always wash before coming back inside but I can't always guarantee he will be wearing shoes, or not fall down, land in poop and then touch his face..... We are learning, but he is only 3. I really believe in free ranging kids and chickens, do y'all have any suggestions?

 

[Den in Penn]

That's life. Untold generations of are ancestors have survived it. I would worry about cuts and scrapes more then a little poop on unbroken skin. Just keep checking him out after hers been out playing.

 

[enola]

A little chicken poop is not going to hurt him. He can't get worms or lice/mites from them either.

I raised 4 kids with dogs, cats, horses, chickens, guineas, cattle, goats , sheep, meat rabbits, guinea pigs and any wild animals they could catch and play with. They never had any illness that could be blamed on the animals.

 

[donrae]

Agree with the above. Poop on intact skin doesn't hurt a thing. You'll want to rinse off feet before coming inside to keep your floors clean, but if he steps in poop barefoot, he's likely to not like the icky feel and will just wipe it off on the grass.

The idea of chicken poop coming into his mouth is

, but honestly my dogs have eaten gallons of the stuff and they're fine. I realize dog's digestion is different than kid's, but he's not going to get sick from it. You may get sick from the idea, though

 

[TX2CA]

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm new to all this, super new since I grew up urban.

 

[TalkALittle]

Just get a dog. It'll eat all the poop and you won't have to worry.

 

[TX2CA]

Just get a dog. It'll eat all the poop and you won't have to worry.

lol I've read that. We have two dogs and they are supremely uninterested. Weird because they gobble up cat poop when they find it. Maybe they will eventually acquire a taste for it lol

 

[donrae]

Just get a dog. It'll eat all the poop and you won't have to worry.