Having Chickens While Pregnant.

[raindrop]

I had chickens in my first pregnancy and am now in the 13th week of my second with no concerns. There are no diseases that directly lead to abortion that can be transferred from chickens to people like you have to worry about with cats and ruminants. Just don't breathe in a bunch of dust or poorly ventilated air in the coop, wash hands, etc.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

Talk to your dr. ! I was my own worst enemy when I was pg. I was alwasy tripping , bumping into something, dropping things--maybe that's what your dh was thinking..Good luck..Dixie

 

[patandchickens]

Enh, the media and medical industry in the U.S. (specifically) seem bent on making pregnancy sound dangerous and fragile and impossible to accomplish successfully without the advice of eleventeen different books and doctors and special precautions.

In fact, while not all pregnancies work out (believe me, I have been there more than once) there is no evidence-based reason to believe that "doing something wrong" is a common cause of miscarriage (except for just a few things, like eating extremely poorly, exercising beyond exhaustion, etc).

Many things that American pregnancy books conventionally warn you against are actually VANISHINGLY RARE - listeriosis from unpasteurized cheese, toxoplasmosis from cat poo, things like that - or it's something that you already knew you shouldn't be doing, like using street drugs.

Worrying yourself into a lather is probably as big a threat to a pregnancy

Be sensible (basically: hand washing); stay active and fit; eat in a reasonably healthy fashion; and let your body do what bodies do when they're pregnant. You can't control everything (especially not gestation!) and it generally turns out okay in the end. And when it doesnt it is almost never something you could have prevented anyhow.

Oh, and if you are a worrywart, stay away from the shelf of pregnancy books in the library, or take them all with a BIG grain of salt. Or better yet, read European pregnancy books, they are on the whole less hysterical and better grounded in reality

Good luck to you,

Pat

 

[Presto]

Thanks Everyone. now I have the infomation I need when I go to my next doctors visit. I wear gloves cleaning the litter box anyway & wash my hands. I'm under a reproductive endocrenologist's care & if it was up to him I wouldnt be doing anything but going for tests.

I take care of all my animals b/c DH is always on the road so it is up to me all the time & Now I am armed with answers for my doctor. Everyone have a good Monday, Again thanks.

 

[SpottedCrow]

You're welcome and good luck with your own hatchling...

BTW, I'm asthmatic and prone to pneumonia...I'm the healthiest I've ever been since I had chickens.

 

[EweSheep]

I was pregnant when I got my chickens and had no complications from it, nor had any morning sickness either!

Common sense says wash and wash hands and face frequently when you are doing the coops, also wear dust masks or have hubby do the cleaning chores of bedding and heavy lifting of feed sacks and gallon waterers and feed buckets.

I had OB saying that I should not be around any animals but finally found one OB that said if you have to, wear masks and gloves when I clean out litterboxes and coops. I always took a shower after I do the animal chores in the morning and again in the evenings.

Also, limit the numbers of chickens too! Too many woudl overwhelm you unless you got those kind of feeders and waterers that only needed to be filled once a week.

And dont listen to all those wives tales about having chickens or chicks being in the house that is harmful to your health.

 

[Brian]

Histoplasmosis is a very real danger to people, however there is low risk to your unborn child. You may want to read up on it, get to know the signs/symptoms, and that way, if by any chance you should get it, you'd be wise enough to seek the appropriate anti-fungal therapy.

Brian

 

[littlebanty]

I am pregnant also. But I still handle my poultry and eggs but Im careful to keep my have washed and use antibacterial sanitizer. Pregnant woman, children, older people, and people with weakened immune systems shouldnt handle poultry.....BUT....just be careful. Keep your hand washed and use an antibacterial hand gel after messing with chickens. I think it has to do with salmonella and other things like that....I saw a sign at TSC on the chicks that said that.

 

[Presto]

Thanks

 

[Nat123]

I've been looking for this thread. This helps