Hay is the only thing I can think of that is making me itchy

[joy]

Itchy bites on my back and arms,cannot see any infestation on the chickens, but whatever they were they managed to get under my clothes which seems odd,having given them fresh hay for bedding, I cannot think of any other reason. Anyone else had this problem?

 

[ranchhand]

You might be allergic to hay, as I am. I switched to straw, and though I still get hives from it, it's not as bad as the hay. Take a bath with some oatmeal in it, it soothes the itch.

 

[cherylcohen]

Eversince we got our girls about 2 months ago, I've had this respiratory thing going on. I thought it was traditional allergies but now think it's a specific allergy to the straw in the coop or OMG I hope it's not the girls!!

I'm thinking of changing to pine shavings. Has anyone else had that experience?

 

[MissJenny]

Is it hay or straw? Hay can be really itchy and is a food product anyway, not a bedding. It carries all the usual allergy suspects of flowers and pollens.

Straw is a bedding, much softer and doesn't include all the typical allergy inducing characters.

Or it could be chiggers. Chiggers are mean!

Jenny

 

[cherylcohen]

Not sure how to tell the difference between hay and straw. The local feed store said it was straw

 

[koifarm]

ALWAYS WEAR A DUST MASK WHEN CLEANING COOPS!
And, how about chiggers?......do your bites itch all the time?

 

[cherylcohen]

oh thanks but it's not me with the bites, I'm bite free! Except for the nibbles from my labradors!

I just replaced all the straw with pine shavings, I had no reaction, it's so nice i got the supreme stuff that has extra filters for the dust. It was $7 at local feed store. The girls seem to love it. Although one started eating it...i guess they will eat anything that's new just to see if they like it!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Quote:
Good hay is usually green and leafy. It might have some seed heads, and it smells sweet (or should). Straw is MUCH stemmier, and if it's wheat straw it'll be gold or yellow in color.

Straw is a bedding material and much cheaper. Hay is a feed material and more expensive.

Please don't waste money on hay by using it for bedding. (sorry, but hay is expensive and I shudder at the thought of it being used as bedding because it costs me so much to buy).

 

[boxermom]

I had the same thing last fall. I finally figured out that I was getting these bites when I was picking apples! The bugs (I never saw) were falling out of the tree onto my face and down my neck. I felt the familiar "tingles." I had so many bites that my lymph nodes under my arms were swollen. We had just moved out to our new acreage and I was worried that I would never be able to do anything outside.

Well, this year I must have my immunity built up. I have had no problems. (although the apples weren't good, so I haven't picked any.

 

[newchickmom09]

I bet it is your hay. Both hay and straw make me itch like there is no tomorrow.

It is such a pain, I have to take benadryls before I do anything with the chickens. But I am allergic to everything it seems like, pet hair, pet dander, bird dander, grass, any pollen...the list just goes on and on. At least I don't have any food allergies.