Holy Dust Batman!

[DarkWolf]

Ok, so I'm trying to comprehend how much dust can 10 birds put out. They're, oh, 4 weeks old or so and still (been raining, had flu, etc) living in a huge dog crate beside my desk.

I'm wondering how much dust is because of them (wire floor) or if I can blame some on the guinea pig who's to the OTHER side of my desk.

It's a good thing I don't have allergies.

At any rate, over four days (I laid a book down and left it) there is a nice visible coating of dust on it.

So.... How on earth are they so dusty?? Is it ALL dander from their feathers growing in? Do they like, sweat dust? What's their secret?

I wonder to myself if Charlie Browns "Pig pen" was related to chickens.

 

[eggxentric]

What sort of bedding do you have with your peeps? They may be shredding the existing bedding and kick up dust/debris from the running around they are sure to be doing.
Ditto on the hamster bedding question.
We kept our peeps in a cage in our house office for several weeks and even with very frequent changing, debris seemed to scatter around the office (we used wood shavings: cleaner, cheaper, etc).

Maybe invest in a dustbuster or other small handheld vaccuum?
Cheers,

 

[briana1975]

Ours kick up a lot of dust. We have them on wood shavings. They dust bath in the shavings, that make dust and growing all their feathers that makes a lot of dust. My canary can cause dust also. It is a bird thing.

 

[Thomas423]

4 week old chicks kick up a layer of dust in a day. And it's "fuzzy" dust. My house is dusty enough without their help. Can't wait to get them outside (tomorrow hopefully ??).

 

[CityChook]

My chicks were under my desk too, awaiting their coop to be finished. I all but ruined my vacume from sucking up their dust on a daily basis. I didn't want it in my computer. It's nasty - sort of oily. I was very happy when they moved outside.

The bedding they are on could cause some of the dust - I used pine shavings and they are a bit dusty.... but generally, chickens are just dusty creatures. Wait until they've been locked up in a winter coop for 5 months.... cough cough.