HPAI and Moving

[nettlesandrose]

Hi all. I am preparing to show my house so that we may move. I am concerned that people coming into my yard may expose my birds to HPAI. I live in an urban area where HPAI has been found and we have wild geese/ducks/blackbirds. Any thoughts?

 

[AgnesGray]

Are your birds able to be cooped until moving? I would make the coop and any run area off limits, at least for the first showing. Will it stay with the house?

If the coop is going to be staying, you can maybe hang a sign on the locked coop saying it's locked for the biosecurity of your birds and thanks for understanding or something like that.

 

[Battlepants]

Add signs around your chicken area to please stay out. Serious buyers that want to see that area will likely organize a secondary visit to walk through the chicken area with you escorting them. Other serious buyers likely won't care that they can't poke around where your chickens live.

 

[nettlesandrose]

Add signs around your chicken area to please stay out. Serious buyers that want to see that area will likely organize a secondary visit to walk through the chicken area with you escorting them. Other serious buyers likely won't care that they can't poke around where your chickens live.

Not in Denver! Some people are buying houses without actually seeing them in this market. It’s wild.

I like the idea of signage

 

[nettlesandrose]

Are your birds able to be cooped until moving? I would make the coop and any run area off limits, at least for the first showing. Will it stay with the house?

If the coop is going to be staying, you can maybe hang a sign on the locked coop saying it's locked for the biosecurity of your birds and thanks for understanding or something like that.

I should have clarified… in Denver we have a really intense market so we are leaving our house for three days for nonstop visits. It will probably sell on 24-48 hours.

My chickens are in a large covered run and coop. The coop is a little small to leave them in for the full weekend. My ducks are in a covered run with a house, but they don’t use the house much.

We are offering to leave the coop.

I am wondering about having people wear shoe covers outside in the back yard? And putting padlocks on the run so no one can get in?

 

[Battlepants]

Not in Denver! Some people are buying houses without actually seeing them in this market. It’s wild.

Yea, St. Louis was pretty wild here too. Had our house on the market for 1 weekend and it sold for a decent chunk over asking. Completely nuts.

But yea, I thought the calmed down since then, but I guess Denver is still pretty hot right now.

 

[Battlepants]

I am wondering about having people wear shoe covers outside in the back yard? And putting padlocks on the run so no one can get in?

Absolutely reasonable. In a bunch of the houses I walked through, some places were locked off and some expected shoe coverings. As long as you provide the shoe coverings, I see no issues with this.

 

[AgnesGray]

I should have clarified… in Denver we have a really intense market so we are leaving our house for three days for nonstop visits. It will probably sell on 24-48 hours.

My chickens are in a large covered run and coop. The coop is a little small to leave them in for the full weekend. My ducks are in a covered run with a house, but they don’t use the house much.

We are offering to leave the coop.

I am wondering about having people wear shoe covers outside in the back yard? And putting padlocks on the run so no one can get in?

Great idea on the shoe covers.... and I'd definitely padlock the runs.

We looked at a house a few years ago that had a locked shed on the property. 40 people walked through the house in 2 days and they had 13 offers... no one really cared what was in the shed. haha I'd say lock the runs and ask people to wear booties. Your house, your rules and it sounds like it's the same there as it is here and it will sell, regardless of what you ask them to do.

 

[Iluveggers]

I just bought 100 pairs of shoe coverings off of Amazon for family who visit & want to see the birds. Only $9.99 and got to my house in 1 day. That’s probably the smartest way to deal with it. And explain to the realtor you want people to wear them outside as well.

 

[nettlesandrose]

Here’s our plan. We bought some cattle panels and t posts that we are using to fence off the area where our birds are. Putting up a sign also. Padlocking coop/duck space. Also asking for shoe coverings if people enter the backyard.