Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis from chicken coop. Where do I go from here?

[Kuntry Klucker]

You have beautiful chickens & I'm happy you got your 2nd opinion! Good luck & good health!

Thank you. I love my girls, they are family to us. They run around in my backyard and take good care of my gardens and are the best
pest control ever. I am so glad I got this second opinion, it was kind of scary there for a while. Sometimes second opinions are the best
thing you can do.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

I'm glad you got a second opinion from someone with some sense. I agree to burn the old coop, and don't be around the smoke while your honey does that--you don't need to inhale any spores, etc.

I had a stem cell transplant in Feb and am still on immune suppressants. At first, the docs told me no chickens until 6 months post transplant---

. I also lasted about 3 weeks before I was in the coop. I always wear a mask when I'm inside my coop. My coop is a large walk-in affair and Honey added some more ventilation for me.

When we built new pens, we used an open concept. Our weather here is overall pretty temperate. Down to just above 0 in the winter, low triple digits in summer. I don't feel my birds need an enclosed space for the elements, just protection from predators. We went with cattle panels in a hoop style covered with a tarp. It's in a sheltered area so it's protected from a lot of wind, etc. this keeps airflow moving and disperses the dander, etc that builds up in an enclosed coop. Here are some pics, not the greatest but you kind of get the idea.....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1003092/my-breeding-pens

Hi, thanks for sharing your transplant story with me. I agree staying away from my girls is easier said than done. I would not last 6 months either if I was in your situation.

I am now wearing a face mask when I do even simple things like filling the feeders and changing the water. Of course I always wore a mask when I clean the coop
or stir up their bedding to allow air to get to some of the poo to dry in out.

I guess we have an open air kind of system as well. they have a coop that is enclosed and predator proof, their pen is very much open air with a tarp
to keep the rain out. It has wire on top to keep the arial predators from getting into the coop and pen.

I mostly let them out in the my backyard during the day to run around and devour whatever they deem delicious. I only keep them in their pen when we have
large amounts of arial predators overhead or severe storms in the forecast. One time I had them out running in the backyard when we had some pretty nasty
storms come through and two of them got tossed over the 6 foot privacy fence. I guess the wind just caught their wings the right way and over they
went.

Other than that, I let them out in the yard to run and play. their food and water stays in the pen to keep the rain and wild birds out of it.

I like your set up, that is a good idea. When we build our second coop I will think about doing something more like that.

and No!! I will not be anywhere near when hubby takes the old coop down and burns it. It will be a bonfire that I do not want to be near for sure.

Here is a pic of my coop and pen. The little door with the heart on it opens up so they can come and go without the big people door having to be open.