Is the dust dangerous to breathe when cleaning coop?

[ninjascrub69]

I've never used a mask or anything, and the only thing it does is make my asthma act up, but it's probably a good idea to take precautions. I'm sure there is alot of harmful bacteria, and all that good stuff in the dust, so it's probably dangerous.

 

[chicksrcool]

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Thank you, I'm convinced. Do you think we will be OK with not having masks this whole time? We've had them for about a year.

 

[chicksrcool]

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I think so too! But I am so silly about the chickens. I raised them since birth so I was thinking in my head that they are super healthy and would not transmit germs to us. My husband was always questioning me on it, and I always assured him, no it's fine!

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

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Thank you, I'm convinced. Do you think we will be OK with not having masks this whole time? We've had them for about a year.

At this point, there's not much you can do about it, so don't stress it. I'd get yourself some cool equipment (including some groovy wellies so you're not tracking dust into your house) and go from there

I have wellies with lady bugs

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

Check these out

http://www.gardeners.com/Gardeners-Wellies/ClogsShoesBoots_Cat,38-812,default,cp.html

 

[chicksrcool]

Right on, those sound adorable!

Thanks so much

 

[chicksrcool]

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O.M.G. LOVE!

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

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O.M.G. LOVE!

I know right? Who says our chicken hobby can't be stylish

 

[chickens in the yard]

Just sharing my experience....

couldn't find the masks so I went ahead and cleaned. It was pretty windy that day. About 2 hours after I was done I started to get a cough. It seemed like every 3 hours I had a new symptom. Had a 102+ temp. Put on inhalers. Upper resp. infection....etc etc etc. So BE SAFE! Shouldn't be inhaling chicken waste or the dust from the litter. I was very sick for over a week.

 

[patandchickens]

It's not so much hantavirus that's the problem (it's super serious, but also quite *rare*), it's more run-of-the-mill things like histoplasmosis and allergies and general lung infections.

I have worked part-time in often very dusty horse barns for much of my life, never had any real problem, so didn't worry about chicken dust when I first got them. I'm tough, I'll be fine. It took a year or two but now if I do anything dust-stirring-up without wearing a good dustmask, I have trouble breathing and chest pain for the next few days and cough up all sorts of interesting-colored phlegm. I sure wish I'd worn a dustmask before, so's not to have got to this point

So just because it has not affected a person *yet* does not mean that you *won't*. A mask is a Real Smart precaution. Remember they're the only set of lungs you get.

JME, good luck, have fun,

Pat