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Hi Mel! Yes that is great! But no need to boil the boots, just bleach solution with a good scrub will do, making sure there isn't any remnants of dried stuff on them.
When I first started I was completely unaware of bio-security too, my most wonderful BYC family helped me out alot. It really is worth it in the long run, especially when we spend the $$ on them that we do.
The best way to be safe around someone else's flock is to not actually go around the other person's flock unless absolutely neccessary, but if we must, these are the things I try to do. I wear shoes that have never seen or even been near any of my coops or chicken poops or clean boots that I have scrubbed and disinfected with bleach, I wear clean clothes that have also not been in my coops. I take clean bleached transport cages or carriers to said individuals homes if I am picking up chickens (which has not happened for a very long time) I basically have a closed flock and usually only bring in new birds, chicks or hatching eggs from NPIP folks and always quarantine new birds away from my flocks for 30 days. If I get hatching eggs from someone that is not NPIP certified I also keep those babies quaratined after hatch for 30 days and if I hatch out my own eggs along with them, even my chicks that are hatched are quaratined away from my birds and flocks. Always wash your hands after handling birds before handling your birds and change your clothes before going in with your birds. I wash the tires on my truck too before going to someones home and also before I go home I swing by a car wash and wash my tires again. It seems like alot but is sooooooooo worth it, I would be crushed if I had to put down my entire flock or they got something that killed them all. I haven't had a bird die for unknown reasons since I started, I have had 4 hens that were egg bound that I have had to put down or have died but no diseases and the good lord willing and a little extra effort on my part, I hope it stays that way.
You can contact the WA. State Dept. of Agriculture and they will send you out tons of great info in a packet along with a really cool chicken calendar with WA. State chicken owners who have submitted their birdies for the calendar photos. I can give you some of the extra booklets and paperwork that I have when you come up.
Hope this helps and I know many more great BYC'er will share their practices and experiences as well. This BYC place kinda rocks bigtime!
