Official BYC Poll: Do You Wear a Mask or Respirator When Cleaning Your Coop?

[Altairsky]

I have an open coop with deep litter so there is never dust when I clean once or twice a year.
And no, I'm not afraid of bacteria in chicken poop. Not when I get sprayed with all sort of bovine bodily fluids every single day. I either get a decent immune system or be dead by now.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Not when I get sprayed with all sort of bovine bodily fluids every single day.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Big Blue, you are still kinda young!
Mary

Thanks, darling! Some days I feel young! Others, eh, not so much!

 

[lady_avalon]

View attachment 3746024

We all know how much dust those birds can create, so I'm just wondering who wears some kind of respiratory protection when they are in and around the coop - and when!

Have you had any issues from not wearing a mask?

Please vote and leave a comment below!

I do wear a mask when I deep clean my coop.

 

[Sic]

Never wear a mask. Don't have dust or odor issues. Don't use any kind of bedding in my coop, only have zeolite and have an open air coop plus an Infinity Airtitan exhaust fan. I spend about 5 minutes every morning to clean and remove chicken waste as I like to keep things simple and clean.

 

[Theminifarm]

I wear a bandana, but I'm prone to respiratory issues.

I used to suffer with asthma and copd but I take zinc 15mg and vitamin D3 6,000iu daily and I have not taken inhalers or steroids now for 3 years and I don’t wear a mask either when cleaning hen houses
I feel great
Mandy

 

[Kim in Spain]

View attachment 3746024

We all know how much dust those birds can create, so I'm just wondering who wears some kind of respiratory protection when they are in and around the coop - and when!

Have you had any issues from not wearing a mask?

Please vote and leave a comment below!

I used to when I cleaned them frequently, but had more of an issue with the straw which wafted dust rather than anything from my chooks.
However, having read on BYC about using the coop for deep composting I don't need a mask. I have a 3-section arrangement:
1. In the third area, the"run" as I call it, which is open to the weather and receives good sunshine and any rain, (although the chickens are protected by wired walls and roof) this is where the soil, as it now is - beautifully black and smooth - is taken and wheelbarrowed out to the vegetable plot.
2. The feed area is between the bedroom and the run. This is where wasted food is scratted from the feed urns and water is topped and dribbled - it's also where bugs and spiders come to find tasty morsel.... As do the chickens!! From here, mid-composted matter is shovelled through to the run, usually when it is too wet to compost down, indicated by a need to wear wellies instead of flip-flops!
3. In the bedroom where they roost and poop, I add fresh straw once every couple of months or so. When the chickens see the wheelbarrow going in there, they rush in from the orchard area (it can be really difficult forking out and into the feed area with hens that are getting in my way in anticipation that I might dig up something extra special for them. They love to dig in it and turn it over and over. I remove the wooden roosts to clean them, hose down the floor and finally put down fresh straw before replacing the roosts and ladders and add the steps up to the nest boxes (because now the floor is much lower than before, until a few more layers of straw are added!)

This results in much more sanitary conditions and this is really noticeable because I have COPD so would choke badly if I were to breathe in contaminants, however I don't need a mask - though definitely I wear rubber gloves for touching their poopy roosts!!!

Whoever originally posted that article - FANTASTIC, IT REALLY WORKS!

 

[PinkFrostina]

I don’t wear a mask or a bandana when cleaning out my coop. It seems rather unnecessary.

 

[nuthatched]

I used to suffer with asthma and copd but I take zinc 15mg and vitamin D3 6,000iu daily and I have not taken inhalers or steroids now for 3 years and I don’t wear a mask either when cleaning hen houses
I feel great
Mandy

You really should wear a mask regardless. Too many flying things in a coop.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

Very nice never having to clean a coop out. Sounds unpleasant. I feel for northerners and suburbians that need them