Chickeeaholic
Crowing
- Mar 8, 2021
- 334
- 1,084
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Like you I have my chicken coop only shoes but take my shoes off in the house. I change my cloths if I’ve been out before going to the coop. Run is covered and their feeder is an automatic open and close one so wild birds can’t eat from it. It’s sad because I love the wild birds too but didn’t feed them this past winter.It is worrisome. We care about our birds, & we care about wildlife too.
In February, here in Delaware, we still had the pretty Snow Geese gleaning the farm fields, before their migration northward. I always loved to see them. I took my little videos of them flying over, or doing "the wave" in the farm fields. But on those "viral years" I also felt anxiety as I walked, looked down & saw some goose turds...wondering if any of them may be spreading the virus.
Those geese have flown northward now.
Migratory Osprey have arrived. Some hawks & falcons migrate, too. Songbirds, etc. So far, so good, right here where I am, but yeah, I am very contentious of keeping my "clean routine" like I've done for decades.
I have particular shoes & boots & washable gloves for specific purposes.
Chicken
Pigeon
Yardwork
Work work
Shoes & gloves that leave my property
Shoes & gloves that never leave my property
Yeah, I know...that's alot of gloves & shoes.
All "goin outside" shoes, boots & gloves are kept in my mudroom...had to revamp it with cubby holes, a bench & coat hooks. If you prep your area, it becomes easier to follow a protocol & actually it is nice to be organized.
A good practice is also having a disinfectant tray to step in, before entering any area, pen, or building, at the doorway. Also, clean all doorknobs, latches, light switches & disinfect your vehicle's tires, side step, floor mat & gas pedal, brake pedal, clutch pedal as well as door handles, steering wheel, knobs, buttons, signal handles, etc. Just go over everything you touch with some sanitizing wipes, you determine how often based on what you're doing & where you've been. It sounds like a lot, but it only takes seconds or few minutes, once you get a routine. Just consider where you're going & where you've been, what your hands, gloves & shoes touch.
I've never even worn shoes all the way inside my house, a habit since childhood (remember mom buying new carpet back in the day?)
All shoes & boots stop at the mudroom & have their own boot trays, which also get cleaned, right by the bench to sit on where I put footwear & coats on prior to going out. The washing machine is there when I come back in & peel off the layers of chore clothes, they go right into the wash, they do not come inside the house, I use my mudroom as "the barrier" & it helps that there is a door to open, to get into the rest of the house. So that halts you, the dog, whoever, it minimizes the "overall dirt coming in" with a door there. Even the dog knows she gets her feet wiped & a quick brushing before going into the house, she sits wagging her tail waiting & she'll get a little treat for her patience. Brushing her & wiping her feet, she actually loves it.
When you grow up with lots of animals & allergies, you learn how to best minimize pollen, fur, feathers & dander getting spread throughout the house...it just happens to minimize spreading germs, too. If you set it all up, with trays & disinfectant ready, wipes handy, dog brush, etc., putting chore clothes (outer wear) directly into washer, (so yeah you may want a robe ready so you don't walk through house in your skivvies or long underwear) go directly to shower, using hamper for underwear & inner wear only (clothes that directly touch your skin) then get a shower asap. It all becomes a natural habit.
I know reading this probably sounds complicated, but it really isn't, you can make ANYTHING become a habit, if you give it a shot for 30 days.
I'm not saying you'll Never catch a cold, or your animals may never catch anything, especially if you have other people sharing your house that that will not adhere to this routine. BUT I can tell you this, I had Wicked Allergies & Chronic Bronchitis as a child & once I got into this routine, as well as my parents, plus changing the filters on the HVAC system to a better quality & I learned to just envision pollen all over me & made it a goal to clean it off asap (outer clothes go right into washer & take a shower & wash hair asap once you're indoors for the night) my allergies & congestion Diminished Greatly...& I do mean Greatly!
Plus, as a bonus, I rarely got sick when there was something "going around" at school...quite a change from before.
Fast forward to today, now I'm officially "old goat" age Lol & still practice this routine. The less pollen, dust, dander, furballs & feathers that are rolling around, the better we All breathe. The cleaner our gloves, coats, shoes & boots are, the less germs, bacteria & viruses are spread. You can't control who flies over, but you CAN diminish what clings to your clothes, shoes or gloves. We can't control everything, so just control what we can.
Just remember these facts...the majority of "spreadable things" are spread by what we touch & where we take them. The majority of pet illnesses are spread through exposure to feces, shared drinking water or contaminated feed & us...what we bring home.
My main issue decades ago, was allergies, but the side benefit of focusing on diminished pollen, dust & dander also made transitioning to diminishing germs, bacteria or viruses easy.
Hope this helps!
Hope we all stay safe.
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