The battle of chicken dust

[RockyToggRanch]

I have found myself in the middle of a battle. The enemy is taking over my spare bedroom (empty) and is trying to sneak out into the hallway. In five weeks time it has almost started a fire on the heat lamp, wreaked havoc with the smoke alarms and caused my new vacuum a slow painful death. I am officially overwhelmed by this strange white dust.

I assume it is coming from these baby chickens...but where? and how? and WHY?

I assume all of you have dealt with it. How?

This is crazy!

Is this stuff good for anything? I could literally bag this, there's so much. I can see it now..."no officer...it really is chicken dust"...

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Well, this is talked about on this site quite a bit. It is the "dander" these little guys put off while they are feathering out.

I have anywhere from 14 to 30 babies in a portable building and they are there to "feather out". The nursery (as I call it) looks like it ha an inch of fallen snow everywhere.

I put up blankets to isolate them ant he rest of the shed so I do not get this"fall out" and to keep them warm at night.

All you can really do is vacuum the place or sweep it out as in my case.

It really is amazing though, this chicken snow. sung to any stupid melody you would like.

 

[Opa]

wonder if they make Pledge for chickens?

 

[mrandmrschicken]

I understand exactly whar you are refering to. I have three week olds in my basement and they create a lot of dust. I shop vac almost every day and change the paper in the bottom of the cage every time I notice the odor. It is possible that their feed will dust off too. I really want to get these little guys outside but everytime I think it is okay, it gets so cold again. I am destined to new shop vac bags until it does warm up! Maybe in July?

 

[waynesgarden]

That's exactly the reason that when I lived in the Adirondacks, I wouldn't get chickens until spring. Living for 5 weeks or more with chickens in the house would be unbearable due to the dust. I would have had to live 24/7 wearing a dust mask or move to a hospital. That dust that settles everywhere would have settled in my lungs also.

I can keep new chicks for a week or so at the most in the warm house before moving them out to a brooder. How long are you planning to keep them in a bedroom? Until they are ready for a coop?

Wayne

 

[charlotteda]

My chicks are 2 weeks old now and boy are you right !!! I have 10 in the living room and hate the idea of putting them outside incase the electric goes off when I'm not here or awake .

But the dust !!! I thought they were kicking up food dust, etc. I didnt realize it was coming off them !!

 

[Lee]

I know exactly how you feel. About all you can do is vacuum the stuff. And grown chickens put out this fluff dust, too. It is so fine water will bead on it.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

It killed my vacuum

I seriously look like I rolled in chaulk everytime I go in there. The buff orps are almost 6wks and they are going to the barn today. The banties are the same age, but they're so tiny I may give them another week. I just had 5 d'uccles hatch today, so I'm stuck for awhile. The bedroom is totally empty, so I didn't think it would be bad to keep up with.

Next winter I'm loaning my incubator out.

 

[Lee]

Quote:
Well, I should tell you that I use a small shop vac with a little water in the bucket part, hoping that the water will catch and settle the dust somewhat. So far it works okay.

Edited for a second thought.....

I raised 18 Buff Orps after I raised some SLW and I'm thinking maybe the loose feather characteristics of the BO may cause more fluff dust.

 

[shelleyb1969]

I've posted this in other threads, so I'll put it here now too.

If you can find a way to put furnace filters over your brooder, it will DRAMATICALLY make a difference with the dust. Just change out the filters when they get too bad. I'm not sure how your brooder is set up, but I'm sure you can figure a way to get it done. Believe me, you WILL keep your sanity and most of your lung tissue!