Ugh! The dust!

[tiny529]

My girls are 4 weeks old now and I can honestly say that I can't wait to get them out to their coop! I'd put them out right now but the coop is not finished yet.

At least now I know that there was no exaggeration about the level of dust they create!

 

[chickenbythesea]

yup... and it gets just as dusty in there too... they're messy little chickies but lots of fun all the same

 

[Nicole01]

I use DE, which makes it even dustier. I also wear a mask when cleaning to prevent the dust, dander and particles entering my lungs as a saftey precaution. It is pretty darn dusty!

 

[jgervais]

The dust is HORRIBLE - I swore I would never never go through it again, and yet, here I go, just bought 19 new baby Dorkings..... *sigh* they are fluffy lil things tho!
SO FLUFFY!!! http://simplelifeainteasy.blogspot.com/2011/07/dorkings.html

 

[lorain's fids]

Quote:
I am also looking foward to when the girls can live in their coop! We are one week behind you. LOL!!! I don't know how many chicks you have, but I only have 6, and they really know how to make a mess. And POOP--I have never in my life seen so much poop. And I have or had, dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, turtles, guinea pigs, fish, But chickens are the poopiest.

 

[Sinfonian]

I hear ya! Our brooder was in a large powder room and after a month it was covered I a fine layer of pine dust. Then the garage got it for the second month. Funny though, I don't notice it in the coop. Maybe it's all the time in their run and tractor. I'm just saying, it does get better. Good luck on your coop. I too had to get a move on to finish for the girls sake.

 

[Erinmir]

For the first few weeks I kept wondering what everyone was complaining about with the dust issue as other than the dust generated from the pine shavings, I didn't notice much if any. Now, however, I am with you guys. I can't get the coop built fast enough. I think the dust combined with the dust from the shavings is agitating my allergies. Not too sure though as I've had great days and horrible ones. Either that or it is because my neighbor was cutting the grass yesterday.

 

[prairiehen74369]

I have breathing issues COPD it's called, I was hatching my chicks on the sunporch just off the door to my trailer the dander they were creating was really causing me problems moved my brooder out of the house and got much needed relief. Be sure and wear a dust mask when cleaning the coop or the brooder even if you don't have problems just a good idea.

Also need to mention the dust in my house went way down after removing the chicks and making my dog much as I love her sleep outside at night.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

This is why I quite brooding in the house long ago. Especially if you stop to think about what the dust is comprised of.

 

[tiny529]

lorain's fids :

I am also looking foward to when the girls can live in their coop! We are one week behind you. LOL!!! I don't know how many chicks you have, but I only have 6, and they really know how to make a mess. And POOP--I have never in my life seen so much poop. And I have or had, dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, turtles, guinea pigs, fish, But chickens are the poopiest.

I've got 5. They do poop a lot! I've already talked to my husband about setting up a brooder outside next time, though we haven't quite figured out how we are going to go about it yet. The next time I do egg chicks (if I can control myself, that is) will be in about 3 years when these girls start slowing down in their production. By that time, the room they are in now (my "stuff room") will likely be occupied by my daughter and my "stuff room" will move to the little nursery. I don't know if there will be enough room for a decent brooder in there.

We live in an old farmhouse, so the crypt-like basement is out. We don't have a garage and doing it in the barn would be iffy, predator-wise. Maybe I could convince my husband to build me a shed close to the house. Hey, it's not like he won't be getting anything out of this chicken thing!​