where is all the dist coming from??

[sunket77]

our house is typically dusty because we live on a dirt road and dust collects at a pretty rapid rate, but when I have chicks inside the house it's 10 times worse! Is it the chickens themselves or their bedding (pine chips)

 

[Egg_newton]

chicks are so dusty! I rinse off their waterers every time I refill them cause of all the dust! I think it's chicken dander.

 

[silkiechicken]

It's everything!

Feather dust, feather shaft dust, pine chip dust, feed dust, skin dust! They are little dust machines! That's why my day olds are outside.

 

[Tala]

It's dander from the chickens. From their skin and from every time they grow a new feather it is covered in a thin "caseing" that is shed off, essentially creating the DUST.
Dust is a nice way to think about it. Dander is ok too.
You could think of it as lots of dead skin cells

The dust isn't too noticable until they hit about 2 weeks of age. THe difference in the amount of dust produced by 2 week olds compared to 3 week olds is just so huge you wouldn't believe it until you saw it!!!
And yes a small amount of dust comes off of their bedding, but that's not the bulk of it.

 

[Funky Feathers]

Some people get respiratory problems like Pneumonia from breathing in too much poultry dust. Be careful. That stuff can make you very sick. Wear a face mask if it is bothering you.

 

[sunket77]

hhmm.... I didn't think about it making anyone sick..glad you brought up that point! I have a staggered age range together right now some are 2 going on 3 weeks the others are like 1 week I would like to put the older ones outside but I don't have that much room. At least not until after April is almost over (4h show time). I wish I had something that could suck up the dust in the air!

 

[Elite Silkies]

Quote:
What kind of brooder do you use to keep them outside? I have been trying to think of something, since I can no longer brood chicks inside.

 

[Tala]

I put chicks outside in my chicken tractor https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=27985-chicken-tractor

When they are very young they are kept in the doghouse part like this:

And after a week or so, they move to the run part, which has a 3-sided end with a heatlamp and their feed, plus they get to be on the grass and dirt
Pic from inside the covered part when the youngest chicks were just a week old:

 

[looptloop]

I had my first set of girls on pellets in the brooder, and when those ran out I changed to pine shavings - holy dusty difference! I really noticed a LOT more dust with the pine.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Quote:
I got sick in August and it kept getting worse and worse. I was getting very scared, esp being sick for almost 6 months and not getting better, only worse. I ended up in the emergency room in February when I was having a very difficult time breathing.

So, please be very careful with keeping the chicks in your home. Some people do not have reactions and some do. I am still not 100% well, but I am much better after re-homing about 35 Silkies and taking my steriods and antibiotics.

I also use a respirator now.