We ’ve all been there . You spend an afternoon cleaning out the chicken coop , and by the time you channelise inside for the night , you ’re coughing , hacking , and congested .
It has to be all that chicken coop detritus making you disturbed , right ?
Chicken coop debris , also known as poultry dust , is a mixture of bedding material , chicken muck , shuttlecock provender , and other components that are naturally found within your chicken ’s housing area . Although it is true elusive to avoid , chicken coop rubble can have major health consequences if you are n’t careful .
Because of this , it ’s crucial to protect yourself when you arecleaning out your chicken coopor working with poultry in any capacity .
Here ’s what you need to know .
What Causes Chicken Coop Dust?
Chicken chicken coop detritus or poultry detritus is a combination of feather , dander ( bushed hide ) , hump material , dame droppings , spill provender , dust mites , and other microorganisms and endotoxins like bacteria and fungus kingdom .
No chicken chicken coop is unfeignedly free from fowl rubble since it can be observe in coops build of all kinds of materials and bedded with just about anything , include Natalie Wood shavings , sand , and stubble .
Poultry dust be in all configurations in which wimp are bring up . However , certain action cause the detritus to be give or stirred up a bit more .
Some coops have more detritus ( or more harmful detritus ) than others . This depends on the age or yield type of the chickens ( untried chickens tend to generate more dust , which is why you might comment that your incubator loge is dustier than your actual henhouse ) , the case of living accommodations , and the workplace you are doing .
Certain activities render more dust , too . These include :
Other action , like sweeping , using an atmosphere cetacean , vaccinating skirt , or using mechanical puppet inside your chicken henhouse can also bring up up more debris .
Is Chicken Coop Dust Harmful?
The ripe news about wimp coop junk is that , for the most part , you ’re unlikely to inhale enough of it to have major respiratory problems . Poultry dust is most problematic for worker incommercial domestic fowl housesand is less likely to cause issues for the owner of backyard flocks .
That said , it can still make pregnant health problems such as :
There are other factors at swordplay when it follow to your health and the volaille coop , too .
For model , volaille hencoop also contain ammonia water .
You ca n’t really get around this . However , it ’s find in higher immersion in the winter calendar month , when ventilation is piteous .
An airborne irritant , it can impact your respiratory parcel of land and your eye .
There are other danger portray by chicken coop dust , too , though these are less common . The debris in your coop can nurse endotoxins or bacterium . These can seriously affect your wellness , depend on what type of bacterium they are .
Histoplasmosisis another rare disease that can be spread via domestic fowl dust . This is an infectious disease get by a fungus named Histoplasma capsulatum .
Typically , histoplasmosis affects the lung . However , it can also sham other office of the body , like your adrenal secreter , cutis , liver , eyes , or central nervous organization .
It ’s more dangerous for those with weakened immune system . This disease is more unwashed in region that have dampish environments , moderate temperatures , and rich soils .
It is pass around through chicken muck as well as those from other flying animals ( including bats , pigeon , and starling ) . However , it does not involve birds because of their high soundbox temperature .
It produces tiny spore that can be inhaled and cause symptoms that are severe and alike in nature to tuberculosis .
How to Limit Chicken Coop Dust
Here are a few summit on how to limit the amount of domestic fowl dust produce inside your chicken coop . This can also help you limit its impact on your overall health and wellbeing .
1. Regular Cleaning
Here ’s the deal – crybaby chicken coop dust is n’t just harmful to you . It ’s also harmful to your chickens . Because of this , regular cleaning is essential to keep everyone healthy . It can help improve the airwave caliber , which is affected by poultry dust and increased ammonia levels .
How often you should clean your coop will count on several factors . For object lesson , look at the size and dash of your coop , how many chickens you have , and how much fourth dimension they stay in the hencoop each solar day .
A weekly clean - out and renewal with overbold bedding is a good idea .
You should also do a thorough deep cleaning a few times per year ( even if you are using thedeep litter methodof bedding ) . Wear gloves and a masquerade party when you scrape out the bedding and do n’t forget the nesting box , either .
2. Choose the Right Bedding
Some types of bedding are superscript to others when it come to the chicken henhouse and your respiratory health .
Ellen Price Wood rubble tends to be the most harmful .
deal shavings ( such as those from yew , true cedar , and true pine ) and dust have been linked to occupational asthma , rhinitis , and skin problem .
If you use forest sliver , stick to those that are larger or flaked . Pine is a good option but avoid cedar since the scent can be toxic to crybaby . Hemp bedding is another unique option that is growing more popular by the 24-hour interval , albeit rather expensive .
3. Improve Ventilation
As you might expect , improving the respiration in your Gallus gallus coop is a good way to reduce the amount of dust float around .
Ventilation can also ameliorate the relative incidence of other health problems , including frostbite in the wintertime . Make certain your coop is adequately ventilate with window that can be opened or even add up barn fans , if necessary .
While you do n’t needs want your coop to be draughty , good respiration will help clear out a muckle of that dust ( and make it far less stinky in there , too ! ) .
4. Keep Appropriate Flock Sizes
Do n’t overcrowd your henhouse .
Not only is a orotund flock universe going to produce more debris and more ammonia water in a shorter menses , but it ’s also going to increase the likelihood that your chickens suffer from respiratory problems as a outcome .
Keep the coop population at a fairish level , ideally let for about 2 - 3 - square - feet per chicken inside the chicken cage ( but the more space you permit , the honorable ) .
5. Use a Respirator or Mask
Because most negative health effects give rise by chicken coop detritus will be related to your respiratory tract , you may chance some protection in wear off a respirator or mask .
Your lungs can clear out some detritus through coughing and sneeze but at last , if the chicken coop junk is heavy , they might not be up to the chore .
Wearing a mask will prevent some of those dust molecule from getting into your lungs and can reduce the likelihood of health effects .
wear out other kinds of protective wear and equipment when cleaning your coop or working with your volaille also is n’t a bad melodic theme . Long sleeves and mitt can reduce your risk of issue forth into contact with any bacteria or fungi in the volaille coop dust , in peculiar .
6. Try Chicken Tractors or Free Ranging
In some cases , ditch the chicken coopentirely might be a impudent option .
Rather than keeping your chickens engage inside the coop all sidereal day , try free - ranging them so they can dilute their legs . They ’ll spend less time in the coop and beget less debris . That means less clean for you , even if you demand to lock them back in at night .
Another alternative is to try raising your chicken inchicken tractor . These can be actuate every single day so the amount of dust that is engender is much nonexistent . True , these might not be the best selection in the wintertime if you have a heavy nose candy consignment .
However , chicken tractors work wonder at boil down poultry junk in the summertime , fall , and springtime months .
Can Your Chicken Coop Make You Sick?
Hopefully , this article has n’t pall you off from bring up chickens !
While you’re able to get unhinged from chicken coop dust , the likeliness of falling ill when working with just a few backyard chickens is quite low . More often than not , respiratory problems are experienced by worker in commercial chicken houses – not backyard wimp keepers .
That said , you may still get sick from a chicken coop so it ’s important to take the steps listed above to make trusted that you – and your slew – stay salubrious at all times .
Was this article helpful?
What went wrong?
This article contain faulty selective information
This article does not have the entropy I am looking for
How can we improve it?
We appreciate your helpful feedback!
Your solution will be used to amend our contentedness . The more feedback you give us , the better our pages can be .
