How to get rid of dust in the chicken coop and 2 summer life hacks

Coop dust is a mixture of bedding material, chicken manure, bird feed and other ingredients found naturally within the bird's living area. And if there is a lot of dust, then the HEALTH of both pets and owners may suffer

it is difficult to find a chicken coop that is completely free of bird dust, as it is everywhere and with any bedding, including shavings, sand and straw.

Dust appears during cleaning, changing bedding, during the life of birds, and so on. In small concentrations, it is only dangerous for problems with the respiratory organs, such as asthma, however, if endotoxins, fungi or bacteria are present, the situation becomes threatening for everyone without exception.

For example, there is a (though rare) histoplasmosis disease transmitted by dust from poultry and caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum.

Histoplasmosis usually affects the lungs and is dangerous for people with weakened immune systems. This disease is more common in areas with rain, moderate temperatures, and where pigeons or starlings visit the poultry run.

Moreover, histoplasmosis absolutely does not affect chickens due to the high temperature of their body, but for humans it can be fatal. Wearing long sleeves during contact with birds or when cleaning the house reduces the risk of infection with bacteria or fungi present in the dust.

Summer chores

You probably noticed that during the molt there is more dust than always. Whitish tiny particles are dandruff, that is, microscopic flakes of dried dead skin. As chickens grow rapidly, their skin cells are constantly shedding off their bodies. If the bird is less than 18 weeks old, they constantly molt and grow feathers. The cuticle that covers the feathers when they emerge breaks off and contributes to the formation of dust. A bird of any age that is molting produces more chicken dust than usual.

Regular house cleaning is the first line of defense to improve air quality and keep ammonia levels under control.

In the summer, weekly cleaning and bedding changes seem like reasonable measures. In winter, the deep litter is not stirred, but must be completely replaced in the spring.

Life hack. Be sure to wipe the perches and nest boxes with a mixture of vinegar and water in equal parts. This is a safe and organic way to disinfect your chicken coop. According to poultry farmers, the residual smell of vinegar also helps to increase egg production.

Do not forget about gloves and a mask when cleaning, and also that wood dust is the most harmful.

Softwood shavings have been linked to occupational asthma, rhinitis, and skin problems. If in the summer you “mulch” the chicken coop with shavings, take a large fraction of pine. Otherwise, try clean sand.

Life hack. Experienced poultry farmers use the "tarpaulin method" in summer. The idea is to put a tarp on the floor of your coop and cover it with bedding. When it's time to clean up, just fold the tarp and place the contents in it on the compost heap. Shake out, disinfect with acetic-water solution, dry and lay again. This method is good for saving time, keeping the coop clean and the floor dry.

Logically, improving the ventilation in the coop is a good way to reduce the amount of dust floating around.

Make sure the room is well ventilated with windows that open, and an additional fan can be added once a week. By the way, a simple lawn blower perfectly sweeps chicken dust, much better than a classic broom.

Do not increase the number beyond what is reasonable. Not only will larger flocks produce more dust and more ammonia in a shorter period of time, it will also increase the likelihood that the bird will develop respiratory problems as a result.

Instead of keeping the birds locked in a coop all day, try finding a free-roaming spot. The less time the birds spend in the coop, the less dust and cleaning.

Feeding troughs taken out into the street will also be “neutralized”. As the hens eat the feed, they break it into small pieces, which fall into the feeder and form dust. Takeaway food will help eliminate this factor. And it is better to transfer chickens in a poultry house to granular feed.