Official BYC Poll: Do You Wear a Mask or Respirator When Cleaning Your Coop?

[RebelEgger]

We all know how much dust those birds can create, so I'm just wondering who wears some kind of respiratory protection when they are in and around the coop - and when!

Have you had any issues from not wearing a mask?

Please vote and leave a comment below!

 

[5Australorpasaures]

All the toxic things I've breathed in over my life coop "trash" is the least of my worries.

 

[Folly's place]

I wear a N95 mask when handling birds, or cleaning out there. Just visiting, not usually. A friend died of Histoplasmosis, and I have asthma, so being careful is a good thing!
Mary

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I don't wear anything, though I probably should. Depending on the cleaning (deep litter, monthly summer clean, dusting, etc.), I sometimes have to step out for fresh air. Spring cleanout is usually pretty rough. Adding shavings can be rough too, as it sometimes has a lot of dust.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Never have but I do own a really nice one.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Even though my coop is quite large as far as backyard coops go and has many large windows I open the dust is no joke.

While I SHOULD mask up every time I change the shavings I tend to just open everything up.
I do mask up when sweeping down the walls.

We only have 2 lungs. We should take care of them. After a nasty bout with the flu this year I promise my lungs to do better with masking up.

 

[RebelEgger]

I wear a N95 mask when handling birds, or cleaning out there. Just visiting, not usually. A friend died of Histoplasmosis, and I have asthma, so being careful is a good thing!
Mary

Oh my goodness that’s awful! Sorry to hear that! Yes, something like that would certainly teach you to mask up! My husband has cystic fibrosis, I don’t even really like him being in the coop to visit the birds, let alone when I do any kind of cleaning, because I worry about him.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have a supply of N95s for the chicken coop - they get super gross with dander and dust, which is a constant reminder that that could all be in my lungs instead. Hubby makes do with plain medical masks since he doesn't do any cleaning, just for when he walks in there, as he's had a history of bronchitis so he's very paranoid about anything that could impact his respiratory system.

 

[tripletfeb]

I actually deep cleaned the coop today. I do the deep bedding method so only clean it out twice a year, maybe three times if it gets really wet. I wear a mask every time, don't want to breathe in that dust and ammonia

 

[nuthatched]

I wear a bandana, but I'm prone to respiratory issues.