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

[RebelEgger]

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.

This is how I do it as well. Open the windows and door and air it out.

I also had the nasty flu last year which kicked my lungs butt.

Seems like masking while cleaning should be our New Year’s resolution!

 

[MamaPoult]

I only wear one when deep cleaning because it makes my nose run.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Nope, never.

 

[RebelEgger]

I wear one when I'm getting wood chips or putting them down, so I picked the only while deep cleaning option since that's the only time I use wood chips. They're very dusty and it's definitely helpful. Before I would blow so much brown dust out of my nose. I could taste it sometimes even. Yuck.

Yuck is right!!

 

[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

 

[MamaPoult]

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

Same here!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I really should invest in a box. Do you just wear yours while doing any kind of cleaning, or even during “visiting hours”?

I wear it in the morning while scooping poop, and of course for deep cleaning. Or for adding litter or nesting material to the coop. Anything where I'm in there for more than just a couple of seconds or needing to move stuff around as I only clean out once a year, so dust does build up inside. For just picking up eggs or dropping off the feeder, I don't since I'm in and out in a few steps.
Hubby wears his mask even to visit them at night. It's probably more psychological for him but he says he breathes better that way.

 

[RebelEgger]

I wear it in the morning while scooping poop, and of course for deep cleaning. Or for adding litter or nesting material to the coop. Anything where I'm in there for more than just a couple of seconds or needing to move stuff around as I only clean out once a year, so dust does build up inside. For just picking up eggs or dropping off the feeder, I don't since I'm in and out in a few steps.
Hubby wears his mask even to visit them at night. It's probably more psychological for him but he says he breathes better that way.

The dust that accumulates is unreal! I could understand in the small coop we have, but our girls have only been in their big coop since (10x14) since the beginning of December and I already can’t believe how much dust is everywhere. I’m looking forward to the spring when I can open up the windows!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Not sure which poll option best suits how I do it. I wear a respirator when I deep clean the coops and when I scoop the dropping trays, but nothing when I'm just out there with the birds to feed them or collect eggs or whatever, so not every time I'm in the coop as the one poll option says. Like 21hens-incharge, I'm keenly aware that I only have this one set of lungs, only this one body, so I'd rather take care of it and protect it from exposure to all that crud that kicks into the air when I'm cleaning out there.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Ive never wore a mask when cleaning the coop but i probably should. Especially when i clean the coop in a few weeks.
I do the deep litter method and it is complete compost this year the chickens did their jobs