Hi when we came to rent this house it had chickens and we have been looking after them now i know nothing about them, but have been feeding them well and now have chicks i asked two people and they said they were good animals to have been in the pen lots of time collect eggs and have cleaned them out once son in law also has done it, i will say i do have QCD and have now worred my self sick that i have read on the net about lots of bad things that can happen from the poo etc,and have not always worn closed in shoes i have always made shaw i wash hands etc have worn gloves most of the time but sometimes not while getting eggs and feeding i now dont want to go in there i know this might sound really daft to some people but could someone please let me have some info on this.Thank you.
Hi Sueiee, easier said than done but don't fret. I used to have chickens for three years and cleared out the chicken coop about once a week and refreshed the sawdust and then added that to the compost heap and had great vegetables and no ill effects from them. Of course it is important to wash your hands, as in most cleaning jobs but it is actually more important to challenge our immune systems than to live in a sterile environment. Our bodies are wonderful things, designed to cope with all sorts of bugs etc and when they don't get the chance of a good fight every now and again it is then our bodies end up in trouble - that is why there is so much asthma and allergies around - not enough bugs in our lives.
While I totally agree with Joanna and Brightspark, there are some people who cannot cope with the worry of the germs that animals can generate. Whilst we take as much care as we can to follow hygiene rules and always keep health and safety issues in our minds, for most of us, it is just a matter of course. Looking after hens is not for everyone and I would suggest if it is a worry it may be better not to have them rather than run the risk of neglecting their needs because of constant worry. Keeping animals should be a joy. There are things I wouldn't do because I wouldn't be comfortable. Each to his own.
Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
totally agree people should have contact with germs, think of your immune system as an athlete if it never practices it will never be any good ,start off steady and build slowly then you will be able to beat most things without breakingsweat ,and danast is rite keeping chucks should be fun ,that's the main reason most people do it .if it aint fun it aint worth doin MOS.xx
sit down with a cupa and the urge will subside
Like MOS(t) things in life, eghhhhhhh
2+1 =....guess again Bob...
Who lives long sees much : The diary of my life in Bulgaria
Most Users Ever Online: 767
Currently Online:
32 Guest(s)
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
brightspark: 10535
danast: 10232
Aly: 9516
Sooliz: 8084
Hattie: 6920
Ambersparkle: 6699
JoannaS: 4800
Terrier: 4518
eileen54: 4424
Hannah: 4231
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 11
Members: 16223
Moderators: 3
Admins: 1
Forum Stats:
Groups: 6
Forums: 25
Topics: 2273
Posts: 123063
Newest Members:
expip, maximllPl, RobertasseK, EdwardDum, Suzanneclics, BrianalileModerators: Toffeeapple: 16337, AdminTA: 10, Fiona Nevile: 0
Administrators: Danny: 5517
Copyright © 2006-2023 Cottage Smallholder Our Privacy Policy Advertise on Cottage Smallholder