I may not make a lot of friends with this post, but hear me out.
I’m not sure that all of these “crazy” and “artsy” coop tours popping up all over the place are such a good idea. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I sing the praises of backyard chicken ownership all the time, but visiting each others coops?
No.
Coop tours are when a group of people tour from coop to coop to see how other people have set up their flocks, have their chicken management questions answered, and sometimes, to even have a glass of wine or two.
Friends gathered around a positive, gentle cause. What could possibly be the problem with that, it sounds like fun, right?
But just think about what’s happening. Many people will touch the birds and then simply wipe their hands on their clothing. Hey, what’s a little dirt between friends? They walk though yards (picking up poop remnants on their feet) and go to other yards (where they deposit those poop remnants.)
This is what you call a biosecurity nightmare.
But people are smart, you say, they are considerate. If the flock had a sick bird, they wouldn’t join in the fun. They’d just say no to the tour. The problem with that one is that for some diseases, the birds can be asymptomatic. Here in New Hampshire we have an outbreak in our chickens of mycoplasma gallisepticum or MG, a respiratory ailment, and mycoplasma synoviae or MS, a joint disease. Flocks are being infected from chickens obtained at chicken swaps (which have been put on hold indefinitely) and while you might even have these diseases already in your flock (it’s really only a concern if the bird is symptomatic) our state is making you depopulate your entire flock if only one bird tests positive.
Your entire flock.
When vets visit home flocks, they typically use best biosecurity practices which include dedicated washable boots, foot baths, washable overalls, and in some cases, gloves and masks. Vets are aware that a disease in one flock can be easily transmitted to another flock if precautions aren’t taken.
One vet has even told me that one of the biggest methods of disease transmission is when one flock owner calls up a neighboring flock owner to look at a sick bird to see what he thinks. Who would have thought that could have been a problem? Turns out it is. A big one.
Which brings us back to these coop tours. Sure, they’re chic, sure they’re trendy. But in my most humble opinion, they are an unnecessary risk to the health of your flock. You’re playing roulette if you participate in these events and you may be exposing your entire flock to disease all in the name of good fun.
And as a flock owner, this is just not a risk I’m willing to take with my birds. Count me out on the coop tours.
14 Comments
Chicken owners need to be aware of bio security measures, and practice them as well. However the greatest risk to your birds is the wild birds that cannot be excluded from a normal yard situation. Banning coop tours is not the answer, however, being safe during a tour should be covered at the start: no handling the birds, clean clothes, hands washed to the tune of Happy birthday song upon arrival and departure, and the use of durable paper throw away shoe covers at each new location. specifically, hand out new shoe covers before walking onto a property. Either in the car seat with feet outside the car and each person, one by one, slides the shoe covers on, or by setting up a bench which allows people to sit, and move each foot to the opposite side of the bench as each shoe cover is put on. Those feet never go back into the car with covers on, and the shoes never enter a yard uncovered. The opposite is done while leaving: sit on the car seat (or bench), take off shoe cover, put foot in car (or on opposite side of bench), then do other foot. The used covers go right into a trash bag. Make it part of the fun by decorating shoe covers, or having water pistols to spray anyone who forgets (just no spraying in the face!) something that makes the bio security practices something people pay attention to. Give a treat to each person after shoe covers are on and hands washed. Sit down areas should be washable covers or plastic: even towels that can be disinfected, or a picnic blanket…
Shoe covers are available from bulk suppliers online.
I totally agree I don’t like people who show up and want to see my chickens unannounced. Especially with kids as they want to grab and hold and touch all the birds. The people who come that I know are not wearing their chore shoes are allowed to walk around and see my chickens through the fence not in the coops as this is a more direct place of contact. People who visit that don’t have any birds I don’t have a problem with as long as they are not coming from another place like on a coop tour. I have worked to hard on the breeding of my birds to have it ruined by one visit.
Amen!!! I am soo glad someone is finally speaking out on this. People want to come “visit” and I don’t want them walking in my barn lot!! They think we are weird.
Excellent post. You are 100% spot on and many don’t realize the very real risk of transmitting disease to your flock. Even a trip to the feed store can result in you tracking pathogens back to your flock so you should never wear your ‘chicken boots’ outside the run and vice versa.
Chicken swaps and poultry shows carry many of the same risks and for the reasons you mention, I steer clear of all three. Virtual tours are the way to go.
Worse than just ending up with sick chickens, is having your soil infected and rendering you unable to raise healthy chickens without a long resting period.
http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/poultry/neoplasms/mareks_disease_in_poultry.html
” The virus matures into a fully infective, enveloped form in the epithelium of the feather follicle, from which it is released into the environment. It may survive for months in poultry house litter or dust. “
I discovered a lot of interesting things within your blog especially its discussion.
There is such a tour near my home, and I am sad to note that most of the participants are in it to fluff their own feathers; to receive attention and accolades for having a backyard coop cute and stylish enough to be seen. Then there’s the rest of us. Thank you for speaking up!
I’m new to backyard chickens and had no idea this was a “thing.” I would hate to lose all my birds to a disease, and it’s something I worry about. 🙁
Wise words.
This is very interesting and smart perspective. I’ve never heard of coop tour in our area, but I will remember this post should they start up. Better safe than sorry.
This is a good thing for everyone to be aware of. If you have sick birds, quarantine them!
consider that the same risks apply for dogs at dog parks. In other words, if one person brings a sick dog to a dog park, then there’s a risk of contamination. Or humans at shopping malls or drinking fountains or public restrooms.
We’re all exposed to germs all the time.
But as long as the other birds / dogs / humans are healthy and well-taken care of, they can usually fight off any infections.
But just to play devil’s advocate for a minute, yes, there’s a theoretical risk here, but where are the real examples of this happening?
We just finished our first coop tour. If any of us suddenly experience disease outbreaks, I promise I’ll report it, and I’ll probably have a change of heart.
Chickens are often sick well before showing any symptoms. While a formal study probably hasn’t been done, I have many fans who have dealt with issues in their flock after attending a poultry show or swap. A coup tour is the same thing. I also steer clear of all three for the very reasons mentioned here. Excellent advice.
By the time you discover that you have any disease transmission, the damage is already done. Your change of heart can have a very big, very painful price tag attached, if you lose or have to put down your whole flock. Most of us who keep hens have a long commitment of time (not to mention money and emotion) invested in our flocks, and to have to start over again can be heart breaking. It’s not worth taking a chance. However, I do think small-scale tours can be ok, if done wisely and with full cooperation from all attendees. Insist on, and enforce, foot baths, change of shoes or offer flip-flops, and have a look-but-don’t-touch policy. Tours are valuable for education, especially in the case of people who’ve grown up in an urban environment who have no clue where their food comes from.
There is always the “virtual” coop tour! Still sharing ideas through photos/videos, without the risk of spreading disease! Win-Win!