Bronchiectasis and chickens

@paulaok Welcome to our support group where we try to share our experiences to help one another.
I have not raised chickens, but for several years I shared my garden space at the edge of my patio with feral chickens, and it is also where my bird feeders were located. My pulmonologist believed it was the source of my infection. strongly encouraged me to stay away from the spot. We covered the area with undisturbed ground cover and I still avoid being nearby when it is being mowed or raked, even closing windows and doors facing the patio.

Thank you for sharing your experience

That sounds lovely for you!! I have chickens… I also have MAC and Bronchiectasis. I wear a mask when I go in the coop. I would think if you aren’t involved with the chickens and their coop dust, you’ll be just fine!

Thanks, that’s what I’m thinking too, be prepared, wear a mask and gloves when I’m around them

@sueinmn Would you mind being more specific about the infection ? I’m unsure…is it what lead you to BE, or where you already diagnosed with BE and caught something from the chickens ? Curious, as when I went to NJH , in my initial/screening phone questioning , they asked me several questions regarding birds & chickens.
Are bird feeders & bird houses a bad idea for us ? Thanks !

@sueinmn Good Day. I was reading about the idea of chickens and bronchiectasis We live up hill very close to our neighbor who has chickens in coops and some running free since Covid . The wind gusts up to my backyard. I have always thought the air we breathe outside near the coops was causing my hubby troubles with his lungs. The molds in straw and the insect infestions and dust kicked up from hens free range. His coops are illegal but we have not complained but this years diagnosis is pushing us to do so. Thanks for confirming the possiblities. WG

@cholash I’m not currently experiencing any problems but am wondering about potential issues when living close to chickens.
I’ve had lifelong asthma and Bronchiectasis for 10 years, seems my family has a history of respiratory issues.
We haven’t moved yet but are planning a move to be closer to my daughter who is also planning to buy a hobby farm so she can have chickens.
I’m just concerned about potential issues with birds, seed, bedding etc
Is it enough to just mask up when around them or like another commenter mentioned, is there also danger is wind blown dust and mold etc?

@cholash @paulaok @buddy43
Close, concentrated contact with infectious material is the risk. That is why concentrated vapor over an indoor pool is risky, but an outdoor pool is safe. This was stressed to me by the ID doc when I asked about what to avoid.

My infection was M Avium and M Intracellulare, both typically associated with birds (not just chickens). He told me not to think about keeping birds in my home (which we had done in the past) or raising my own chickens, but not to worry about the neighbors' birds. By the time "anything" reached my yard it would be so diluted by the air that risk would be very small. I also asked about feeding wild birds - there he said "mask-up & clean-up" - I was already doing the cleaning part, but the masking never occurred to me. He also told me not to dig in soil inhabited for years by feral chickens in my yard (they have been gone for 7 years now, but I am still cautious.)

So what is my takeaway? I feed the birds, keep their feeders & waterers scrupulously clean. I have been lazy about masking, but will go back to that too. I don't dig, rake, etc near where they feed. I wash thoroughly after working on their stuff. If I had to feed chickens, I would follow the same procedure.

I highly doubt second-hand, airborne exposure to the neighbor's chickens is dangerous, but you could consult with your local health department if you are concerned.

@sueinmn thanks for all your info . I was given a bird feeder for Christmas that has a camera with it. I haven’t hung it yet , and now wondering if I want to go through so much cleaning, etc . When you say clean , how do you clean the feeders? Do you laundry clothes & shower directly after? This is all new to me , since I’ve yet to have, or be educated on, one of the bird related infections . I’ve only had basic run of the mill lung infections . No ID doctor needed.

@cholash I am in the "belt or suspenders' club as far as my risk tolerance, others may be more cautious than me.

Cleaning bird feeders is easy, and needs to be done frequently for the health of the birds you are feeding, otherwise where they flock, they can catch bird flu, mites and lots of other nasties.

Every day, I drain the little fountain near the bird area, use the brush and a little bathroom cleaner with bleach to scrub it, rinse thoroughly and refill. I carefully refill the bird feeders using a funnel-type scoop, so no dust blows back at me. I dump and refill the self-waterer.

My weekly process is simple:
Take down the feeder, empty the remaining seed and put it on the ground.
Blast it thoroughly with a hard stream from the hose to loosen and remove old food, droppings, etc.
Put the feeder in a tub where I have put 1 cup of bleach in about 4 gallons of water (I keep a separate tub for this) and soak for a few minutes, then scrub inside and out with a long handled bottle brush.
Rinse in a stream of water and put in the sun to dry before refilling.
Repeat for each feeder and the self-waterer, then dump the water, rinse the tub and brush and put in the sun to dry.
Go in the house and thoroughly wash my hands and arms ( and legs if I have gotten them wet.) Dry off and put the used towel in the laundry.

I should wear a mask while I do these tasks, and I do it when I remember. I don't worry about my clothes or showering.

PS I have been doing it this way for years with no issues.
This is the scoop I use:
https://www.chewy.com/more-birds-bird-feeder-seed-scoop/dp/220281
And this is the type of waterer:
https://www.mannlakeltd.com/poultry-farm/feeder-waterer/poultry-waterers/poultry-waterer-3-quart/