Rubber boots can be a cool tool, especially when utilized to reduce the spread of disease.
With the threat of avian flu in small flocks we wanted to share some simple security tips.
While researching sanitizing footbaths (another cool tool to be posted soon), I came across an idea that really made sense for working with small flocks and that is having dedicated coop, on-farm, and off-farm footwear. This doesn’t mean the end to foot baths or other means of footwear or coop cleanliness. What it means is that you are cutting the risk of disease spreading from off-property or even on-property to the coop inadvertently through footwear.
Farm visitors, (should be limited at present) must also follow the protocol.
Have visitor footwear available in the coop or have visitors bring an extra pair of their own boots that can be sanitized before entering the coop. A regular sanitizing schedule (i.e. when boots appear dirty or weekly) for coop boots is also an important step to cut the risk.
Be sure to always wear different boots on-farm versus off-farm outings.