BIOSECURITY – KEEPING THE OUTSIDE ENVIRONMENT OUT OF THE LOFT
A loft full of confined healthy pigeons [iN ISOLATION] is all very well, but you must also make sure that there is no way in and out for disease. We've already blocked the main route - direct contact with wild birds and their droppings - the next main route is on or in us.
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Make sure that you take basic hygiene precautions - washing your hands each and every time you've been in the loft and before you touch anything else in the house.
If you wash your drinkers in the house, use your own cloths for this and for no other purpose.
I keep a pair of old shoes to get me from the house to the loft. I keep an old pair of slippers in the loft that I change into inside the loft, for use only inside the loft. If I had a loft coat - it wouldn't leave the loft either.
At the loft door, disinfectant Boot Wash NOW. Use any old basin big enough to take at least one of your shoes. Virkon disinfectant, just deep enough to cover the soles of your shoes, a simple step in and out. No delay. If you are on a smallholding or farm where other animals or poultry is kept, I would adopt a disinfectant Boot Wash at all entrance doors at all the animal buildings.
I use Virkon S disinfectant in a bottle to spray clean my scrapers, feeding hoppers, pots etc. You could also use it to spray any 'damp' patches on or under your perches etc; or limestone or Stalosan or a combination of all 3 as you see fit.
Disinfectant costs Virkon (5ltr) 2 euros (probably per week, if you change the bath 3 times) Stalosan (5kg) 15 euros. (lasts probably 8 weeks). You can’t buy a pigeon for 17 euros!
And if you have been out in the park with the children feeding the local birds - Boot Wash, and wash your hands as soon as you come back and before you go near the loft. And don’t forget the dog too. He can carry stuff on his coat and feet just the same as the pigeon! SORRY FOR STEALING YOUR POST BRUNO THOUGHT I WOULD TRANSPORT YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM