Strange gray dust on everything!

[Anonymous]

Hello Fellow Poultrykeepers,
I have searched the internet for answers to this strange dusty fiber that is on the walls of my Chickee Coop. Nothing. So I have come to the people for help.

This winter season I haven't been using the vent fan. It has been too cold (subfreezing). I only flip the swithc when I am cleaning. Since I closed the doors last November when the Chickees decided outside with snow wasn't of any interest to them, I have noticed a peculiar covering on anything not walked upon by chickens.

There is a soft gray fluff (almost like torn off small shreds of owens corning insulation) EVERYWHERE! I vacuum it up and after a few days it is back; after a week it is falling like snowflakes when the surface is bumped.

I have a 8x12 insulated coop with five 3x5 windows, an attic passive vent and a ceiling vent on a switch. I have 20 bantams (14 hens & 6 roosters). The coop is the southern most end of a 12x24 shed built in 2009. This is only the second winter. Last year, the fan was on 24/7, because I had 3 - 250 watt bulbs keeping my babies warm.

Anyone know what the mysterious gray fluff is?

Many thanks,
IB

 

[Blue]

fungal spores?

is it caught in the cobwebs?! It does in one of our sheds - its on the damp side because of its positions under the trees.... :roll:

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your response. There aren't many cobwebs, but yes, the gray fluff sticks there, it gathers on the hardware cloth frames that separate 4 roosters from the hens. It sticks to the walls, and settles in a think layer of gray on anything horizontal. It is more like snow flurries than dust.

 

[foxy]

I would say it's some sort of dander, or a combination of dander, dust from the droppings and the humidity in your shed will have given it the appearance of "fluff"
I would imagine the solution would be to change the type of bedding you use to a dust extracted type, the horsey ones are excellent. Can you install heat lamps and increase ventilation?
How old are your chooks, are they adult? Any of them moulting, even a subtle moult can cause huge amounts of dander. Finally check and treat for lice, they can cause excessive grooming which in turn will increase dander. Other than that I am out of ideas! :?

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Foxy! Yes! That makes perfect sense. About half a dozen of the girls are molting, yes.

It is 10-15 below zero up here in the Northern Minnesota woods, so I have turned off the ventilation fan. I have two 25 watt brooder lamps going for heat with two 75 watt for personal use for my 3 frizzle runty hens. They have their own apartment up above and 2 of the 3 are also molting.

The whole coop stays just about 50-60 degrees with the sun pulling the temperature up to the 60 degree mark. It usually stays about 54 degrees F. I have a passive ceiling vent that doesn't drop the temperature, but the electric fan vent does, by 10 degrees in an hour and a half.

It doesn't seem humid, at least the windows are not all fogged & iced up.

I have a medium wood flake litter floor and use a small amount of dairy lime on the floor and more on the hen's side litter board. I suppose the combination thereof of all these things.

Well, I will just keep vacuuming I guess, until the girls are finished with the change of feathers. When I come in for chickee chores sometimes the tan floor is brown with shed feathers. I crawl around and pick them all up, and the next day it's the same.

Manifold thanks for your helping me with your insight. I appreciate it immensely.

My cochin flock is a year and a half old now. I have 5 wonderful roosters (and one bad one-Jeffrey by name, a handsome black frizzle). Jerome, the alpha rooster a golden laced and he resides with the 14 hens. One sweet and picked on red frizzle rooster, Patrick, has his own apartment during the winter. None of them are molting, which explains why the fluff is on the hen side.

Oh, thank you, again! Molt dander! Who knew? You! Ha ha, thanks, for knowing.

Happy regard,
IttyBtty