# Baby powder?



## Pixy (Mar 29, 2005)

Is it safe to use baby powder in my loft after i've scraped and cleaned? Would it be effective in drying out possible paratyphoid? I dont want to lose any babies! 
Baby powder contains talc and scent.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Pixy said:


> Is it safe to use baby powder in my loft after i've scraped and cleaned? Would it be effective in drying out possible paratyphoid? I dont want to lose any babies!
> Baby powder contains talc and scent.


I would not use it, that much powder should not be inhaled and could cause breathing problems, it is only meant to be used in small amouts, not all over the place, if you want to disenfect the loft use a disenfectant spray and let dry. they sell products just for lofts, belgium white is one, so check out your suppliers list. natural clay cat litter can be used in spots that seem damp from droppings too.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Well put Spirit Wings... Dave


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## Brummie (Feb 16, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> I would not use it, that much powder should not be inhaled and could cause breathing problems, it is only meant to be used in small amouts, not all over the place, if you want to disenfect the loft use a disenfectant spray and let dry. they sell products just for lofts, belgium white is one, so check out your suppliers list. natural clay cat litter can be used in spots that seem damp from droppings too.


I brought Belgium White, very expensive for the amount you get. Check out the ingredient's.I think ninety percent is chaulk...Draw your own conclusion's from that.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Pixy said:


> Is it safe to use baby powder in my loft after i've scraped and cleaned? Would it be effective in drying out possible paratyphoid? I dont want to lose any babies!
> Baby powder contains talc and scent.


 I would use that stuff in the shower room, but not in the loft. I just can't imagine how having pigeons inhale that stuff would be good for them. If you don't want paratyphoid, then I think a more effective measure would be to vaccinate the birds, keep the loft clean and dry, sanitize the drinkers everyday, put ACV in the drinkers almost every day, don't bring strange birds into the loft, and you should be OK.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

I have two spray bottles, one with vinegar, the other hydrogen peroxide. It doesn't matter which you use first - you can spray with the vinegar then the hydrogen peroxide, or with the hydrogen peroxide followed by the vinegar. The pairing of the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria so it should kill paratyphoid. The best results came from using one mist right after the other but do not mix the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one sprayer, does not work as well.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Big T,
You know your science! There was an article long time ago that I've read that tells the effectiveness of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant. It was way better (and cheaper) than other commercial disinfectants. I think it was some scientific journal, but I don't remember what.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

Yep, I read it to. It was for cleaning kitchen counters, but I figured the loft could use it about twice a year. A too clean loft isn't good either. Birds need something to get immuned to.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Big T said:


> I have two spray bottles, one with vinegar, the other hydrogen peroxide. It doesn't matter which you use first - you can spray with the vinegar then the hydrogen peroxide, or with the hydrogen peroxide followed by the vinegar. The pairing of the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria so it should kill paratyphoid. The best results came from using one mist right after the other but do not mix the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one sprayer, does not work as well.


 Well....here is a thought that just came to me......I don't spray the loft with anything, and I very rarely have a sick bird, there were perhaps 3 in the last 6 years. Do I* really* want a totally germ free enviroment ? Or do I allow my YB's to be exposed to some level of germs, and allow their systems to build a very strong immune system ? ........ Once they get in those shipping crates, is that really the 1st time I want them exposed to germs ?

Something to think about. Perhaps me being a bit lazy, has actually helped me produce very healthy birds. And if one gets sick, maybe a little check mark goes down next to that bird, and he is not allowed to become a breeder later in life, regardless of his racing skill, and if one of his brothers or sisters also get's sick...his parents may also get one of those black marks on their breeding charts. Breeding some great racers, may mean more then simply fast birds, they also need to show a very strong immune system, not simply kept well by drugs and the like. Just another thought on the matter.


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## g0ldenb0y55 (Dec 23, 2008)

Warren you make us think to much! lol


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> Well....here is a thought that just came to me...... Just another thought on the matter.


A THOUGHT, yea right!!!! You the most thinking man on this forum. I would complain except I like most of your ideas. So you keep on thinking and sharing and I'll listen and tease.

God Bless,
Tony


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Big T said:


> A THOUGHT, yea right!!!! You the most thinking man on this forum. I would complain except I like most of your ideas. So you keep on thinking and sharing and I'll listen and tease.
> 
> God Bless,
> Tony


.........

Well, that thought did pop into my head when I read "Feed to Win", the guy used the deep litter method....you would think a lot of germs would collect there, except the key word is *dry* litter. I have never sprayed anything in my loft, but the perches do get scraped down every couple of weeks, and oil dry is spread below my grates, where the litter collects until cleaned out.

I wouldn't think that spraying stuff on perches would hurt, so if someone wants to do that, I don't see any possible harm. What IMHO I think is most important, is dry and clean air flowing through the loft. I learned some time ago, if a system is working, then don't try to "fix it". Back getting back to the topic, I am thinking that moving baby power around inside the loft, could do some harm, and that is why I suggested such. Because perhaps the most critical thing about a racing pigeon, is keeping those air sacs in excellent health. And I'm thinking things like baby powder is a air contaminant. 



.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

Like I said, I like most of your ideas and a lot of what you say I also hear from other OLD timers. 
1. dampness is the worst thing for a loft. 
2. continuous draft is almost as bad. 
3. Fresh air and sunlight are the best things for the birds. 
4. A dirty but dry loft is good for developing a bird's immune system. 
5. Too much feed and too little feed are not good for the birds. 
6. Fresh water always for the birds and alway have fresh water.

After this the rules and piorities change from one loft to the next, but these six rules have always applied no matter who I talk to. So once again I agree with you, baby powder would mess up the fresh air so not a good idea. Now, I am also going to give my loft a good cleaning on a bright and sunny day two to three times a year for my sake, not the birds.

Thanks Warren and keep thinking and writing,
God Bless,
Tony


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Big T said:


> .....Like I said, I like most of your ideas and a lot of what you say I also hear *from other OLD timers*......
> Thanks Warren and keep thinking and writing,
> God Bless,
> Tony



What...?....


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