Pigeon Lung: What to know 

I have lost 35 % of my breathing capacity from silicosis and black lung. Valuable info!

40 years in pigeons and I’ve never seen a loft cleaned like this. Very entertaining and how about the team work my wife won’t go near my lofts😂. I probably have pigeon lung 40 years of scraping no mask 😷. I always thought my pigeons would be the death of me😂😂. Good video 👍

You should put in a exhaust fan and use it when you’re in the loft

Glad to know you are doing much better. Very telling to see that cloud of dust raising up from the loft door.

i am glad you recovered. PLEASE assume you are now sensitized and dont take any chances. in fact from now on if you go into a pigeon show, or even a "dirty" or crowded loft? wear a mask.

Should be vacuuming it, not blowing it out.. JMHO. What a mess.. 🙂

I had to build an open loft no dust cause of ventilation ❤ that’s a lot of dust u got sir .

I think it's a given that most breeders have some degree of Breeder's Lung. After 45 years at this, my observation is that most of the old timers I knew tended to exhibit classic signs of respiratory illness near the end of their days. I don't think that's a coincidence. On top of the birds, I've worked in the mining industry (high exposure to silicate dust) and also smoke, so can definitely say that I "feel it" when I clean lofts and tend to spend the next morning hacking and feeling like I have the flu. One thing to keep in mind is that even if you mask up well, a certain amount of particulates are still going to enter into your system through your eyes. For years, I've had troubles with eye irritation and have tended to notice that that it flares up the most the dustier the lofts get. Goggles may be the order of the day to try to cut that. One thing people should keep in mind is that if it affects us, it must have an adverse effect on the birds too and probably impacts racing performance. At day's end, I think dramatically increasing venilation in the loft is probably the best way forward. I have a couple 8x8 lofts that are open on 3 sides and even though they seem more prone to dampness in my climate, the birds in those lofts do have better respiratory health than the ones in lofts that have three enclosed sides for the sake of dryness. I haven't flown from those lofts, but I tend to suspect that if a race team was flown from a more open walled loft, it would probably improve respiratory health and in turn, give better performance. Most of us design lofts with our own ideas of comfort (nicely enclosed from the cold and wind) and it may not be the best way. The more fixtures and nooks and crannies you have, the more dust they hold onto. Everyone and their dog has those lattice type false ceilings and they seem to really collect dust.

Glad you are doing better.

I hear gurgling in my breathing at night when I don’t wear a musk during loft cleaning.

speaking as someone whose husband has asthma AND an allergy to feather dust... we already knew it could be bad for him. now i came into pigeons from the parrot and etc bird community- and... basically pigeons create dander/dust like cockatoos. (so if you need to explain it to a parrot person) the entirety of a loft will be coated in fine white powder, like ultra fine talc. unless you have MASSIVE air flow. (and even then you get some) in addition the dry powdery residue of bird droppings that have dried, and (god forbid) any mold... well you dont want ANY of that in your lungs. period. so with the understanding that i am speaking from experience *with cockatiels* more than pigeons (i am a newbie to pigeons) 1. wear AT LEAST a N95 when working in/cleaning a loft. or even being head down in a cage cleaning. DO NOT BREATHE IN FINE PARTICULATES! 2. vacuum rather than blow any dust, but if you are blowing ANYTHING *leaves, snow, grass clippings, bird dust* then please ALSO wear eye protection 3. when possible, clean damp. it helps settle the dust. 4. use an air filter in any area you can, especially if your loft is near a window into your house 5. CHANGE CLOTHES immediately after cleaning a loft, and put them into a bag or into the washer. (i now one person who bought a paint jumpsuit for cleaning his cockatoo aviary. also, if you are dealing with a "mysterious illness" of any kind, ask your doctor if it helps to know that you (go camping/own birds/go caving/diving./just came back from travel/garden own exotic animals/volunteer at a wildlife rehab) doctors assume a lot. because i am disabled my doctor assumed i didnt ever go outside of the city, and at the time i was just back from camping for two weeks out near Butler PA, my husband's doctor assumed that my husband wasnt eating or drinking anything problematic for kidney stones (because no one in America drinks tea? or eats peanuts?)

That must have been mistaken as COVID and respiratory. Stay safe Robertson. And nice pigeon custome.

That’s why Leo Heremans was wearing a air tank due to the pigeon disease!!!

⁠ Hey Mr. Robertson do You remember that single Pigeon that I was telling You that I got the other day well he’s a Blue Checker Male, I named him DA-VINCI now I’m looking for a nice MONA LISA to pair him up to do You happen to have one of those by any chance for sale? lol

your’e flooring is not good for your’e loft. you should put wood grill for the flooring & put a sand too.

Vaccuum??!

If you use a blower you are a goose. All you are doing is blowing the dust onto someone else or where your children are exposed to it. Ever heard of a vacuum fitted with appropriate filters??? WTF

Heads up, your beard impedes the effectiveness of that mask pretty badly needs to seal to the bare skin