Touching a bird feather

[user19888891]

DH came home from work and I’ve had the kids all day. We’d been out in the garden and some of the toys were lying out. Almost instantly after looking out the window he says ‘I hope they weren’t playing with that feather’. To which I said ‘why?’ And he said ‘because it’s fucking disgusting’. So I said yes they had and it’s not a problem. He then said he wasn’t talking about it any further, or words to that effect, then proceeds to go out to the garden straight away to lift the feather with a bit of kitchen roll and put it in the bin. To be clear, this was a loose feather found in the garden, appears to be from a seagull. It wasn’t from a carcass or roadkill etc.
I really don’t see this issue? The kids are young and like exploring and they cleaned their hands when they got in. I think his reaction is quite odd because he seemed to think I was being outrageous for allowing this to happen? Who is being unreasonable?

My daughter collected feathers as a little girl and made a really nice scrap book out of them. Still remember how absolutely honoured and excited she was when we met a peacock on a day trip and it ruffled it's tail and dropped a feather. Pride of her collection. She's 16 now and still has it! And will still pick up a particularly pretty feather if she finds one. She'd think I was absolutely mental if I tried to stop her on the extraordinarily slim chance she get bird flu.

Very weird world we live in now where everything must be sterile and spotless and stinking of zoflora. Glad I grew up on a farm where getting filthy was heavily encouraged.

We’re in an area where avian flu has been found in the wild bird population so I’d avoid touching feathers at the moment. I think his reaction was a bit much though.

Or did you and Gladys is now typing this with her beak to cover up the true danger of feathers 🐔

Ps: I love your chickens' names!

I think it's a false dichotomy that suggests if you don't pick up feathers you douse in bleach and have a sterile home.

We're "outdoorsy" and the kids grew up on the beach, camping, outdoors etc. We had favourite sticks and favourite stones and knew to wash hands when we came in.

But I wouldn't have liked them picking up feathers or touching dead animals and as above been bird rescue places will say this...

@Hedgesfullofbirds I'd suggest you educate yourself before giving out false advice! UK bats HAVE been found to have lyssavirus. If you are bitten or have contact with their saliva, you will had a risk assessment and likely need a full course of post-exposure rabies vaccines!

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rabies-risks-from-bat-bites/information-for-individuals-who-have-been-bitten-by-a-bat

If you find a dead bat, cat drags it inside etc its recommended you send the bat off for testing. The UK DO get bats testing positive!
https://www.bats.org.uk/advice/found-a-dead-bat/testing-dead-bats

On an average trip out we sometimes collect enough to reconstruct a whole bird. No one has died yet.

Having had a bird mite infestation [grim] I am wary of anything to do with birds, but as long as the kids are old enough to know not to put feathers in their mouths etc I think it’s fine - just wash hands afterwards.

@CJ0374 - and how many recorded cases of rabies occur in the UK each year, either from contact with bats or from any other source? Yes, of course I am aware of the guidance on the link you posted, but that is cautionary, advisory and not because there is a real or significant risk. As I said before, you are at equal, if not greater, risk of contracting a zoontic illness from domestic pets - cat bites are notoriously likely to become infected and all those who allow dogs to lick their hands, or worse still, their faces, are just inviting nematode infestations!

But, above all, you are far more likely to suffer disease, illness or ill health as a result of contact with other humans than any other living creature or animal derived organic matter or body tissue. Sobering, isn't it?

Sadly Gladys died not long after...we have had 4 more rescues since. Milly, Molly, Maggie and Ethel. They all have died Maggie 3 weeks ago. I always shock the vets when it's time for them to be put to sleep...a 6ft 2, 15 stone man crying his eyes out.
We give them old lady names as they remind me of the little old ladies I grew up around, all russley shirts, flapping and settling their false teeth.

We aren't going to have any more for a couple of years as I can't stand it when they go. The caged egg industry is so cruel, but we give them weeks, months and hopefully year's with the rain and the sun, places to scratch and treats to eat.

His attitude is more disgusting than the feather.

Oh no, I'm so sorry for your losses. It really is the hardest part of having animal companions 💐

It sounds like you gave them wonderful lives and I'm glad they found their way to you x

My ex husband was equally as bat shit over bird feathers.

Yep

3 men once said something about bird feathers.

therefore all men think this way.

I work in gardens and woodland and bring all sorts home. Part of the house are like a Natural History Museum. There are feathers, bones, skulls, various teeth, an antler, horns, bits of wood, fossils, shells, rocks, seed pods and other bits of plant matter, owl pellets, plus a dried out crayfish I found in a climbing rose and various bits of human made debris picked up out of the soil. None of it has had any effect on my health, except maybe my mental health because picking things up to examine and learn about pleases me very much.

Bird flu isn't normally transmissible to people. The link you posted is about protecting chickens from bird flu, not children.

Sounds like your dh has some unresolved trauma to do with bird feathers