Is it safe to pick up bird feathers with your bare hands?
Bird feathers should not be picked up with your bare hands as they can be covered with bacteria leading to short and long-term health concerns. It’s recommended to use gloves and/or a bag to pick up the bird feathers as safely as possible.
Too many people will walk up to the bird feathers and pick them up without precautions. This is dangerous and reckless.
The reasons include:
- Contaminants
- Bacteria
- General Dirt and Grime
Bird feathers are not going to be as clean as you expect them to be. Even if they appear to be visually clean, it’s quite possible there are contaminants sitting on top that will do quite a bit of damage!
It’s essential to use gloves to pick up bird feathers, so you can dispose of them if necessary. Otherwise, just walk away from the bird feathers even if they look beautiful.
Here is a guide on answering the question “Is it safe to pick up bird feathers?” along with what to use when picking up bird feathers outdoors.
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Tips On How To PIck Up Bird Feathers Safely
1. Use Gloves
This is the most important piece of advice you’re going to receive when interacting with birds and/or bird feathers. Never assume the bird is going to be clean because that’s rarely the case especially outdoors.
The bird will have been flying through all sorts of conditions and will also be spending time along the ground in mud and debris.
This makes it doubly important to protect yourself before picking up the bird feathers.
While it’s important to ask questions such as “Is it safe to pick up bird feathers?”, you can keep things simple and just ignore the bird feathers entirely!
This is highly recommended, so you don’t end up interacting with the bird feathers and falling ill.
Let’s assume there are bird feathers spread throughout your yard.
In this case, it makes sense to go and pick them up. You will want to have a clean yard and that’s only going to happen when you walk up to the bird feathers and remove them safely.
So, this is where you are going to want to ask questions such as “Is it safe to pick up bird feathers?” while also using high-quality gloves.
The goal remains to keep yourself safe even if you are taking the time to touch the gloves. This is the only way to do it safely.
You could also use a stick to pick up the feathers or a bag, if that is the direction that works best for your situation at home.
2. Dispose of the Bird Feather Quickly
When you have picked up the bird feathers, it is time to dispose of them.
Don’t bring them close to your face or breathe around them for too long. This is dangerous and is likely to cause you to fall ill assuming there are bad bacteria on the feathers.
When asking “Is it safe to pick up bird feathers?” you want to think about the damage it can do to your body.
The contaminants will do quite a bit of damage to you and anyone else that comes in contact with the feathers. In fact, you don’t want to put the feather on any surfaces around the house.
Just quickly get rid of the bird feathers and move on.
3. Wash Your Hands Rigorously
This is essential after you have picked up the bird feathers.
Even if you used gloves, it is still important to wash your hands. This is important so you are not leaving residue anywhere and your hands are as clean as they need to be.
This is a must and you can even use a sanitizer if you have one at home.
It’s easy to assume you are going to be safe but that’s rarely the case! You have to be smarter than this and make sure you are as focused as possible on what you are doing.
Washing your hands is key.
Final Thoughts
“Is it safe to pick up bird feathers?”
Indeed, bird feathers are beauiful but they are also dangerous when picked up with your bare hands. Never assume this is okay and is going to be easy to look past when walking around.
Whether you are walking through a trail or in your yard, always make sure to either avoid the bird feathers or pick them up using protection.
This means a pair of gloves or even a bag that is in your hands, so you don’t come in contact with the bird feathers lying around.
Here is more on birds – birds resting on power lines, birds flying in circles, bird not sitting on her eggs, and birds fighting aggressively.