Safely Owning Chickens

 We have all been there. Heading into the local feed store for something minimal, and we hear the peeping the chirping of the baby chicks. It gets me almost every single time. I find myself looking up the different breeds and varieties to see what they will look like when they are grown and learning all of the egg facts. Then, I eventually tell the clerk to give me the minimum amount I can bring home in our state. Chickens are great pets. They are insanely smart, but safely owning chickens comes with its own set of rules.

We all hear don’t kiss chickens and many other things when becoming pet chicken owners, but there are some real reasons for these rules that in some cases can be life or death. The CDC gives us lots of tips and tricks for having new feathered friends or even bringing chickens onto our existing homesteads.

Safety Tips

We have “coop shoes” in our home. These shoes are worn nowhere but to the chicken coop and back. They stay outside and never enter our home. This keeps the dreaded poo outside where it belongs.

We keep chicks separated from adult birds. If we are bringing new adult birds into our flock, they are separated for 2 weeks to ensure their health and well-being before integrating with our flock.

Chicks bedding is cleaned daily, but a weekly deep cleaning is a must. I loved when we could get recycled coffee grounds for our chicks, but unfortunately those are no longer available in our area. Now, we have to use pine shavings. Note: avoid cedar shavings.

We use hand sanitizer when fresh water isn’t available, but hand washing is so important. We are sure to take breaks just to come inside and wash our hands after handling the birds and eggs. If we find any cracked eggs, they are immediately discarded away from the clean eggs as soon as possible. I feel like most of my day is spent outside having my own Easter egg hunt. However, collecting often and carefully allows for less chance of contamination.

We are very careful when our kids handle birds as well. We don’t offer our chicks or chickens as gifts to children as sometimes even the adults don’t know how to properly handle them.

Why so much hygiene?

Avian Influenze AKA Bird Flu

Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. Some avian influenza viruses that primarily circulate in animals have infected people on rare occasion. When influenza viruses that normally circulate in animals cause an infection in people, this is called a “novel” virus infection. Not all influenza viruses found in birds are known to cause human infections.

How it spreads: Flu viruses are highly contagious. People can get infected through contact with saliva, nasal secretions, and droppings (poop) from infected animals. People also can get infected through contact with virus-contaminated surfaces, poultry coops, pig pens, and supplies. Less often, people can get infected by touching an infected animal and then touching their own eyes, nose, or mouth.

Who is at risk: It is rare for avian flu to spread to people. Anyone can get the flu, but children younger than 5 years old, pregnant people, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are at high risk for serious flu complications.

Campylobacteriosis 

Campylobacter are bacteria that can make people and animals sick with a disease called campylobacteriosis.

How it spreads: Campylobacter most often spread to animals and people through the feces (poop) of infected animals, contaminated food, or the environment. People can get infected if they don’t wash their hands after touching an animal or its poop, food, toys, habitats (including coops, pens, and cages), or equipment used around these animals.

Who is at risk: Anyone can get a Campylobacter infection, but children younger than 5 years old, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get severe illness.

E. coli

E. coli are bacteria found in the environment, foods, and intestines of people and animals. Although most kinds of E. coli are harmless, others can make people sick.

How it spreads: E. coli most often spreads to animals and people through the poop of infected animals, contaminated food, or the environment. People can get infected if they don’t wash their hands after touching an animal or its poop, food, toys, habitats (including coops, pens, and cages), or equipment used around these animals.

Who is at risk: Anyone can get sick from E. coli, but children younger than 5 years old, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get severe illness.

Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by a fungus found in the environment, particularly in soil that contains large amounts of bird and bat droppings.

How it spreads: People can get histoplasmosis by breathing in the microscopic fungus from the environment.

Who is at risk: Anyone can get histoplasmosis, but children younger than 5 years old, adults 55 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get severe illness.

Salmonella

Every year people get Salmonella infections after handling poultry, such as chicks and ducklings, and the number of people getting sick is increasing.

Who is at risk: Anyone can get sick from Salmonella, but children younger than 5 years old, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get severe illness.

I have to say even after knowing all of the risks there are so many advantages to having pet chickens. They are smart, fun to spend time with and we truly enjoy what they bring to the table (ha!) The benefits of the eggs, companionship and hearing their happy clucking and crowing when we go outside to care for them makes all of the hard work worth every second.

By: Samantha Cooper