Raising chickens and other poultry in your backyard has seen a huge surge in popularity in recent years. The desire to have control over the food we consume, whether it’s due to avoiding GMOs, pesticides, antibiotics, or simply aspiring to be more self-sufficient, drives more urban and suburban dwellers to take up urban farming and animal husbandry. However, there’s a growing risk associated with backyard farming that many may not be aware of, and that’s the increased possibility of contracting salmonella.
How, you may ask? In many cases, it’s because people are treating their backyard chickens like pets. It might sound silly, but physical contact with poultry can cause severe illness. In fact, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that over 180 cases of Salmonella in 40 states can be traced back to pet chickens.
Close contact with chickens, whether in your backyard or not, can be risky
The trend of raising chickens and ducks for food and eggs means that more people are letting these birds into their homes, and having close physical contact with the animals. This is a recipe for disaster in terms of the risk of contracting salmonella.
If you have an urge to cuddle and kiss a chicken as you might with a dog or a cat, heed the CDC’s warning: “These behaviors increase a person’s risk of a Salmonella infection.”
To avoid the risk, the CDC advises:
- Wash your hands with soap and water after contact with the birds or any items in the areas where the birds spend time.
- Don’t let the birds into your house.
- Don’t let children younger than five years, adults older than 65, or people with weakened immune systems handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry. These individuals are more likely to develop severe illness from Salmonella.
- Never kiss or snuggle with the birds, and don’t touch your mouth, drink, or eat around live birds.
Patricia Foreman, author of the book City Chicks and host of the talk-radio program Backyard Poultry with the Chicken Whisperer, seems to concur with the CDC’s guidelines. She recommends treating chicks and poultry like livestock rather than pets, and not letting children cuddle them or keeping them indoors.
Reducing the risk of Salmonella through proper hygiene and cooking
It’s worth noting that you can still be at risk for Salmonella without coming into direct contact with chickens and other farm animals. Most of us are more likely to get sick by eating contaminated food. The CDC’s general advice about avoiding Salmonella from food includes:
- Always cook poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly. Don’t consume foods that include raw meat or raw eggs.
- If a restaurant serves you undercooked eggs, poultry, or meat, send it back to be cooked more thoroughly.
- After contact with raw meat or poultry, always wash your hands, kitchen countertops, and utensils with soap and hot water immediately.
- Be cautious with foods that are served to infants, the elderly, and anyone who has a compromised immune system.
While raising chickens in your backyard may seem like a great idea initially (who wouldn’t love free eggs?), it’s important to remember that doing it properly and safely is not cheap. A farmer from California recently calculated that after building a coop, buying feed, paying vet fees, and spending countless hours maintaining the coop and caring for his chickens, his eggs were costing him around $40 a dozen. And that doesn’t even account for potential medical bills if you or your family contract Salmonella from getting too cuddly with your backyard poultry.
Ultimately, remember that safety should always be your main concern when raising poultry. Treat your backyard chickens like livestock, keep them out of your house, minimize physical contact, and always maintain proper hygiene to minimize the risk of Salmonella infection.
