Wondering About Chickens and Parrots:

[keikoasmom]

I have been wanting to raise some chickens for eggs, and finally my
city has legalized it (Aurora, CO) but one thing has stopped me.
We have 6 parrots. We've had most of them for 10-15 years, and
maybe some of you who love chickens' personalities will understand a bit,
except that many parrots actually relate and communicate with humans...

Anyway, that is all off the track. We have been taught to be very aware of
bacteria and the possibility of infecting the parrots from wild birds. We have
a number of bird feeders and a large yard with a big pond, and we are careful
not to bring in bacteria.

So I have been concerned that the chickens might be "dirty" as they live outside and
I am sure the coop isn't sterile....
I am wondering if it is enough to use a disinfectant hand wash and soap and
water after handling the chickens or cleaning their coops and yard, or is it just not
something we should do?

We love eggs, and our parrots do too~

Thanks for the input!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I think you can definitely have both at the same time, but you are right that there is a little bit more risk of bringing bacteria into the house and infecting the parrots. A big one that comes to mind is Mycoplasma, but there are a few others.

Here are my suggestions to minimize the risk:

-Purchase chicks from "clean" stock, preferably from breeders that participate in NPIP testing.

-Have a different set of clothes and boots for being around the chickens. Coveralls work awesome for this and you can wash them real easy. You can also get a pair of muck boots and leave them by the chicken coop. Have a little area where you can change yours shoes and never wear the same shoes around the parrots. A Rubbermaid box works perfect for storing boots near the chickens if you don't have an indoor area.

-Washing hands in between is a great idea

-Any time you bring in new birds, make sure you quarantine them for the full 30 days in an area that will not have contact with your existing flock or the parrots.

-Maintain good pest control. Minimize standing water to reduce mosquitoes and try to keep mice and rats away. If you can prevent access of small wild birds into your coop, this will help a great deal as well.

All these things will help reduce the risk of spreading bacteria among your birds. I know plenty of people that keep chickens and parrots and so it is certainly possible!