Hand Washing

[CalgaryFarmer]

I am not a germ-a-phobe. I fact, I believe exposure to germs is healthy. That said, I try to be vigilant and wash my hands after handling my chickens or their eggs. Still, I seem to get diaria if I am not careful. Is this in my head or is this a problem others have?

 

[Teila]

Howdy CalgaryFarmer

I am also not a germ-a-phobe and like to build up resistance via gradual exposure but, like yourself, know the risks associated with handling chickens/eggs.

I have not had any digestive issues which I could directly relate to handling chickens.

I have a bottle of Hand Sanitiser [no need for soap or water] on hand, near the coop which I use after doing pretty much anything around the coop and in between the picking up of individual chickens.

 

[w2teals]

Ive never had this exact problem, however I find that if I fry my eggs and eat the runny yolk without washing them thoroughly first then I can get diarrhea. If I wash them completely then I can cook them any way I want and have no issues. May be the same thing who knows.

 

[Beyond Yonder]

I don't know. I used to be diligent about the hand washing thing, but have found over time I don't do it. I have never had any problems.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have not had that kind of a problem but some people are more sensitive than others. My wife has a very sensitive digestive system but I can eat practically anything I want without a problem. It’s possible you have some type of sensitivity. It may not even be related directly to the chickens or eggs but something else you are exposed to.

It’s possible our eggs or our chickens can harbor nasty things, but so can our dogs, cats, or other pets especially if they are sometimes outside. We seem to live in a society where if there is any possible exposure it is a major issue, whether the odds are infinitesimally small or actually pretty real. If there is even a remote chance something bad can happen it is going to be tremendously overblown with people writing books and going on talk shows to promote those books. They’ll have blogs or newsletters where they can sell advertising or write column-inches for magazines for money. Scaring people silly over practically nothing is big money.

After saying all that, I generally rise my hands off after handling any of those, not always with soap but usually just with clean water. I consider it good practice to take that precaution because it is possible but I’m not going to obsess over it. There are plenty of times I don’t wash up for a while.

If you have noticed a correlation in not washing your hands and diarrhea I’d wash my hands. That’s a reasonable precaution.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

Thanks. I have had chickens only a year or so and I have diarhhea much more than before. Generally, I have never really had these types of issues.

This weekend I forgot to wash my hands after handling the chickens and sure enough ...

 

[Folly's place]

You can have fecals checked on your birds, and also tests can be run for other noxious issues that they might have. If you have issues with grain, dust, or feather allergies, then it's not about chicken illnesses, but about your sensitivities. Are other people eating your eggs or chickens? Are they having problems? Mary

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

I have not heard of anyone having problems with the eggs. We tell people to be careful as the eggs are not cleaned. We haven't processed any chickens. I do not think I have problems with the eggs myself. It is just handling the chickens. Thanks for replying.