Can I hug my chickens?

[TheDocter21]

I was reading that the CDC said not to hug your chickens because they can carry salmonella, but I keep finding videos of people hugging and kissing their chickens. Is it a major deal to hug your chickens?
P.S.- I have 2 silkies and they are super fluffy, I can’t resist hugging them. I know I bathe my silkies and fluff them up every month or so. Does bathing them get rid of some diseases?

 

[Ursuline Chick]

If your chickens allow it and you want to, why not. I used to lay in the lot next door with a dozen chickens grazing around me. Some would climb on me. One of my hens and my rooster would "kiss" me (take pieces of cracked corn out of my lips) I thought it was fun and in close to 7 years of having chickens I have never had salmonella! Do what is best for you.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

You are more likely to get sick though! Not even salmonella!!

I am a nurse, if I was going to get sick it won't be 'cause I kiss a chicken. I get exposed to far worse things, for real.

 

[Ducksandchickens]

My question is WHY ? just WHY


Why would anybody hug and kiss their chickens

I hug my girls because I love them. Family’s with smaller flocks tend to give each chicken there own individual attention. I never kiss my poultry though.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I guess I am just not a germaphobe , maybe that's why I became a nurse!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I hug my dogs but I don't kiss. They trail behind my chickens eating their poop.

Ah yes... tasty treats!

Mine do the same thing. I don't kiss their mouths. Usually the top of their head or their ears. And my one dog, always puts her booty towards us. She is very uncomfortable face to face... but only sit next too and always turns her big duke-a- munga and makes it get in contact with the person she loves and is sitting next to... So I do like to kiss the top of her booty. Also on occasion they find something special they like to roll in... so I don't get to close to the shoulder/neck area. But the top of her booty hardly ever touches the ground. And I don't let them lick me cuz it's gross.

But still some people have cats that use litter boxes then walk all over their couches and counters. In all the years I have raised chickens... there has never been a salmonella recall on my eggs, yet! And that is in fact the reason I started raising chickens about 9 years ago. We use them raw in mayo and I don't "wash" them, not even before use. (I will admit, my son a gf were appalled when they heard I didn't wash but then shocked that my unwashed eggs were cleaner than washed they usually got) Come on, is rinsing water over gonna change anything for real?

Is salmonella a possibility... YES... EVEN if you don't kiss the birds.

My take... things happen but too many fear mongers... spreading GOOD advice! If I worried about every poisonous plant on my pasture I would never have chickens. Do your best, what makes sense to you. If you come down with Salmonella... you probably won't do it anymore.

But to the person claiming we can get other diseases from our chickens... SHOW me the science, please.

Farm kids grow up eating dirt just like others who might have served their siblings a mud pie a time or two. Absolute exclusion of exposure is a BAD thing. That's how the immune system builds resistance to things, exposure. E coli is everywhere in our environment... If your immune system is working well... NO problem. If you are compromised... EVERY thing is a problem in my opinion. Please note I have dogs, rats, raccoon and many other wild animals. My lettuce also has never poisoned anyone yet.... Oh but wait even my dead raw chickens will last at least two WHOLE weeks after processing in the fridge without getting slimy or stinky like grocery store birds. And ALL we do is rinse and refrigerate them after processing. Something to be said about keeping it small.

I do agree that extra risk might not be worth it, in many instances. But like SOOO many other things on BYC and in life... what works for some may not work for others and that's OK.

Thanks for giving us the chance to share our thoughts and to reconsider our own choices.

 

[JedJackson]

I was reading that the CDC said not to hug your chickens because they can carry salmonella, but I keep finding videos of people hugging and kissing their chickens. Is it a major deal to hug your chickens?
P.S.- I have 2 silkies and they are super fluffy, I can’t resist hugging them. I know I bathe my silkies and fluff them up every month or so. Does bathing them get rid of some diseases?

You can hug your chickens. It's not a whole lot different than picking them up to inspect for lice, mites or what have you, and we all do that. When I was a kid I was always picking up chickens and honestly I never washed afterward, never even thought of it, and no harm befell me or any of my friends that did the same thing. But I do wash after handling them now, just to be on the safe side, and I think everyone should, especially those that are around kids a lot. Salmonella is a reality but it's very unlikely one would be infected by a backyard flock just like it's very unlikely that lettuce from your garden will infect you with E. coli. It's mainly the large scale, industrial operations that spread these bacteria through food products. Just be smart and practice good hygiene for yourself and your flock and you will be fine. Kissing is out, though, for many reasons. Just don't do it. Stroke their wattles instead. Most birds like that.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I do give my chickens their own individual attention
It’s just all of mine except for one (my Brahma) just don’t like getting touched....

Not very many of my birds enjoy touching much either... out of hundred + I have raised... including Silkies. Only about 3-4 girls are really special that way. I probably don't kiss them... but think I might have laid a smack on them once or twice out of sheer excitement.

 

[Ducksandchickens]

Well you can hug your silkies. That won’t cause diseases to spread. Make sure you wash your hands after dealing with chickens. But NEVER kiss a chicken. That will DEFINITELY spread diseases. Giving chickens baths is unnessasary. Germs will still be on the chicken. Also giving chickens bathes obviously gets them wet which causes them to chill. Chilling can make the chickens sick.

I was reading that the CDC said not to hug your chickens because they can carry salmonella, but I keep finding videos of people hugging and kissing their chickens. Is it a major deal to hug your chickens?
P.S.- I have 2 silkies and they are super fluffy, I can’t resist hugging them. I know I bathe my silkies and fluff them up every month or so. Does bathing them get rid of some diseases?

Hope this solved your problem.

 

[Ducksandchickens]

I hug mine all the time. I have two that never go a day without a hug. I really only kiss the chicks and sometimes the ones that give hugs. I have done this for 7 years also and never had an issue.

Just so everyone knows I’m not trying to argue. Just trying to keep people safe!!! Sorry if I was acting mean!