Can my chickens catch my cold/flu?

[tulie13]

In summary: DON'T SNEEZE ON YOUR CHICKENS!!!

 

[chicken lover10]

This might be a silly question, but I'm a little concerned- I have been running a low temp and coughing for several days (after being exposed to a confirmed case of h1n1). Today I came down with horrible cold symptoms. I know most animals can't catch human disease (and vice versa) but can i pass my cold/flu onto the chickens? are they safe from me? i've avoided contact with them so far.

well, I need to know will a chicken get a cold from left overs from you???

 

[Eggcessive]

well, I need to know will a chicken get a cold from left overs from you???

Welcome to BYC. No Chickens can't get your colds or flu, but they can get viruses and bacterial illnesses from other chickens or fowl. Some of the common chicken diseases are mycoplasma (MG,CRD,) infectious bronchitis, coryza, and ILT. Those can make carriers of your flock, sometimes for life. It's always important to buy healthy chickens, and to quarantine any new birds for at least a month before adding them to your flock.