Disease in manure??

Jerry Houser

Hatching
9 Years
Jan 4, 2011
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Hello everyone,

I am part of a coalition in Albany, NY trying to get the keeping of chickens in Albany legalized. A bill has been introduced and we have an upcoming legal committee meeting to represent our case.

The sticking point for some of our Alderpersons is the concern for chickens and their poop as a disease vector. I am wondering if anyone out there has any documentation that would ease these concerns. Any assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

The meeting is at Albany City Hall, January 11th at 5:30pm.

Thank you.
Jerry
 
Thank you so much for that. We'll look it over and see where it can help inform all and help our cause.
 
Any animal waste would be a POSSIBLE vector of disease. If they are concerned about animal waste and are using that to prohibit people keeping chickens, they should probably prohibit cats and dogs, and drive out all wildlife from the town too! Silly.
 
Here are some more zoonotic goodies: http://www.iacuc.wsu.edu/documents/forms/pdf/Zoonoses_poultry.pdf

Important
points:

1. Small flocks, unlike Wild birds, are monitored. So, unlike the unmonitored and ubiquitous wild bird population, disease is, more often than not, diagnosed and treated. Most diseases spread by feces are from wild birds to poultry/humans.

2. (this `disease' objection came up here in Columbia, MO) Processing chickens at one's home produces potentially dangerous offal that can serve as a magnet for and/or harbor disease. This was easily countered by reminding Council that game animals have been being gutted at homes, here, since the first humans in area arrived and built dwellings (primarily tons of deer guts, but no contagions associated with those steaming entrails).

You might refer `those who are' to the Columbia, Missouri Center for Urban Agriculture site (hen ordinance passed, here in 2/10 - now holding butchering clinics, i.e., pay the fee, show up with live hen and learn enough to leave clinic with ready to cook carcass):

Article: http://mymissourian.com/2010/02/15/columbia-resident-makes-case-for-urban-hens/
CCFUA
: http://columbiaurbanag.org/

Good
luck!
 
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