Greetings from Texas

[Raquel]

My 18 month old grandson has loved anything related to farming and ranching. His parents work in wildlife education so it is not surprising that his fourth word was "owl" and his bedroom is decorated with John Deere bedding. I took him over to Tractor Supply and we came home with 6 chicks and 2 ducks. We have an acre that is next to a farm even though we live in the city. After 4 weeks of raising the chicks and ducklings I have learned that ducks though very cute, poop a lot and cleaning up after them is a lot of work. They are also growing fast. The other thing I have learned is that the chicken/duck coop is going to cost quite a bit of money to build if I want to keep the birds safe from predators. And though my grandson is very happy with his new pets my daughter and son in law are afraid he is going to pick up a disease. Besides washing our hands what else can I do to make sure that children are safe from any diseases that may be carried by poultry? I really enjoy reading the discussions on this site-babyardchickens.

 

[TwoCrows]

Young chicks can carry salmonella. This eventually wears off the feathers as the bird ages, preens and molts. But in the mean time, don't kiss the birds, keep your hands out of your mouth, and wash your hands after handling them. They are a joy to keep and handle and as long as you practice good hygiene, they are perfectly safe to keep.

Enjoy your new babies and welcome to BYC!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Here is a nice article on minimizing risks http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/06/salmonella-risk-in-backyard-chicken-eggs/#.UyMocM5W_bM

 

[iwiw60]

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Use common sense husbandry and sanitation practices, and there will be no health issues. It's great to get kids involved in the raising of animals.

 

[gander007]