How dangerous is Chicken Poop? Am I TOO Clean about it?

[aart]

Belated welcome to BYC. I am a health care professional and want you to consider that your new germophobia may be an obsessive-compulsive disorder. I don’t know if you have any other problems of this type but you may want to think about seeing a doctor. Not trying to be mean, trying to be helpful.

I was wondering the same.
@LindsayL was there a health event that escalated your 'concerns'?

 

[LindsayL]

I was wondering the same.
@LindsayL was there a health event that escalated your 'concerns'?

Sorry I just saw your post. It was mostly when we lived with someone and my son was about 2. Big enough to walk around and touch everything but not big enough to wash his hands before putting them in his mouth. The person would touch the eggs and crack them (yes they were rinsed but not sanitized) and then they would touch everything in the kitchen and house without washing their hands first. The thought of the cross contamination that could hurt my son was overwhelming and I went overboard with needing to make up for it. Then an all over fear of their germs kicked it. Since being in our own place, it has gotten slighly better, but obviously not much lol. But I do love them a LOT

 

[LindsayL]

Belated welcome to BYC. I am a health care professional and want you to consider that your new germophobia may be an obsessive-compulsive disorder. I don’t know if you have any other problems of this type but you may want to think about seeing a doctor. Not trying to be mean, trying to be helpful.

I don't take it as mean at all But actually very accurate. This isn't the only thing that I have a major drive to be clean about. However it is the worst of them. Thank you for adding this insight though as it does help me put my fear into perspective

 

[aart]

Sorry I just saw your post. It was mostly when we lived with someone and my son was about 2. Big enough to walk around and touch everything but not big enough to wash his hands before putting them in his mouth. The person would touch the eggs and crack them (yes they were rinsed but not sanitized) and then they would touch everything in the kitchen and house without washing their hands first. The thought of the cross contamination that could hurt my son was overwhelming and I went overboard with needing to make up for it. Then an all over fear of their germs kicked it. Since being in our own place, it has gotten slighly better, but obviously not much lol. But I do love them a LOT

I would worry more about the chicken poop tracked in the house.
I hope you can get some help with your phobia,
could cause more harm than chicken poop or dirty eggs.
Best of cLuck.

 

[Dougdilman]

i know its not story time but ive had chicken crap on my hands and wiped my mouth and eyes without realizing soo many times that my body has grown stronger. i do beleive

 

[CatWhisperer]

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

 

[LindsayL]

i know its not story time but ive had chicken crap on my hands and wiped my mouth and eyes without realizing soo many times that my body has grown stronger. i do beleive

That actually helps me feel better lol

 

[jolenesdad]

Small exposures here and there actually help your immune system build tolerance to exposures of things in your environment, and chickens are no different. I’d actually put it out there that you’ll be safer with a few less precautions.

there have been a few really, really interesting studies I read when my child was just born. One is with dogs and it essentially says kids that grow up with dogs have more immunities. The assumption is the dog is bringing in germs in super small amounts of the outside and exposing the child in small increments to build a tolerance.

the other fascinating study has to do with the Amish. There is practically no instance of a few common childhood viruses in the Amish community. I’m completely paraphrasing and don’t remember the specifics, but it’s like RSV or the common cold. They hypothesize that the Amish children are exposed to the farm and specifically farm animals, dirt and mud, and build a stronger set of immunities.

I’m going to find the articles for you. It may help to ease your mind.

maybe we can meet in the middle with both of our practices. I’m too lax. I’m thinking back to when my kid threw himself a party at 2.5 years old in chicken shavings and I didn’t give him a bath.

 

[jolenesdad]

Okay here is one.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/well/family/are-pets-the-new-probiotic.html