Keep a clean coop

[so lucky]

This is pretty much the same argument I see when people are trying to discourage us from drinking raw milk. Salmonella, disease, dirty cows, all sorts of scary stories. Now that commercial milk is pasteurized, they don't care if some bad germs get in there, because it will be killed by pasteurization. Brings the standard of cleanliness down if there are "corrections" for dirty milk. Folks who produce raw milk are very cognizant of that. We who drink it are just glad to be able to get it, despite the best efforts of "big brother".

 

[K0k0shka]

No, the raw milk thing is actually real. Even back in the day farmers used to boil their milk before drinking it. It was common sense. And the way cows are raised nowadays in filthy factory farms, why would you want to drink that raw, it has all the poop germs in the world in it. Backyard chickens may or may not have salmonella, so kissing them isn’t a high risk. Milk on the other hand, can get contaminated in so many different ways, from feces to dirty equipment, that the risk of putting that into your body and getting sick is much higher. Because you’re actually drinking it, not just kissing the cow.

 

[Lizzy733]

Chickens and reptiles are carriers and unsanitary conditions, as bad as they can be for the animal, don't really translate over to human infection unless you start talking about eating old, improperly stored or soiled eggs or older, improperly stored and undercooked meat. It needs time and poor conditions to establish on food - which is the primary way it makes a person sick.
I've never gotten sick off my birds or reptiles. It's just a matter of proper hygiene in the kitchen - that's all.

Alternatively, I have gotten sick from improper handling of food at fast food chains more times than I can count.

 

[aart]

While I keep my own coops clean and use good personal and flock hygiene I am shocked at the filth surround chickens in pictures on this and other sites. It doesn’t surprise me that there is a lot of salmonella in backyard flocks. The way some people keep their chickens they deserve it.

....and more illogical extremism.

That is unnecessarily harsh and judgmental. Chickens aren’t cats. They don’t need their litter sifted and scooped daily and their coops sprayed with sanitizer like I’ve seen lots of other people do on this forum, and judge from their sanitized moral high horses. This cleanliness mania is very recent and more typical of hobbyist chicken keepers, not actual farmers with experience. People have been keeping chickens for thousands of years without obsessive sanitation and they’ve been fine. Ask your grandma if she scooped chicken poop every day and “kept a clean coop”.

For the record, so far I haven’t seen any photos on this forum that would merit the reaction of “EW, this is so gross that they deserve sickness and death for it”. Just... chill for a bit.

Perfect response, what I was thinking and couldn't have said better.

Chickens and reptiles are carriers and unsanitary conditions, as bad as they can be for the animal, don't really translate over to human infection unless you start talking about eating old, improperly stored or soiled eggs or older, improperly stored and undercooked meat.

I would bet that 90% of salmonella cases are from improper handling of the live animals, which includes not washing thoroughly afterwards.
Reminds me of the little red eared slider turtles they used to sell at the dime store,
they ended up banning that due to salmonella.

 

[member 158781]

There's truth in every answer here so far.
Yes, Salmonella can come from pretty much anywhere.
Yes, hygiene is a good thing.
Yes, extreme and overdone hygiene is not a good thing because you do not build resistance.
Yes, you can have your flock tested once or twice a year if you sell the eggs.
Yes, BYC breeders are only responsable for a tiny percentage of the cases.
That said, As a child, I played in the sand where dogs and cats and birds and just about any other animal did their business. And again, yes, I had to be dewormed and washed and dewormed again at no end. I ate the dirt, kissed cats and dogs with mange, played with caged rats and mice, cleaned out a barn without gloves and then bit my nails. Well, guess what: I'm alive, lol. I now sanitize my coops. Not because I'm afraid of disease for myself, but because I hate flies. (I use shavings in the coop but guess what: I'm running to get washed plaster sand. Sounds great.) Let's all just enjoy our flock(s). I'm certain most of us have common sense. Now all we need is to keep having fun.

 

[aart]

I'm running to get washed plaster sand. Sounds great.

It does, doesn't it?
But it isn't really.
It will become saturated with pulverized poops and when damp will stink to high heaven.
Far from 'sanitary'.
Want to reduce flies?
Use a poop board with PDZ(zeolite) and sift out the poops daily...
...and big wood chippings in your run.

 

[so lucky]

No, the raw milk thing is actually real. Even back in the day farmers used to boil their milk before drinking it. It was common sense. And the way cows are raised nowadays in filthy factory farms, why would you want to drink that raw, it has all the poop germs in the world in it. Backyard chickens may or may not have salmonella, so kissing them isn’t a high risk. Milk on the other hand, can get contaminated in so many different ways, from feces to dirty equipment, that the risk of putting that into your body and getting sick is much higher. Because you’re actually drinking it, not just kissing the cow.

I wouldn't dare drink raw milk from a filthy factory farm. What I'm trying to explain is that raw milk dairies (which are not factory farms) go the extra mile to make sure you don't get those bad germs in your milk. (At least mine does). There are many good bacteria and enzymes in raw milk that many people feel is worth the risk. My family members are all healthy, no one has had salmonella. We've been drinking raw milk for nearly 12 years. I did get sick once from eating a salad in a restaurant, though.

 

[chickens really]

Different strains of salmonella..What one are they specifically talking about?

 

[Rietta]

To each his own

 

[Lizzy733]

....and more illogical extremism.

Perfect response, what I was thinking and couldn't have said better.


I would bet that 90% of salmonella cases are from improper handling of the live animals, which includes not washing thoroughly afterwards.
Reminds me of the little red eared slider turtles they used to sell at the dime store,
they ended up banning that due to salmonella.

Turtles are filthy - as they mess in their water and most owners don't look into appropriate filtration - meaning a giant canister filter with proper chemical, biological and mechanical filtration media (and UV if you're fancy) which needs to be graded much larger than your setup to handle that level of waste- or don't know how to balance the system or treat the water to maintain the biological filter once it's established.
All that stuff is very 'advanced' reptile\aquarium care and takes time to get up to speed - even with the right knowledge.
It took at least 8 months to get my water dragon's filter 'established' to where it no longer needs super-frequent cleanouts.
It shouldn't be necessary to wash your hands after handling a pet to keep from getting sick - they aren't plague bearers.