Re: feed causing salmonella in chickens and their eggs.

[newbie donna]

I didn't mean to post a "sky is falling" type of thread. Sorry if it appeared that way. I'm new to raising chickens having only had mine since May 25. I want to raise healthy chickens to produce healthy eggs to feed my family. I would feel horrible if I posioned them with bad feed or bad practices.

I'm happy to hear that they manufactured their own feed. I store my chicken feed in a big plastic garbage can with a lockable top in a cool dark room. I know rodents can get into places you wouldn't think of. Do you suppose my feed is safe in there or should I come up with something else for storage?

One more question, if no one minds... should I get my chickens tested for various diseases and if so, how do I go about it? I don't even know who to call as the vet for my other pets doesn't do chickens.

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

Oh, that's just silliness to classify your post as "The Sky Is Falling."
You are new to chickens and looking for information. Hopefully you
will find the answer here without sneers and cynicism. I think most
people are happy to share info and maybe make a friend or two along
the way. Good luck to you and thanks for getting a lively conversation going!

 

[Jstall]

I don't think we are getting the whole, true story on this. I don't think we will ever hear the truth but eggs will surely go up in price.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Do you suppose my feed is safe in there or should I come up with something else for storage?

Switch to metal containers or they will chew right through them

Oh, that's just silliness to classify your post as "The Sky Is Falling."

I think it was more about the topic as a whole

There's little need to get all worked up over a naturally occurring bacteria that is just about everywhere

These huge recalls are just overreactions for the most part, since less than 1500 people reported being sick, and there's no real way to be positive it was from the eggs.

It doesn't matter how much Salmonella is in an egg if you just COOK it properly, and if you think your home grown eggs are any cleaner, you're fooling youself​

 

[suzettex5]

What creeps me out the MOST is that the egg recall goes as far back as May of this year. Why does it take massive outbreaks before our systems discover the issue and deal with it?

WHY isnt ANYONE pointing their fingers at the FDA or whoever stamped over half a billion eggs as SAFE? WTH?!?!?! How could they not test for pathogens or not see the pathogens in that MANY eggs over such a long time? Surely the 'egg police' had the time to find the problem...if anyone was actually doing the job. Another case of 'big brother' falling asleep on the couch while collecting his paycheck, if you ask me.


On the up side, my hubby no longer calls me the crazy chicken lady, I am now the defender of our families' health, by virtue of providing safer eggs!! LOL!!

 

[isingtomychickens]

I have found all this chat very interesting and informative so I appreciate the fact that someone brought it up. I have always heard that the only dumb question is one that is never asked. As far as the "sky is falling" comment, I have read other posts by this gentleman and I don't think he was trying to be condescending or anything. I think that with all this being all over the news and everything sometimes people do get in a panic before having time to get all the facts. It's good you were interested in fact finding before panicking. Things always seem less scary if you know what you're dealing with and how to avoid or treat it. Who knows, maybe missing this during inspection served it's purpose in order to raise egg prices across the board, which stinks. I have come to learn that the more space a chicken has to move around and freedom to eat/drink/go outdoors when they want helps to alleviate or prevent most common issues found in mega-production facilities, which sadly, are usually terrible. Thanks for asking about this!

 

[Beekissed]

if you think your home grown eggs are any cleaner, you're fooling youself

I respectfully disagree with that statement. The type of Salmonella they are dealing with is different than the kind you will find on the surface of any egg. The high bacterial counts present in a chicken that has a systemic salmonella infection won't be the same counts you will find in a normal bowel flora and fauna....unless, of course, you have used the same methods that they do in the battery houses to raise your chickens.

A chicken with a normal immune system won't have the high bacterial counts that a battery house hen may....those hens are confined without exercise, sunlight, fresh air. They are vaccinated, fed medicated chick starter as chicks, given low levels of broad sprectrum antibiotics in their watering system and are subject to the stress of cannibalism, lack of stimulation, and are fed feed infested with rat droppings.

Now...if your backyard flock has been subject to these methods, I would say that BF has a point. If not and you have a healthy, free ranging flock that hasn't been medicated out the wazoo or subject to commercial industry's idea of biosecurity....then I would be willing to bet everything I own that your eggs are much safer to consume than those produced under the aforementioned conditions.​

 

[phaethona]

I hope this isn't changing the subject too much

but I'm curious,
I remember reading somewhere that a cow can be infected with Salmonella or even E. Coli, and if they are grain-fed, their bodies can dispose of the bacteria naturally in a much shorter amount of time than if they were corn-fed. I wonder if the same is true for chickens in a free-range vs. caged, corn-fed scenario. and if so, I wonder how much that contributed to the large scale of the outbreak(icky living conditions considered of course)
maybe one of those 'who knows?' type ?s, but another reason to look out my back window and thank my ladies for their lovely eggs

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
I'm a little puzzled....corn is grain. Did you mean grains other than corn? High corn diets for feedlot cattle causes corrosion in the bowel walls~as the outer layer of the kernel is indigestible~ allowing E.coli that would normally only be present in the bowel into the bloodstream. These cows are fed a low dose of broad spectrum antibiotic with their feed and the low doses kill off only the weak bacteria, allowing the stronger, more virulent strains to survive and mutate until they are antibiotic resistant. Corn is also a high sugar diet, which also contributes to a a weakened immune system~hence why diabetics are open to more infection than those who are not. These are the people-killer E.coli. When these people arrive at the hospital for IV antibiotics, the medicine has only a marginal effect, if any, because the E.coli is resistant and people with weakened immune systems die.

You really cannot "dispose"of bacteria unless you have a good immune system that can form antibodies against pathogenic invaders. Just having bowel movements does not move the bacteria out of the body.

 

[sunflowerenvy]

Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay :

Quote:
The farm in question does not purchase "commercial feed" either, the manufacture their own feed in their own mill. Of course they make THOUSANDS of tons of feed per month for their chickens and hogs.

Jim

lazy
how do u make your own chicken feed? are u grown your own food [natural whole grain}?

jim
i hope they are not sell their own feed to other farmer n to the public under label n need to find the name of the product. i belive they are sell the feed to other.



Quote:
you are lucky to get that service here they only take your money and run with it. you hear about the recall on the news about 3 week later​