Risks to Human Children?

[ozark hen]

Aran, are those anti-bacterial wipes ok to use then??

 

[aran]

would certainly be worth using yes. I am lucky in that I work at a hospital and have no problem getting anti bacterial alchol based hand wash which has a really high bacterial kill rate. I know you can buy stuff in the pharmacy which is similar in its kill profile.

Inhalation is in my opinion the worst potential for serious illness with keeping any birds chickens included. I wont clean out my coop without having a mask on. If you can smell the dust you are breathing it in and whatever bacteria/molds/viruses happen to be in it.

 

[chickaboo7]

I've had more types of critters than I care to mention. My biggest concern was when we bottle fed a litter of feral kittens. My daughter (8) always helps me but not this time, I was worried of her getting bit. I had to wear thick gloves just to hold them. They are now placed as barn cats & boy are they good at it. I also had to take my oldest girl to the hospital to get 2 stitches from a rabbit bite. By far I would say that chickens are the best pets you could ever have!! It's hard to wash when your sharing your PB&J with them. I'm lucky to get 1 bite.

 

[Guavacoop]

Thanks for all the info. Especially aran. I will look up that deadly disease.

Also, do chickens ever peck a kid? Maybe by mistake if the kid is feeding her? Does that hurt or break the skin?

Thanks,
GC

 

[aran]

its important to realise that not all birds carry chlamydia psittaci and not all people who are exposed to the bacteria contract illnes from it just as all not people who are exposed to streptococcus get pneumonia nor do all people exposed to niesseria develop meningitis. However in some birds and in some people the disease can be nasty. ...it is worth reading about if you guys are interested though. I wouldnt worry about the birds pecking the skin as long as the kids are washing with appropriate anti bacterial soap/solution when finished handling the birds. If there is a significant wound obviously let a doc look at it.

 

[chickenmama]

Guavacoop, It's pretty rare that any of my chickens peck the kids, but we did have an incident recently where one pecked my daughter in the corner of her eye. I had read about the possibility of that happening here and had been reminding the kids constantly to keep the chickens away from their faces. she was okay, but it was scarey, and a good reminder to be very careful.

It's just so hard to resist the temptation to give them a kiss!

i also have to share that the addition of the chickens to our family have been the best family project ever! I swear that my kids fight less, work together and basicly help each other out more than they used to. They have brought so much joy to our house!

Michele/chickenmama

mom to five great kids, along with 3 wyandottes, 2 golden comets and 2 barred rocks, and a very old cat and three fish

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
I've never had a chicken break my skin on accident when feeding them. Yes they have tried to eat my rings or moles, but even their hard peck won't break skin. Now... a broody is a different story, some of those have a hard bite, but still, don't break the skin and maybe, if really good, will cause a red mark or tiny bruise.

Roosters though, if they turn mean, get them away from the kids. They have spurs and can do damage. I was carrying a bag of seeds once and my rooster thought the bag of seeds was a threat and out of no where jumped up kicked the bag of seeds and got my hand with his beak. That did break my skin just a little. He didn't mean to do it to me though, I guess he thought that bag was attacking me or something!

Basically, they can bite but if it's not malicious in nature, it will be fine. It may scare a kid though if they aren't expecting it.

 

[Guavacoop]

After reading aran's warnings about Psittacosis, I looked it up at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control of the US Government) and found that it is pretty rare in humans (about 50 documented cases per year in the US). See details below.

Another website that looked reliable was http://www.birdsnways.com/wisdom/ww23eiii.htm
which says: "Most human cases are contracted from psittacines [parrots], pigeons, and turkeys" (NOT CHICKENS

) And it says: "Humans are usually infected by the inhalation of infective particles in the air."

Here are the details from the CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/psittacosis_t.htm

Psittacosis
Chlamydia psittaci, a bacterium

Clinical Features
In humans, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a dry cough. Pneumonia is often evident on chest x-ray.

Incidence
Since 1996, fewer than 50 confirmed cases were reported in the United States each year. Many more cases may occur that are not correctly diagnosed or reported.

Sequelae
Endocarditis, hepatitis, and neurologic complications may occasionally occur. Severe pneumonia requiring intensive-care support may also occur. Fatal cases have been reported.

Transmission
Infection is acquired by inhaling dried secretions from infected birds. The incubation period is 5 to 19 days. Although all birds are susceptible, pet birds (parrots, parakeets, macaws, and cockatiels) and poultry (turkeys and ducks) are most frequently involved in transmission to humans.

Risk Groups
Bird owners, pet shop employees, and veterinarians. Outbreaks of psittacosis in poultry processing plants have been reported.

My take on it: It seems highly unlikely for a person to contract it from chickens, but if you did, the most likely way would be for an adult to inhale it while cleaning poop, thus aran's advice about wearing a mask while cleaning would be the best prevention, if one is concerned. As for risks to my kids, I'm no longer worried about this one!

 

[SpottedCrow]

I wouldn't worry about it...your kids are more likely to catch something from someone else's kids...
BTW, I have a really crappy immune system...I've even caught 5th's disease as an adult...blech
But I've been the healthiest I've ever been since I've gotten my birds.
Didn't even get my yearly pneumonia.

 

[Jsto]

My one chick broke the skin...picked a freckle right off. BUT, and it's a big but, I take full responsibility. Her pecking the freckle at 1 week was cute so I just kept letting her do it. I barely felt her going after it, but after 3 weeks of pecking the same spot, it eventually popped off. I've gotten pecked on the lip twice and it drew blood. Both chicks just flew up out of the brooder and got me. All of that being said, just keep your child's face completely away from the chicks. My lip bled because it's such a sensitive area and I shouldn't have had my face in the brooder cooing

The freckle because it had been pecked repeatedly.

They aren't blood thirsty demon animals, but they do have peckers. Educating your child should erase any probability of it happening. If she is going to feed by hand, yes, they occassionally accidently get a bit of skin, but it's never broken my skin.

The so called risks definitely are outweighed by the advantages of chickens. I think it's a great learning excercise for children!