Salmonella, do I kill the whole flock?

[RM18]

Ah, okay, my bad. I must have misinterpreted what you typed

No worries!

 

[RM18]

You can also get salmonella from dog or cat food if you happen to have dogs or cats. But yeah, veggies/fruits can carry them too. Any reptile handling recently? Or perhaps any pets might've gotten to an animal that had it and transfered it to you guys?
I don't know too much about it, but I wish you the best! Hope you guys recover well

We have cats and dogs. Cats are outside dogs inside. We also live on 40acres in a rural area so yes they come into contact with all sorts of things. We’ve never had a problem before however.
Thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Salmonella is very common in nature. There are a lot of species, strains, whatever you call the different ones. Some are harmful to humans, many are not. I would not be surprised if most of us that have chickens have some form in their flock. You can get it from your dog, especially if it rolls in the grass where some animal pooped. How many people wash their hands when they pet a dog? Don't even think about it, do you? You can get it from home grown vegetables and fruit. That's why they say to wash them before you eat the, though I'll admit I often don't. What can be better than picking a handful of vine ripe cherry tomatoes and eating them while still warm from the sun. People have been living with salmonella in nature as long as there have been people. That includes hunting and eating wild animals. People like to blame hatcheries. Mt Healthy was a problem a couple of times a few years back but I haven't heard of any other hatchery having a problem. It can happen but I think the source is much more likely to come from your environment.

Somehow one of the harmful ones got hold of your family. That's not fun at all. It could have been from that chicken. You just don't know. I'd treat it like it was. I'll include a link that might make you feel better about cooking the meat.

http://www.rocketswag.com/health/di...kill the presence of any salmonella bacterium

It's going to be spread by the feces. They dirt bathe in dirt they have pooped in so they can have it in their feathers. The meat can be contaminated when butchering even if you don't spill any guts. A common problem is working with meat in the kitchen and spreading it on surfaces there. When I finish wrapping meat in the kitchen I wash everything down with a bleach solution. I move stuff out of that area before.

I'm no medical expert, you can check with your local health department, they probably have guidelines. Probably guidelines on how to handle the meat as you butcher and package it.

If I were in your spot I'd butcher as normal. For me that means using a lot of water to keep things clean, my hands and rinsing the meat. I wash the outside butcher area down before and after with a bleach solution. I do that and I don't know that I have a salmonella problem. I'm very careful in the kitchen when packaging the meat and when I thaw it and cook it. Since you know it is possibly in your chickens I'd age them in ice chests, not your fridge. And wash those ice chests with a bleach solution afterwards. I'd make sure the meat was well cooked. I would not throw that meat away.

It is your personal decision on whose advice you want to follow. You are the one taking risks. Your health department might be a great resource.

 

[Kiki]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...sease-testing-state-lab-website-info.1236884/

 

[RM18]

Salmonella is very common in nature. There are a lot of species, strains, whatever you call the different ones. Some are harmful to humans, many are not. I would not be surprised if most of us that have chickens have some form in their flock. You can get it from your dog, especially if it rolls in the grass where some animal pooped. How many people wash their hands when they pet a dog? Don't even think about it, do you? You can get it from home grown vegetables and fruit. That's why they say to wash them before you eat the, though I'll admit I often don't. What can be better than picking a handful of vine ripe cherry tomatoes and eating them while still warm from the sun. People have been living with salmonella in nature as long as there have been people. That includes hunting and eating wild animals. People like to blame hatcheries. Mt Healthy was a problem a couple of times a few years back but I haven't heard of any other hatchery having a problem. It can happen but I think the source is much more likely to come from your environment.

Somehow one of the harmful ones got hold of your family. That's not fun at all. It could have been from that chicken. You just don't know. I'd treat it like it was. I'll include a link that might make you feel better about cooking the meat.

http://www.rocketswag.com/health/disease/s/salmonella/Cooking-Temperature-To-Kill-Salmonella.html#:~:text=Ground meat and meat mixtures like burgers, sausages,,to kill the presence of any salmonella bacterium

It's going to be spread by the feces. They dirt bathe in dirt they have pooped in so they can have it in their feathers. The meat can be contaminated when butchering even if you don't spill any guts. A common problem is working with meat in the kitchen and spreading it on surfaces there. When I finish wrapping meat in the kitchen I wash everything down with a bleach solution. I move stuff out of that area before.

I'm no medical expert, you can check with your local health department, they probably have guidelines. Probably guidelines on how to handle the meat as you butcher and package it.

If I were in your spot I'd butcher as normal. For me that means using a lot of water to keep things clean, my hands and rinsing the meat. I wash the outside butcher area down before and after with a bleach solution. I do that and I don't know that I have a salmonella problem. I'm very careful in the kitchen when packaging the meat and when I thaw it and cook it. Since you know it is possibly in your chickens I'd age them in ice chests, not your fridge. And wash those ice chests with a bleach solution afterwards. I'd make sure the meat was well cooked. I would not throw that meat away.

It is your personal decision on whose advice you want to follow. You are the one taking risks. Your health department might be a great resource.

Thank you for all of this. I will be reading that article as well. I’ve know salmonella occurred everywhere and if it was just up to me (I only had symptoms for a day or so) i would eat the birds, my husband has been very sick for days so it’s mainly up to him.
I will reach out to my local department and see what they have to say as well.

 

[Folly's place]

MOST grocery store chicken is contaminated with salmonella or other nasty pathogens. Something like 80%, as I recall, from several studies. That's why it's so important to assume that it's all contaminated, and handle it that way. That's also why pets fed raw diets are a source of contamination and illness in their families, and why the sale of small turtles was stopped years ago.
So, I'm sorry you are dealing with this, and glad nobody's in the hospital over it.
You could have some of the bird poo tested, also your dog and cat poo, because it may give you clarity.
Still, nothing changes as far as managing raw chicken, or allowing pets to kiss your lips, or washing up.
Mary