Salmonella, do I kill the whole flock?

[RM18]

Was the dead bird tested? Chickens die of many things. And they can die of one thing while also carrying something else.

Given that they all live together, if one has it, they probably all do.
So it might be worth testing one or two.

Even one infected bird proves they are not ALL free of it. Or even one not-infected bird proves they do not ALL have it.

Are your chickens meat birds, or laying hens?

If they're meat birds, even if they do all have salmonella, you might be able to just butcher & cook them while being a bit extra careful. The usual guidelines for dealing with chicken meat are based on the idea that some WILL have salmonella, but that you don't know which ones. So knowing they have it might not change much.

We were the ones to kill the chicken but no it wasn’t tested. The birds in question are meat birds. You just answered the question that’s been burning in my mind. I would assume you could cook the chicken and it would be safe to consume, but that’s just assuming. I can’t seem to find any articles regarding this topic.

 

[RM18]

First, it IS possible you got it from the birds - sure, it can happen.

However, it is possible you got it from lunchmeat or other processed type meat you got from the grocery. Even ice cream or other dairy products can be the source. Look up sources of Salmonella and there is a whole list of common sources of the infection.

Glad you actually have a diagnosis, so you do, in fact, know you were ill from Salmonella and your nor doctor are speculating.

There have been Salmonella outbreaks linked to backyard birds...which were linked back to a hatchery. For example (not the only one), Mt Healthy Hatchery in Mt Healthy, OH (near Cincinnati) has been linked to 2 outbreaks in different years according to CDC info (pretty sure this is on the CDC website...maybe it is another website as I read this information a year or so ago). However, all birds do not have Salmonella, and all hatcheries do not have a problem.

You do not have location listed on your profile. It can be a general location or a state - but it can help with responses. Each state has a place to send a dead bird for necropsy. The Emergecies forum has helpful links, but does not include a state listing of labs for necropsy. I think @Kiki might have been the one to create a list of state labs that can receive and evaluate a dead bird, but I'm not sure. Of course, each state is different in cost, with some being a reasonable cost, others are more costly - but likely cheaper than culling your whole flock needlessly.

Two links for summary info on Salmonella:

CDC info on sources of infection:
https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/salmonella-food.html

Poultry DVM website with chicken specific info
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/salmonellosis


Good Luck.

Thank you for the links. I’ll check them out. I know you’re able to get Salmonella from many things. My mind just immediately jumped to the sick bird. I do NOT want to waste all of the meat on these birds and I have been trying to think of where else it could have been contracted. It was just the timing of things. Bird was killed- we got sick shortly after.

 

[RM18]

Fruits and vegetables can have salmonella also. Last month, there was a recall on onions white, yellow, and red because of salmonella. My first thought for salmonella isn't my chickens.

I don’t want my first thought to be my chickens either. It was just the timing of the whole thing. Found and killed a sick chicken- we all got sick shortly there after

 

[CluckerFamily]

I don’t want my first thought to be my chickens either. It was just the timing of the whole thing. Found and killed a sick chicken- we all got sick shortly there after

It could just be a coincidence. For your routine: I'm assuming you wear coop shoes to the chickens and you don't wear these shoes around the house, you wash your hands after dealing with the chickens, and after culling the chicken I'm also assuming you washed your clothes to minimize any sickness/diseases/transferring of parasites, etc. I still think you got it from something else.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Personally, if a bird was noticeably sick, I wouldn't have eaten it.

 

[NatJ]

Personally, if a bird was noticeably sick, I wouldn't have eaten it.

I did not think they ate the sick bird:

The bird we culled was lethargic and dirty. We killed it and got rid of it

 

[RM18]

It could just be a coincidence. For your routine: I'm assuming you wear coop shoes to the chickens and you don't wear these shoes around the house, you wash your hands after dealing with the chickens, and after culling the chicken I'm also assuming you washed your clothes to minimize any sickness/diseases/transferring of parasites, etc. I still think you got it from something else.

Yes, shoes stay in the garage. Hands get washed. If I know I got poop on my clothes it immediately goes to the wash too. I also clean after every killing time make sure there is no contamination.

 

[RM18]

Personally, if a bird was noticeably sick, I wouldn't have eaten it.

We didn’t eat it. We killed it and got rid of it

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We didn’t eat it. We killed it and got rid of it

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

 

[Aquira]

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