Salmonella Outbreak - Mt Healthy Breeder

bonsha

Chirping
9 Years
Sep 26, 2010
13
0
75
So, it's all over the news about the salmonella outbreak with live chicks from Mt Healthy. My chicks are from this breeder. I have 12- mixed RIR's, buffs, silver wyandottes and aracaunas. They all seem very healthy. I did notice my RIR's poop is aliitle yellow/greenish...but they are all equally active. They are about 5 weeks old.

My questions are - will they always have the salmonella bacteria in them? Can they live with it or will they get sicker and die if they have it? Can you tell that they have it? I am nervous to use the eggs once they start laying for fear that they could have salmonella also...we always cook eggs thoroughly but sometimes they may not be....cookie dough :D etc.

Simply put.. Is it obvious to know if they have the bacteria and what can I do to get rid of it and make sure my chicks don't have it?

Thanks.....worried mother hen.
 
Hello,
sorry you have been affected. The original article was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Publication is often months after the research is done so your group may not have been affected. Having said this, I do recommend you call your State Department of Health or Agriculture and ask that your chicks be tested.

Chickens are carriers of Salmonella--meaning they do not have any symptoms of illness but can pass on the disease through their meat, eggs or feces. The color of the feces does not indicate infection. Check out the learning center on this web site as they have put together an article on safe handling of chickens. Salmonella is one of a few illness humans can contract. BUT, all pets have their own unique diseases that can be passed to humans, and vis versa.

Also, even if you decide to start over please remember that unfortunately they have not been able to completely eradicate Salmonella so practice good hand washing and maintain your flock as healthy as you can. (see the learning center).

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for your help. I will look into getting them checked and will definitely check out the info in the learning center.
 
I am going through the same thing. We ordered our chicks March 23rd, so it was the same time as the outbreak. I am quite worried about them. This is Mount Healthy Hatchery's 30th outbreak since the 1990's, from what I've read. "Mount Healthy Hatchery- Home of the healthiest poultry"... yeah, right. :p

Hope your chicks are okay, and just thought I'd tell you that you weren't alone :)
 

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