salmonella risks?

[theFox]

As booker81 has stated even we carry certain bacteria in our systems and yes, Salmonella is one that is in our systems normally.

It is a question of bacterial load and where it is.

 

[ranchhand]

Great information in all the above posts, thank you for sharing the common sense approach.

Cleanliness and proper preparation are key components of safety.

 

[texastom]

Thanks for the replies, but I am a newbie and was wondering about the feathers, poo and such that seems to end up stuck to my eggs. What's the proper procedure for cleaning the egg shells themselves when neccesary?

 

[booker81]

Try to put the next boxes where they aren't going to get too much poo in them, and try to keep them clean. The eggs I pick up rarely have anything on them, occasionally a streak of poo, and I just wipe it off with a towel. I put a good bit of faith in mother Nature and the bloom the chicken puts on to protect baby chicks.

When eating, crack the eggs on a flat surface into a separate dish, and then into whatever pan or bowl you're using. This will generally keep the "outside" from getting in the inside , and allow you to check for bad eggs.

Other than that, I wouldn't worry much. Folks have been eating eggs straight from the chicken for a long, long time. There's a lot worse you could eat....like store bought eggs that have been cleaned, washed, inspected and still get folks ill

 

[theFox]

Quote:
If you just wipe them off with a paper towel or napkin, the object is to remove the mess without pushing it into the egg shell surface, some people use a sanding pad, you can remove most of it.

There are also washes you can get, the problem with any of these methods is that you can actually embed the mess into the egg, eggshells are to a degree pourus, by having an incorrect temperature difference it is possible to cause bacteria to pass into the egg (the temperature difference is easily caused by using a liquid wash SO YOU HAVE TO BE CERTAIN OF THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT). So follow any directions provided by the wash manufacturer.

You can reduce the amount of stuff sticking to your eggs by using a deep layer of material in the nest boxes, gathering the eggs more frequently, clean the nest boxes more frequently, having more nest boxes, or modifying your nest boxes to actually cause the eggs to roll to the back and out of the chickens range.

It is rare that I have to remove anything from my eggs, when I do I use a paper napkin and I don't really try forcing anything.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

A number of threads have popped up on this subject and folks want to know about Salmonella Enteritiditis prevention in their flocks.

There are a number of preventative measures that can be taken:

Rodent control. Rat and mice droppings can carry salmonella. Trap rodents and properly dispose of their carcasses. Get rid of piles of junk or overgrown area that can harbor rodents.

Fly control. Flies can carry salmonella between between neighboring flocks.

Bio-security. Don't allow folks that keep poultry around your own flock. Don't visit other coops and bring disease back home with you. If you must be around other peoples birds, throw your clothes in the washer, disinfect your shoes, and shower before visiting your flock.

Store eggs at appropriate temperatures. At 45 degrees or below the growth of salmonella is substantially reduced.

To wash dirty eggs, use running water that is at least 20 degrees warmer than the egg. Do not submerge the eggs in water. If you also want to sanitize the shells you can use a 50 ppm bleach solution and pour it over the eggs and allow to air dry. Always allow eggs to dry before packaging.

If your birds are infected they will always carry it. The NPIP program has a a test and certification for SE. You can routinely test your birds for it (once a year). If they test positive, the flock isn't necessarily doomed, but you do need to make sure you cook the eggs properly. If you decide you replace the flock you should sanitize the coop and run areas and allow a sufficient down time (at least several weeks) before placing a new flock.

All that being said, the number of people that get sick from SE due to eggs is extremely low compared to the number of eggs that are produced here, around 75 billion eggs per year from 280 million hens.

 

[gvntofly05]

If you live in Indiana you can contact the AG department at Purdue University, also the same place for NPIP info, they offer free testing on your flocks eggs.

All you do is send them in a dozen eggs from your flock and they will test the eggs for Salmonella and I think a couple other things too. It is a free service that they offer. NPIP testing in Indiana is $80 a year though.

 

[texastom]

Thank you all for the great info! It is so awesome to be able to access such a wealth of knowledge from such super folks!

 

[theFox]

Quote:
mac,

If I had a nickel for every time I had my hands in a bleach solution I'd be rich. We had test strips that would change color when the solution was strong enough. It was the very first thing prepared for the day. We used it by the gallon. All dishes and cooking equipment was rinsed in it. I always smelled chlorine for hours after work.

Oh and for all of you folks that use a cutting board, better a wooden one than the plastic or other surface ones, wood is somewhat of a natural anti bacterial agent where as the other surfaces scratch and harbor bacteria.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
mac,

If I had a nickel for every time I had my hands in a bleach solution I'd be rich. We had test strips that would change color when the solution was strong enough. It was the very first thing prepared for the day. We used it by the gallon. All dishes and cooking equipment was rinsed in it. I always smelled chlorine for hours after work.

It doesn't take much. The USDA recommends 50-200 parts per million. One tablespoon of bleach in a gallon of water gives a little over 200 ppm. You can put it in a watering can and and drench the eggs. One producer I know that does on farm processing of USDA inspected eggs for a CSA just uses a pressurized sprayer like you'd use for spreading insecticides. They fill it up with the bleach solution and spray the eggs after they've been washed.