Salmonella tracking?

[MrSmiles]

We are about to establish our first backyard flock of chickens. We plan to only have two or three hens and allow them to run free in our yard most of the time. Suddenly, my wife is concerned that our grandchild, or one of us, will track salmonella from the birds waste into the house. Is this fear grounded at all? I certainly don't want to put any of us in danger, but I see chickens in back yards all over Seattle and can't find any reference to this problem in the "how to" books. Thoughts?

Thank you so much!

fred

 

[DaddyBird]

Perfectly healthy chickens can and so carry salmonella. However, they typically do not drop it unless they are stressed. Is it possible, yes. Is it worth taking precautions against like washing your hands after handling your birds and eggs, yes. Is it worth worrying over enough to prevent you from getting birds, no. You can carry salmonella into the house every time you bring in raw poultry for cooking but my guess is she would see that risk as manageable.

 

[seminolewind]

Regardless of what your chickens are probably not carrying, I would still wash my hands every time I come in. It's a good habit.

 

[MrSmiles]

Thanks! Hand washing and general cleanliness are a given here. We have other pets, (dog and bees,) without worry, and I don't see a very small flock as an additional risk for disease. I appreciate the replies and comments from everyone!

 

[heldjk71]

I am glad I came across these posts. I have had three chickens happily roaming in my yard for two months. They love it; I love it. My neighbor decided to disallow her children from visiting my yard for fear of salmonella, so I rushed to my computer to research the validity of her claims. Well, the first site I stumbled upon was the CDC website. Their warnings had me planning a trip to Home Depot for chicken wire. Thankfully, I reconsidered and checked BYC. Any more input on the salmonella threat out there? I want to hear more about this.