Salmonella

[Rick589]

How much of a concern is salmonella with backyard chickens and their eggs? Any worse or any better relative to store bought eggs?

 

[nuthatched]

Eggs are typically fine with proper handling and refrigerating, so less.
You're more likely to get it from the birds themselves without washing your hands after

 

[Rick589]

Eggs are typically fine with proper handling and refrigerating, so less.
You're more likely to get it from the birds themselves without washing your hands after

Thank You. The hand washing is something we’ve practiced from the very beginning.

 

[orelsi]

If you put your eggs in the refrigerator, keep the coop clean, provide the flock with good food and a place to dust bathe there is almost zero danger. I've never head it, no one in family either and we handle chickens daily... some of our chickens literally jump on our laps and take a nap when they see us sitting in the yard.

It's not worth it to obsess over salmonella, but you shouldn't ignore good hygiene either. Keep yourself and the chickens clean and you should be good. Comparison to store bought I'm not sure about, but the quality you get from backyard eggs is light years above, so it trumps everything else.