What illnesses/diseases create unsafe eggs and meat?

[katelk]

I am new to raising chickens and I am just wondering what types of illnesses and/or diseases create a situation where a bird's eggs or meat may be unsafe to eat? Just curious about this topic and finding confusing info online! Thanks!

 

[dawg53]

I am new to raising chickens and I am just wondering what types of illnesses and/or diseases create a situation where a bird's eggs or meat may be unsafe to eat? Just curious about this topic and finding confusing info online! Thanks!

There are a multitude of diseases, illnesses, parasites etc etc etc that chickens can get. Basically, when a chicken gets sick, it's usually a specific disease or can possibly be multiple diseases whether it be bacterial, viral, or fungal. When birds are sick, most of the time they wont lay eggs. There are some diseases that are zoonotic...diseases that can be transmitted to humans. There are "normal" times when hens wont lay eggs, during molt and age for example.
Since birds normally stop laying eggs when they are sick; depending what disease it is, the meat may or may not edible. In this case it's recommended that a necropsy be performed to determine what disease it is. Here's a link to respiratory diseases/common diseases in poultry:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
Here are poultry diseases transmittable to humans in this link. There are also avian flu virusus you hear about on the news not listed in the link:
http://extension.wsu.edu/vetextension/Poultry/Documents/Avian Diseases Transmissible to Humans.pdf
It might seem like overwhelming doom and gloom having chickens; but maintaining biosecurity, personal hygiene (as with any animal,) proper care, cleanliness, and good common sense will go a long way keeping healthy chickens.