Why are People So Paranoid?

[Frazzemrat1]

I'm all about sensible exposure vs an overly sterile approach to life......

Totally Agree!!!!!

 

[hlhutchinson]

With just being able to go to the store and buy everything we need people have become disconnected with the how of life. If they could see the conditions of where the nice clean eggs come from and a tidy back yard coop I think they would change there mind. They don't understand that the food they get is not from a stetalized factory that is poop free. Maybe part of education should start incorporating a week spent on a farm/ranch to understand how we get our food

 

[centralcaligirl]

It's crazy. Our modern culture/society has us so far removed from REAL food that real food is now "scary" to us.

My husbands family about has a heart attack every time they come over and our two year old is out running around, holding chickens, kissing goats, drinking RAW goats milk, and eating apples plucked right from the tree. Yet they can't answer me as to why she's only been sick once, and it was a cold that lasted three days

There was a study done many years ago that found that kids raised on farms were actually healthier than kids raised in more sterile environments BECAUSE they were exposed to more bacteria. Their immune systems were stronger and they were better able to withstand infections from "bad" bacteria when they were exposed.

Now we also know about the importance of probiotics and how crucial they are to good health. Many people now have to buy bacteria in pill form to maintain their health because they aren't getting it from the environment anymore. Or, maybe they could just do as your kids do and kiss a few goats and the eat an apple directly off of a tree

 

[Patinas]

There was another thread on here about the funniest things people have said about your eggs and it's amazing the paranoia out there that I had no idea existed. Even my husband told me at one point he was afraid to eat the small eggs because there must be something wrong with them because they don't look like store-bought egg size. Huh???

Also had another family member tell me they didn't want my eggs because at the time, I had a rooster in the flock so there might be a sperm in the egg! Again....Huh???

I've come to the conclusion that if someone is afraid of eating my hens eggs, they shouldn't have them anyway and I'm not going to waste time explaining it to them! lol Because I know what I feed my hens and all the eggs have gorgeous, creamy yolks in them that store eggs can't come close to! It's their loss!

 

[barred2rock]

With just being able to go to the store and buy everything we need people have become disconnected with the how of life. If they could see the conditions of where the nice clean eggs come from and a tidy back yard coop I think they would change there mind. They don't understand that the food they get is not from a stetalized factory that is poop free. Maybe part of education should start incorporating a week spent on a farm/ranch to understand how we get our food

Just a few year prior to getting to high school the school had a small "farm" that included chickens, goats and even a milk cow. By the time I got to high school this program was removed thanks to budget cuts (thank you Bush Sr. )

 

[sannabelle]

There was a study done many years ago that found that kids raised on farms were actually healthier than kids raised in more sterile environments BECAUSE they were exposed to more bacteria. Their immune systems were stronger and they were better able to withstand infections from "bad" bacteria when they were exposed.

Now we also know about the importance of probiotics and how crucial they are to good health. Many people now have to buy bacteria in pill form to maintain their health because they aren't getting it from the environment anymore. Or, maybe they could just do as your kids do and kiss a few goats and the eat an apple directly off of a tree

I've seen that study and it absolutely can be backed up by real life!!! My city friends with kids that never touch touch the ground and aren't exposed to anything are constantly sick and running around with snotty noses. Not saying everyone is like that, either. Just quite a few in my experience.

I always get a kick out of when they come over and ask "are they allowed to do that?" In reference to my kids running around, playing with the critters, etc. Uhhhhm yepp! They were born and raised here, they know their way around

 

[anatess]

I gross my husband out because I feed my cats and dog raw chicken daily (that's their meal), and they get raw eggs every now and then (usually when I can't decide if the eggs are still safe after being in the fridge for forever).. I just toss it all on the concrete floor in the basement and they lick the floor clean... it's not that gross, and actually, that spot in the floor is the cleanest in the basement I think!

My dogs are on raw too! Not just chicken. I just made their daily meals yesterday for the next 4 weeks and I got chicken, pork, beef (they had a 99cent/pound sale on beef hearts!), turkey, and tilapia. That's the cool thing about buying in bulk. I get the meat super cheap. I got the chicken - 40 lbs for 49 cents a lb! They rarely get eggs because our chickens can't produce enough of them for my family, let alone the dogs. But the dogs get the crushed egg shells.

 

[AuntChickie]

Yes! 1000 times yes!!!

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

I was outside at lunch at work and a friend of mine was asking if my chicken had laid her egg yet (we're waiting for our first). One of his friends was basically admonishing me about being careful about salmonella, that you can get it from just touching a chicken. When I explained that we wash our hands after we do anything with the girls or the coop, she was still so disapproving. Like I was exposing my children to something that would kill them if they looked crosswise at it.
I tried to explain that it wasn't as bad as all that, that you had to be careful, yes, but its not that bad so long as you are. She was like, "I've read the stories."

What stories?

Why are people so paranoid about this all of a sudden?

Salmonella is a poison that primarily affects those with down or newly developing immune systems such as the young and elderly (according to cdc.gov). Where does salmonella come from though? And... Are chickens really the culprits?

According to the FDA, you are far more likely to obtain food born illness from produce (particularly salad greens, sprouts, melons, cucumbers and berries) or from consuming tuna and oysters rather than from consuming eggs or chicken. Yes, these stats are from the FDA. Feel free to validate this information on your spare time. I am not kidding: Keeping chickens is safer than buying salad.

Backyard chickens are also statistically healthier than chickens that are commercialy raised in cages for their eggs. In fact, most battery caged, commercially raised chickens live about 2-4 years on average whereas typical backyard chickens live about 6 years.
The nutrient density in chicken eggs also diminishes over time as the egg ages and oxidizes.
According to fsis.usda.gov, eggs found in the store must be sold within 30 days of the egg being packed in the carton... which means, your eggs could be 1-2 months old by the time they are consumed. When you raise your own chickens, you get to eat eggs that are less than 24 hours old.
Chickens that have exposure to the outdoors also have a higher nutrient density in their eggs than indoor and confined chickens' eggs... Most chicken eggs that are sold in the store are from caged or indoor chickens. However, most backyard raised chickens are cage free and free range (which means they have outdoor access and have room to spread their wings).
I personally notice a considerable difference in taste between my girls' eggs vs store bought eggs. Not surprising considering the facts here.

Plus... I mean... who doesn't want a pet that makes you breakfast?

Note: None of this information is intended to encourage careless handling of chickens and/or eggs. For safety reasons, continue to wash your hands and exercise caution when handling raw meat and eggs.

 

[AuntChickie]

Yes! 1000 times yes!!!