Cuddling your chickens?

[WallyBirdie]

Not sure this is the right forum. I keep running across articles about the dangers of treating backyard chickens like pets. Meaning picking them up, playing with them, cuddling them etc... The danger would be getting salmonella.

We have 3 chickens and my daughter (6 years old) loves them all. Constantly picking them up and loving on them when they're out. They're very tame and friendly. Is this a real danger? If it's truly a realistic threat, we may decide to get rid of them. Hard to get my daughter to stop petting them and picking them up. Just wondering what you all thought about it. Here's a recent article I read.

CDC Warns Americans to Stop Kissing, Snuggling Their Chickens
https://www.newsweek.com/cdc-stop-kissing-chickens-1458082

Wash your hands after handling them. Basic principles like that- and the risk is very low. Most animals have some form of risk involving diseases, but an awful lot of people have pets and never get sick from them.
Whatever you do is your choice, but I think you're more likely to catch lyme disease from a tick than salmonella from a chicken. Likewise with cats and dogs getting worms or warbles. (My opinion, not an actual fact. But it's worth considering.)

 

[Folly's place]

Lets not compare ticks with chickens!
Sorry, couldn't resist!
Mary

 

[WallyBirdie]

Lets not compare ticks with chickens!
Sorry, couldn't resist!
Mary

I didn't mean to make a direct comparison. My mom had lyme disease AND a rabies scare that required treatment (different times, of course- lyme disease from ticks and rabies from a racoon incident). But I don't know anyone who's ever gotten sick from a chicken. Sure, it probably happens, but not enough to fuss over.

 

[Folly's place]

I know you didn't but had to snark back anyway...
Mary

 

[WallyBirdie]

I know you didn't but had to snark back anyway...
Mary

Much obliged, fellow enthusiast.

 

[Folly's place]

People do get sick from handling chickens, not often, but it does happen. That's why we wash our hands!
Mary

 

[Csukraw]

Thanks for all the replies. Helpful and definitely my line of thinking. We wash hands every time and started a dedicated chicken pair of shoes.

One question tho, we let them out a couple times a day where they have free reign of the backyard (supervised of course). So obviously, they poop in the grass, on the patio etc... We wash it off with the hose every time, but still, that's just water. Not fully sanitizing it. Does that mean our entire backyard requires "chicken shoes"? Is the entire backyard unsanitary now? Or is it similar to if the dog poops on the lawn; pick it up, rinse it off and you're good. Just don't want our entire backyard (which we spend a good amount of time in) to be equivalentto a chicken coop now.

And finally, is our dog at any risk being outside around the chickens? They get along well but not sure about sicknesses getting passed to the pooch.

Thanks for all the info guys!

 

[Chickens4Life101]

I snuggle with my chickens 24/7 for over 2 years and haven't gotten sick yet. We even had a silkie who came inside daily and took naps with me. Of course, there is still a risk, but the reason I got my chickens in the first place was to raise them as pets.

 

[Folly's place]

Your yard likely has lots of interesting items there already, and the chicken poo is just one more thing. There's no calling any of it clean!
I did barefoot as a child, but not any more.
Your dog will love cleaning up the chicken poo anyway! it's what dogs do...
Mary

 

[CalBickieMomma]

I spent my entire childhood loving on my chicks and chickens. I will also eat raw cookie dough and cake/brownie batter (the kind with eggs in it). I’m sure there is some risk to this new warning, but here are my theories ...

1.) Raising backyard chickens seems to be the new fad, so I’m wondering how many of these cases are taking place with people who have never held a chicken in their lives. I’m a firm believer in the power of Farm Germs - if you’re exposed to them during your childhood, more likely than not you’ll develop a strong immune system.

2.) Our current society demands we put a warning label on everything (caution: this freshly brewed coffee may be hot. Warning: stepping beyond this barrier that is clearly meant to keep you away from the waterfall’s edge, may result in you falling in and getting swept over a 300 foot precipice, etc.). I think the CDC is required to warn people because there is a chance and people lose their minds when anything bad happens, even if there really is no one to blame.

I still kiss and cuddle my chickens (but they don’t get to come inside unless they have an injury at needs more thorough tending) and I have no plans to stop. Perhaps I will one day succumb to salmonella poisoning, but to me chicken therapy is the best. After all, my Bickies are pets first, egg producers second .