MY BABY has salmonella

[newchick1358]

My baby has salmonella yes my human baby. We just moved my feathered babies out side about 8 weeks ago. They are 16 weeks next Friday. Now I know there are a lot of ways an 18 month old can get salmonella but the CDC web site say that something like 90% of cases have had contact with live birds. Can/ should I treat my chickens for salmonella? dose anyone have experiences with BYC and toddlers. My yard it to small to keep him away from them. Even if I could he is in love with them and anyone who has had a toddlers knows they are determined little things. I would HATE to get rid of my girls my whole family loves them so much. We are always careful with hand washing after handling them and I keep hand sanitizer near the run for a quick clean He is really good about not touching them even though his big sisters do. Mostly he just crouches by the run and watches them.

can and should I treat my chickens?

is there any sort of bedding that might be better then another at keeping chicken germs with chickens and kid germs this kids?


and any other helpful tips about toddlers and a backyard flock would be wonderful. thank you

 

[Terri C]

Following!

 

[newchick1358]

Any one out there have any idea about treating chickens for salmonella ?

 

[MySweetChickens]

Did a little researching hope this helps

Is Salmonella a concern with backyard chickens?

Not usually, but let us explain why. Humans do not catch salmonella from chicks or chickens the way you would catch a cold from your neighbor. Salmonella is food poisoning; you get it from eating infected meat or eggs. Even then, in order to get a case of salmonella, the meat and eggs you have eaten must be improperly prepared, that is, not completely cooked through. Or, you can also get salmonella by getting your hands or something else contaminated with feces and then putting that thing in your mouth. People more at risk for contracting Salmonella are very young, very old, pregnant or have immune systems that are already compromised in some way. The best way to keep your children and family safe from infection is by keeping your own hens whose conditions you can monitor, and by having your family members wash their hands after dealing with chickens. You want to have them wash hands after dealing with any pets, for that matter. Alcohol is an effective sanitizer for salmonella bacteria.


Symptoms in chicks or chickens include weak and lethargic birds, loose yellow or green droppings, purplish combs and wattles, a drop in egg production, increased thirst, decreased feed consumption and weight loss. It can be deadly in hens if not treated, and chickens who survive it become carriers, potentially passing the bacteria to their chicks and eggs they lay.
Salmonella is usually spread to chickens through rat or mouse droppings in water, feed, damp soil or bedding/litter. It can then be transmitted to humans who eat improperly cooked meat or eggs from infected birds or by putting your hands in your mouth after touching chickens or eggs that have come in contact with contaminated rodent or chicken feces. Children under five years of age make up a large number of Salmonella cases, most likely from hand to mouth transmission of the bacteria.
Good personal hygiene as well as keeping a clean chicken coop and run are the best ways to prevent salmonella. Backyard biosecurity is critical to keeping Salmonella at bay. Cooking destroys it, so cook eggs properly before eating if you are concerned.

Here are some other tips to preventing the spread of salmonella:
-Buy chicks from reputable sources to lessen the chances they have the disease
-Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds after handling chicks, hens or eggs
-Teach children not to put their hands in their mouths, especially when around the chickens
-Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer after being around your chickens
-Discard cracked or extremely dirty eggs
-Don't wash eggs when you collect them. Allow the natural 'bloom' to protect the inside of the egg from bacteria entering [Read more here about egg handling]
-Keep your flock's immune systems strong and your hens as healthy as possible
-Rinse eggs in warm water just prior to cooking them
-Cook eggs to at least 160 degrees so the whites are firm
-Cook poultry to at least 165 degrees so no pink remains and juices run clear
-Keep raw poultry separate from other foods and consider using a cutting board dedicated only to poultry
-Use paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces instead of sponges or dishcloths

Read more here

another article here

 

[MySweetChickens]

symptoms

How can I tell if my flock is infected with Salmonella? What are the symptoms?


While you won't be able to make a firm diagnosis of Salmonella on your own, it will be easy for you to see that your hens are sick. Chickens with salmonella will be weak, lethargic, have purplish combs and wattles, a decreased appetite and increased thirst. Plus you will see distinct white, sulfur yellow or green diarrhea. In some cases, joints might be swollen and blindness might occur from swelling in the eyes. If your birds were laying, production will be drastically reduced. These symptoms can also indicate other illnesses, so you will have to consult a vet to get a firm diagnosis.

But even if you didn't know that the symptoms listed here can indicate salmonella, common sense would tell you something is wrong if you saw this occuring in your flock! It just isn't something that's hard to spot.

The reason that HUGE outbreaks of salmonella occur in large factory farms, the reason that it gets to the point of enormous recalls involving millions-of-eggs, is because factory farms do not care properly for their birds. They don't notice when the birds get sick, because if the birds are in tiny cages, it's not as if they can then identify that the birds are any more weak or lethargic than usual in the conditions provided. Factory farmed birds can't normally even stretch their wings because the cages are so small. Workers at factory farms don't monitor appetite for a single bird. They won't notice when a chicken doesn't seem to be foraging as much as usual, because their birds are fed on conveyor belts. And they aren't really monitoring droppings, either. Remember, factory farms are places where DEAD bird are often not noticed for many days. If you have a strong stomach, you can Google for more information about this.

But remember too that your chickens don't have to be sick with salmonella to pass bacteria to you. So when you pick up your bird who has been walking in and pecking around poopy litter, just wash your hands... the same way you'd wash your hands if your dog--who has been nibbling on canine-enticing cat poop in the yard--licks your fingers with doggy love. Use common sense. For more info, we have a great blog post on the topic of salmonella and backyard chickens that will be helpful.

Let's be honest: anyone can have a bird get sick. No matter how well you care for your pets, you can't protect them from everything. But commercial entities don't take the same kind of care you do at home; small backyard flock owners usually know the name of every bird they keep, and take extraordinary care of their beloved pets. If you do see symptoms that concern you, we recommend contacting a vet to get a firm diagnosis, since the symptoms of Salmonella infection can be indicative of other illnesses, too, such as Colibacillosis or Newcastle. In any case, your birds will need veterinary attention when they have these symptoms.


Treatment of Salmonella in Birds

Because there are so very many species of salmonella which can cause infection in birds, the first port of call when the vet has reason to suspect salmonella is to find which is the causative organism. While the results are pending (sensitivities usually take one to two days to come back from the lab) the vet will probably start the bird on broad spectrum antibiotics, to be replaced later with one which is more specific. Since the bird will probably be suffering from diarrhoea, which may bring with it the extra worry of dehydration, it is important to treat this also and for this a proprietary medicine can be used, based on kaolin, which firms up the stool without introducing any other medicines which may interfere with the action of the antibiotic. Support of the bird will be necessary, with extra warmth if needed and clean water and tempting food. Not all birds survive a salmonella infection - if a hatchling has been infected in the egg death is a very likely outcome – but with proper nursing it is certainly perfectly possible.


more info here


as far as at home treatment i don't think there is any

 

[newchick1358]

Thank none of my girls have ever shown any of signs of illness. I'm in the prosses of redesigning my run to be less muddy and Easyer to clean. Since the flock has not started to produce eggs yet. We are still eating commercial eggs. So maybe that is where it came from?

 

[Folly's place]

You should have your birds tested; check with your state veterinary school path lab, or a local avian veterinarian if there is one in your area. Then you will know for sure. It's recommended that small children don't handle birds, because of diseases like this being spread. Your birds don't need to be exposed to his Salmonella either. Hope he's doing recovering. mary

 

[MySweetChickens]

yes definitely have them tested it could have come from anywhere maybe the child fell in the run and then ate or picked up a chicken it could have been the store bought eggs it can only be contracted through ingestion so the child must have eaten something

 

[jufamarie]

How do you test? Whats the process? Researching to find out how to check our small flock backyard (none appear sick) of layers and younger pullets here in TN.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Check with your state veterinary school pathology lab; they should have information, prices, etc. Mary