The CDC says salmonella outbreaks linked to backyard poultry are common, and healthy-looking birds shed it onto their feathers, coop, and your hands.
The rules: wash hands with soap and water after handling birds or anything in their environment, no kissing or snuggling chickens, keep birds and equipment outside, and use dedicated coop shoes. Children under 5 should not handle chicks; under-5s, over-65s, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised are the high-risk groups. If fever, diarrhea, and cramps arrive 12 to 72 hours later, most cases pass in four to seven days, but bloody diarrhea, high fever, or dehydration needs a doctor.
What to do
Common questions
Can I get sick from backyard chickens?
Yes, and the chickens will look perfectly healthy while they are shedding the germ. The CDC says outbreaks of salmonella linked to backyard poultry are common, and the route is not eating the eggs, it is contact: touching the birds, their food, their coop, or anything in their environment, then touching your mouth. The CDC's rules for keeping chickens without getting sick: wash your hands with soap and water after handling poultry or anything in their environment; do not kiss or snuggle backyard poultry and then touch your face or mouth; keep poultry and their equipment outside, not in the house; and wear dedicated shoes or boots for the coop that stay outdoors. The people these germs hit hardest are children under 5, adults over 65, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems, so under-5s should not handle chicks or ducklings at all, however cute the photo would be. Eggs from your own hens get the standard rules: refrigerate, and cook until yolks are firm if anyone in the high-risk groups is eating them. If fever, diarrhea, and stomach cramps show up 12 to 72 hours after coop time, salmonella is the suspect: the FDA says most cases run four to seven days and resolve without treatment, but bloody diarrhea, high fever, or dehydration needs a doctor.