yesterday's enthusiast

cluckyeschickens:

why-animals-do-the-thing:

bunkerlad:

So, I’m getting lots of people telling me, both in my inbox and in the caption of my video with Eggnog, that I’m setting a bad image for poultrykeeping. They’re citing the new CDC advisory that hugging and kissing chickens is bad and spreads salmonella. Rather than address all of these complaints individually, I’m going to make a small PSA:

HERE is the official CDC page on backyard poultry, where it lists, among other things, the following safety procedures to prevent the spread of salmonella:

• Do not let live poultry inside the house, in bathrooms, or especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored.
  
• Don’t let children younger than 5 years, adults older than 65, and people with weakened immune systems handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry.
• Don’t eat or drink in the area where the birds live or roam.
  
• Avoid kissing your birds or snuggling them, then touching your mouth.
  

When it comes to large practises, these are fair rules, but it overlooks two major points: not all chickens are at risk of contracting salmonella, and not all chickens are for production. 

Salmonella generally spreads through food consumption and thrives in conditions that are dirty, such as factory farms. Assuming all birds are treated like factory hens is wrong, just as assuming all dogs live in small pens covered in their own filth is wrong. It’s poor conditions and medical neglect that heighten the risk of an animal getting sick, not contact, and a poorly cared for dog is just as likely to harbour a disease as a poorly housed hen. Unsurprisingly, however, despite the fact that dogs can carry a multitude of diseases ranging from hookworm to rabies, the CDC suggests seeking “routine veterinary care” for them rather than keeping them at a distance. This should be the standard applied to all companion animals, and not just dogs or cats.

Having worked with everything from poultry to parrots to penguins to eagles, I very much know how important proper sanitation is when working with animals and the potential risks of interaction between them. That said, if your birds are healthy and well cared-for, then you should not have to worry about salmonella. Hug/kiss your healthy birds to your heart’s content!

This is A Call-Out Post for @bunkerlad.

Because @bunkerlad kisses chickens. 

And it is good, and pure, and adorable, and backed up by years and years of professional experience and scientific learning. 

Thank you!