How to stay healthy around backyard poultry

Wash your hands

• Wash your hands with soap and running water after touching backyard poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. This includes:

  • After collecting eggs

  • After handling food or water containers or other equipment used for poultry

• After being in areas near poultry even if you did not touch the birds

• Adults should supervise handwashing for young children.

• Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available. You can also put hand sanitizer near your coop for easy access.

Be safe around poultry

• Don’t kiss backyard poultry or snuggle them and then touch your face or mouth.

• Don’t let backyard poultry inside the house, especially in areas where food or drinks are prepared, served, or stored.

• Don’t eat or drink in areas where poultry live or roam.

• Set aside a pair of shoes to wear while taking care of poultry and keep those shoes outside of the house.

• Stay outdoors when cleaning any equipment or materials used to raise or care for poultry, such as cages or food and water containers.

Handle eggs safely

Eggshells may become contaminated with Salmonella and other germs from poultry droppings (poop) or the area where they are laid. To keep your family healthy, follow the tips below when collecting and handling eggs from a backyard flock:

• Always wash your hands with soap and water right after handling eggs, chickens, or anything in their environment.

• Keep a clean coop. Cleaning the coop, floor, nests, and perches regularly will help to keep eggs clean.

• Collect eggs often. Eggs that sit in the nest can become dirty or break.

• Throw away cracked eggs. Bacteria on the shell can more easily enter the egg though a cracked shell.

• Eggs with dirt and debris can be cleaned carefully with fine sandpaper, a brush, or a cloth.

• Don’t wash warm, fresh eggs because colder water can pull bacteria into the egg.

• Refrigerate eggs after collection to maintain freshness and slow bacterial growth.

• Cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. Egg dishes should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) or hotter. Raw and undercooked eggs may contain Salmonella bacteria that can make you sick.

• Know local regulations for selling eggs. If you sell eggs, follow local licensing requirements.

Supervise kids around poultry

• Always supervise children around poultry and while they wash their hands afterward.

• Don’t let children younger than 5 years of age handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other poultry. Young children are more likely to get sick from germs like Salmonella.

• Don’t give chicks and ducklings to young children as gifts.

  • Because their immune systems are still developing, children are more likely to get sick from germs commonly associated with poultry, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli.

• Live poultry should not be kept in schools, childcare centers, and other facilities with children younger than 5 years of age.

Prevent bird bites and scratches

Backyard poultry and waterfowl do not have teeth, but their bills and beaks can still cause a lot of damage if they bite you. Germs can spread from poultry bites, pecks, and scratches, even when the wound does not seem deep or serious.

• Avoid bites and scratches from your backyard poultry or waterfowl.

• If poultry scratch or bite you:

  • Wash wounds with soap and warm water immediately.

  • Seek medical attention and tell your doctor you were bitten or scratched by a bird, especially if:

    • The bird appears sick or is acting unusual.

    • The wound or injury is serious (uncontrolled bleeding, unable to move, extreme pain, muscle or bone is showing, or the bite is over a joint).

    • The wound or site of injury becomes red, painful, warm, or swollen.

It has been more than 5 years since your last tetanus shot.

Information provided by the CDC