Forget the farm! More city slickers are raising chickens, but watch for Salmonella risks

As organic and free-range foods gain popularity, more and more people are "growing their own."

Or, in the case of poultry, raising their own, even within the city limits.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported this week that an increasing number of people around the country are choosing to keep live chickens or ducks as part of a greener, healthier lifestyle.

There are plenty of benefits associated with backyard birds (often referred to as urban chickens), but CDC experts say it is important to consider potential health risks, especially for children, that can result from handling live poultry.

It's common for chickens, ducks, and other poultry to carry Salmonella, which is a type of germ that naturally lives in the intestines of poultry and many other animals and is shed in their droppings or feces.

Even organically fed poultry can have Salmonella. While it usually doesn't make the birds sick, the bacteria can wreak physical havoc on humans.

Salmonella can make people sick with diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and/or abdominal cramps. When severe infection occurs, it can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

What are some ways to reduce the risk of Salmonella infection from your urban chickens? The CDC suggests following these guidelines:

• Do not let children younger than 5 years of age handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry without supervision.
• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after touching live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam.
• Wash hands after removing soiled clothes and shoes.
• Do not eat or drink in the area where the birds live or roam.
• Do not let live poultry inside the house or in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored.
• If you have free-roaming live poultry, assume where they live and roam is contaminated.
• Clean equipment and materials associated with raising or caring for live poultry, such as cages or feed or water containers, outside the house, not inside.

Visit the CDC web site for more health-related information on the subject.

The keeping of chickens vary from state to state, and even city to city. According to the citychicken.com, if you want to keep chickens in Huntsville, fowl must be kept 150 feet from neighboring residences. For chicken laws in other parts of the country, click here. 

If you are interested in raising your own birds, visit the Backyard Chickens or Urban Chickens web sites for advice and background information on what many poultry keepers consider to be a lifelong passion.

To automatically receive Huntsville Healthy Living articles, click the subscribe button above.