Understanding Chicken Keeping

Check out this great resource from the good folks at the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts for all those conversations you've been having with people who oppose the idea of keeping chickens in the city.

Excerpt:

Human Disease issues

· Avian influenza of the type contagious to humans has not been found in North America.

· Should avian influenza ever reach North America, it would more likely spread where chickens have contact with the droppings of wild and migratory fowl, such as ponds frequented Canada geese. These are conditions not likely in a small city backyard where only a few chickens reside. [http://www.pandemicflu.gov]

· Salmonella (common enterobacteria, can cause foodborne/gastrointestinal illness) is the other primary concern associated with chicken and eggs. Chickens are no more likely to carry it than parakeets and pet reptiles. Good hand-washing practices are always important after handling animals and their waste. [CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov]