Tag: Disinfectants

Salmonella and Poultry

If your a poultry keeper and not concerned with salmonella, you should be. Here’s the facts and how to protect yourself and your family.
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that is carried in the intestines of animals and
can be shed into the environment. People typically become infected after eating contaminated foods or from contact with animals or their environments.
Fact:  Chicks, ducklings, and other poultry are a recognized source of Salmonella

Exposure to Salmonella

People get sick from Salmonella by hand to mouth contact. Usually this
happens when people handle birds or their droppings and then accidentally
touch their mouths or forget to wash their hands before eating or drinking.

Even birds that do not look sick may be shedding Salmonella. And even though
a bird looks clean, it may still have germs like Salmonella on its feathers or feet.

Salmonella can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Occasionally people
become sick enough to need to see a doctor or be hospitalized. Most people
develop symptoms 1 to 3 days after being exposed to Salmonella, and recover
in about a week. Some people are more susceptible to infection and will have
more severe disease. These people include young children, pregnant women,
the elderly, people on chemotherapy, diabetics, and others with weakened
immune systems.
Prevention
Whether you raise chicks or ducklings as a source of food or keep them as pets,
follow these steps to protect yourself and your family from illness:

  • Do not let children less than five years of age or others at high risk handle poultry or items contaminated by poultry.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly after handling poultry or their droppings.
  • Do not eat or drink around poultry or their living areas.
  • Do not let poultry live inside your home.
  • Do not wash the birds’ food and water dishes in the kitchen sink.

Disinfectants for Good Poultry Housekeeping

  • Roccal®: Mix 1/2 fluid oz of Roccal per gallon of water.
  • Nolvasan® (chlorhexidine diacetate 2 percent): Mix
  • 3 fluid oz of Nolvasan per gallon of water.
  • Household bleach (sodium hypochlorite 6 percent):
  • Mix 3/4 cup of household bleach per gallon of water.
  • Lysol® spray for footwear
  • Purell® hand pump for hand disinfection

Source: United States Department of Agriculture, USDA

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Backyard Biosecurity, Healthy Chicken Keeping

Backyard biosecurity means doing everything you can to protect your birds from disease. As a bird owner, keeping your birds healthy is a top priority. Your birds can become sick or die from exposure to just a few unseen bacteria, viruses, or parasites. In a single day, these germs can multiply and infect all your birds. However, by practicing backyard biosecurity, you can keep your birds healthy.
If you follow these basic tips and make them part of your routine, you decrease the risk of disease entering your flock and persisting in soil, droppings, and debris. Practicing biosecurity is an investment in the health of your birds.

When You Suspect Disease

Do not wait to report unusual signs of disease or unexpected deaths among your birds. Call your agricultural extension agent, local veterinarian, the State Veterinarian, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Veterinary Services office.
USDA operates a toll-free hotline: (1–866–536–7593) with veterinarians to help you. USDA wants to test sick birds to make sure they do not have a serious poultry disease.

There is no charge for USDA veterinarians to work with you to conduct a disease investigation. Early reporting is important to protecting the health of your birds!

Disinfect

Cleaning and disinfecting are one of the most important steps you can take in practicing backyard biosecurity.
Below are some examples of disinfectants available on the market. Follow the directions on the label carefully for the best results. Thoroughly clean and scrub objects before applying
disinfectants. Disinfectants cannot work on top of caked-on dirt and manure, so thoroughly wash surfaces before disinfecting.
Apply disinfectants using brushes, sponges, and spray units. Allow adequate contact time (follow the manufacturer’s instructions.)
Dispose of used disinfectant according to local regulations.

Examples of Disinfectants

  • Roccal®: Mix 1/2 fluid oz of Roccal per gallon of water.
  • Nolvasan® (chlorhexidine diacetate 2 percent): Mix
  • 3 fluid oz of Nolvasan per gallon of water.
  • Household bleach (sodium hypochlorite 6 percent):
  • Mix 3/4 cup of household bleach per gallon of water.
  • Lysol® spray for footwear
  • Purell® hand pump for hand disinfection

Source: United States Dept. of Agriculture

Back to Chicken Keeping Resources HOME PAGE

 

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