Raising your own chickens, ducks, or even geese for fresh eggs (and even meat) is increasingly popular. It’s a great price, not too much work, and a huge boost in quality. And even city-dwellers can do it, since most places specifically allow for the raising of chicken (but not always roosters).
But there’s a couple of warnings to be aware of, and they come with easy to take precautions.
First, the old news; bird flu spreading aggressively around the US, mostly by wild birds. Keep your flock away from wild birds, and consider adding a light mist of colloidal silver to their water bowls to help keep their immune systems strong.
Symptoms of bird flu include birds that aren’t behaving normally—staggering, not flying (in the case of wild birds), basically acting loopy.
Next, a new warning: people are contracting salmonella by being too affectionate with their birds. Chickens (so I hear) can be like friendly, really stupid dogs. Social media is full of kids hugging, chasing, and playing with chickens, of chicken owners walking around with their pets on their shoulders, in their beds, and just generally hanging in their house. It’s awesome, but it’s not quite hygienic enough. Most casual chicken owners are a thousand times cleaner/better than commercial chicken coops (because of really stupid contracts), but chickens can be natural carriers of salmonella (they don’t get sick from it), and a lapse can lead to infection.
While investigators check into the companies who sell baby chicks, CDC officials advise:
-Not bringing pet chickens into your house,
-Not smooching your chickens,
-And washing your hands after handling them.
Of course, with the risk that pet chickens might bring salmonella or bird flu into your house, keeping your own immune system strong is important, too. So give yourself support with a daily dose of colloidal silver!
What do you think of the trend to tend your own chickens?
