Pet chickens are hugely popular in the Indianapolis area and elsewhere. It’s hard to resist a fluffy chick. However, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is seeing an unusual increase in the number of people (including children) who are becoming sick from bacteria acquired from handling pet poultry, especially chicks and ducklings.
Check out the CDC's data here.
People with impaired immune systems should probably not handle pet poultry at all. For the rest, carefully wash hands after touching, and keep a bottle of hand sanitizer near the enclosure if soap and water are not nearby. Be sure to monitor children carefully and be sure that wash and don’t eat food while handling pet poultry.
If you have any questions about pet poultry, and how to them healthy, give us a call or email.
And whatever you do, even though it’s hard, try to resist kissing your chickens!
