With egg prices still rising, more people are thinking about raising their own chickens, and now the Berrien County Health Department and Michigan State University Extension are teaming up to educate the public on how they can do so safely.
Berrien County Health Officer Guy Miller tells us this is a fairly rural area and plenty of people do have their own chickens.
“I think it’s a great idea, honestly, to have a backyard flock,” Miller said. “Just be concerned that there’s a little bit of risk to human health with that too. But you can’t beat farm fresh eggs. It’s great.”
Miller says the biggest health concerns surrounding chickens are bird flu, which primarily affects the chickens themselves, and salmonella, which affects people. He says anyone handling freshly laid eggs needs to properly wash their hands and the eggs to avoid infection.
“We typically see salmonella exposures popping up in the spring as people are either getting chickens for the first time or they’re in much greater contact with livestock and chickens.”
And Miller says it’s important to keep the chickens separate from wild birds to decrease cross-contamination and protect the flock against bird flu.
The health department and MSU Extension have launched a public education campaign to spread the word, with MSU handling the proper chicken care side of things and the health department talking about issues like salmonella.
Miller says it’s important for anyone planning to get their own chickens to understand the rules in their area. Some municipalities don’t allow chickens to be raised in their jurisdiction.
You can learn more right here.
A flyer on raising chickens has been released by the health department and MSU Extension. You can see it below.