Backyard chickens for eggs: how to keep them and stay healthy

Why keep chickens

A small flock turns kitchen scraps and feed into eggs, and for many households it's the first step toward producing some of their own food. CDC notes that many people keep chickens to have fresh eggs. A few hens in a secure coop is the usual start.

Before you buy birds, check your city or county rules and any homeowners' association covenants, which often limit how many hens you can keep and ban roosters. Plan for daily care, feed, water that won't freeze in winter, and someone to look after them when you're away.

Salmonella: the risk CDC wants you to know

Healthy-looking birds can carry germs. CDC says outbreaks of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry are common, and that young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to get sick from these germs. CDC also recommends routine veterinary care for poultry to keep them healthy and prevent the spread of disease.

The good news is that the precautions are simple and mostly about where your hands, shoes and birds go.

Bird flu: sick or dead birds

Avian influenza is the other illness flock owners hear about. CDC says people should avoid direct contact or close exposure to sick or dead poultry, wild birds and other animals that could be infected, and that if you must have close contact with sick or dead birds, you should wear recommended personal protective equipment.

If birds in your flock fall sick or die suddenly, keep your distance, keep children and pets away, and call your veterinarian or your state's animal health office for advice on what to do next. Keeping wild birds away from your flock's feed and water helps too.

CDC's everyday rules

Wash your hands with soap and running water after touching backyard poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam, including after collecting eggs and handling their food or water containers. Adults should supervise handwashing for young children.

Don't kiss backyard poultry, or snuggle them and then touch your face or mouth. Don't let poultry inside the house, especially where food or drinks are prepared, served or stored. Set aside a pair of shoes for caring for poultry and keep those shoes outside the house.

• Wash hands after touching birds, eggs or equipment
• No kissing or snuggling birds
• Keep poultry and their equipment outside
• Dedicated coop shoes, kept outdoors
• Children under 5 don't handle poultry

Kids and chickens

CDC says not to let children younger than 5 years old handle or touch chicks, ducklings or other poultry, because young children are more likely to get sick from germs like Salmonella. Always supervise children around poultry and while they wash their hands afterward. Older children can help with feeding and egg collection, with handwashing every time.

Collecting and storing eggs

CDC says to collect eggs often, because eggs that sit in the nest can become dirty or break, and to throw away cracked eggs, since bacteria on the shell can more easily get inside through a crack. Clean dirt and debris carefully with fine sandpaper, a brush or a cloth, and don't wash warm, fresh eggs, because colder water can pull bacteria into the egg.

Then clean and refrigerate eggs after collection. For the pantry side of a food supply, our long-term food storage guide covers staples that keep for years.