Small chicken flock owners not practicing proper hygiene: Study

A University of Guelph and OMAFRA study says backyard bird growers don’t practise proper hygiene and as a result, their birds may be carrying dangerous pathogens.

In the first-of-its-kind research in Ontario, the study looked at 245 dead birds from flocks of fewer than 300 birds. While the majority (201) of dead birds were chickens, the study included turkeys, ducks, quail, peafowl and pheasants. The majority of respondents had fewer than 25 birds.

The study found that 62 per cent of the deaths came from infectious diseases. Mixed respiratory disease was responsible for 21 per cent of the deaths, and Marek’s disease, which causes fatal tumours, caused 11 per cent of the deaths.

About 20 per cent of the birds also had mycoplasma, a bacterium that causes respiratory disease. That disease is rarely seen in commercial flocks, according to the authors of the study.

The research found that several birds had the bacteria Campylobacter, which can lead to severe food poisoning in humans.

According to the survey, when it came to hygiene practices, fewer than 50 per cent of small flock owners reported having dedicated shoes or clothing for entering their poultry coops or barns, and less than 5 per cent reported using a foot bath. More than 60 per cent reported allowing visitors into the coop or barn, which is not recommended. Many owners also allow the birds to stray outside the coop or barn, where they are more likely to come into contact with wild birds, which can help spread diseases and infections.