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Food Safety for the Backyard
Poultry Growerpresented by
Sandy Stoneman, SWVA Food Safety Extension Agent
276-223-6040
Adapted from presentation by Stuart Vermaak
Food Safety Extension Agent - Loudoun County
So why have backyard chickens?
Produce your own (maybe healthier) eggs – self reliance
Sell your eggs – create a small business
Chicken waste (composted correctly, can be used as
fertilizer for a garden)
Learn about agriculture
Expose children to where food comes from
Introduce a new pet to the family?
There are risks . . . humans can get sick
from poultry
Zoonotic diseases (animal to human) - rare
Poultry can have bacteria naturally in their intestinal
track that can make us sick – most common
Campylobacter
Ecoli
*Salmonella*
https://www.cdc.gov/healt
hypets/resources/dont-
play-chicken-with-your-
health-P.pdf
Salmonella Outbreaks Due to Backyard
Poultry in 2019
Salmonella – 2019 represented the largest recorded number of
people to become sick from contact with backyard poultry
1134 cases
49 states
219 hospitalizations
2 deaths
60
reported
cases in
VA
So what causes people to get salmonella
and other diseases from poultry?
Contact with:
Droppings
Feathers
Feet
Beak
Cages
Coops
Feed/water dishes
Bedding material (straw/hay)
Soil
Dirty eggs
How to reduce the chance of infection
1. Maintain the egg laying environment
2. Egg production practices
3. Egg handling practices
4. Personal hygiene
Maintaining the Egg Laying Environment
Provide adequate space:
Floor space - 1.5 square feet/bird
Roost space – 6 inches per bird and 24 inches off ground
Nests – One 10x 10 box per 5 birds
Yard space – 5-10 square feet per bird
Feeders/waterers – keep clean
Keep nest boxes clean/dry
Control pests
Clean and sanitize all equipment and coop between flocks
(ideally let stand for 2 weeks)
Good Production Practices
Only purchase chicks from certified sources
Raise chickens in isolation from all other poultry
Quarantine new birds (CDC suggests 30 days)
Use feed from reliable sources
Clean waterers/feeders regularly (outside, not in your house)
Monitor the health of your birds
Egg Handling Practices
Collect eggs frequently-two to three times a day is best
Clean eggs with fine sandpaper, cloth or brush
Never cool eggs rapidly before they are cleaned
Washing eggs
Water 20F warmer than egg and at least 90F
Do not submerge
Dry immediately
Use only sanitizers that are approved for egg washing
Bleach solution of ½ oz of household bleach per gallon of water
Use clean egg cartons or storage containers
Refrigerate eggs to reduce bacterial growth - 45 F or lower
Personal Hygiene
Hand washing, hand washing, hand washing!
Designated clothing/shoes/gloves
Conscious of visitors
Avoid unnecessary traffic
Avoid treating chickens as pets
Children and chicks
D R . J E S S I C A W A L T E R S , D V M , P H D , D A C P V
V I R G I N I A D E P A R T M E N T O F A G R I C U L T U R E A N D C O N S U M E R S E R V I C E S
Backyard Poultry Health
F.W.Pierson 2016
F.W.Pierson 2016
F.W.Pierson 2016
F.W.Pierson 2016
F.W.Pierson 2016
F.W.Pierson 2016
F.W.Pierson 2016
F.W.Pierson 2016
Common Signs of Illness in Poultry
Respiratory
Sneezing
“Snick”
Oculo-nasal discharge
Swollen sinuses
Open-mouth breathing
Harsh sounds
Head shaking
“Vulture” stance
Gastro-Intestinal
Loose stools
“Pasty” vents (white)
Bloody diarrhea
Weight loss
“Vulture” stance
http://keep-hens-raise-chickens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Infectious-Bronchitis.bmp
What can you do about it?
Prevention Vaccination
Regular De-worming
Medicated feed
Proper nutrition
Quarantine new birds
Treatment Antibiotics
Parasiticides
TLChttp://www.growingagreenerworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/210_leadchicken.jpg
Prevention of Disease
Biosecurity!
Keep clothing (coveralls, shoes) that are specific to working with your birds, change afterwards.
Wash your hands after handling birds or bird material
Quarantine new birds/flocks
Use appropriate disinfectants when transferring supplies or yourself between birds (i.e. footbaths)
Buy from reputable dealers/suppliers
Monitor your flock for signs of illness
Keep age groups separate-different disease risks
Ideal to enclose birds to prevent access to wild birds.
Available Resources
VDACS Regional Offices For Southwest VA
Wytheville
250 Cassell Rd
276-228-5501
Roanoke
2943 Peters Creek Rd #E
540-562-3641
Virginia Cooperative Extension https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/tags.resource.html/pubs_ext_vt_edu:poultry
Check with your local Extension Office
Successful Local Growers/Producers
Questions?
Virginia Dept of Ag and Consumer ServicesHarrisonburg, VA
540-209-9130
REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR
SMALL EGG PRODUCERS IN THE
COMMONWEALTH
Elizabeth Myers, Program Manager, VDACS
Virginia Egg Law
The Virginia Egg Law applies to the marketing of eggs to consumers, institutional consumers and retailers
At this point no license is required for the selling of eggs in the Commonwealth
Requirements under the egg law pertain to:
Standards, grades and size-weight classes
Cracked or checked eggs and inedible eggs
Labeling and Advertising
Seller Invoice Requirements
Sanitation
Virginia Egg Law
Grades and size weight requirements
Egg grades are to be determined by candling
◼ Virginia Egg Law for grades and weights follows the United States Standards,
Grades, and Weight Classes for Shell Eggs (AMS 56)
Cracked or checked eggs are to be labeled as “Cracks” and may be sold
only by producers directly to consumers or to further processing
The sale of inedible eggs (Leakers, Loss and Bloods) for human consumption
is prohibited
Virginia Egg Law
Labeling and Advertising
“No label, container, display or advertisement of eggs shall contain
incorrect, fraudulent, or misleading representations.”
Grade and size weight class must be in letters at least half as high as the
tallest letter in the word Eggs or the tallest figure in price, whichever is
largest
The term “fresh eggs” may be applied only to eggs meeting the
requirements of grade A quality or better
Virginia Egg Law
Seller Invoice Requirements
Any person selling or delivering eggs to restaurants, hotels, retail stores,
bakeries or any place purchasing eggs to serve to guest must furnish the
purchaser with an invoice
Invoice must contain
◼ Name and Address of the seller
◼ Quantity of Eggs Purchased
◼ Quality and Size of the eggs
A copy of the invoice must be retained by the seller and purchaser for not
less than 30 days
Virginia Egg Law
Sanitation Requirements
Any container including packaging material must be clean and free of
foreign odors
Eggs must be sold under sanitary conditions
Virginia Egg Law
Stop-Sale Order and Seizure
“If after inspection, the Department determines that any eggs are being
offered, displayed, stored, processed or transported in violation of the rule,
the Department may issue a stop sale order.”
No eggs under a stop-sale order may be marketed until the violations are
corrected
If public interest requires, the Department may take possession of the eggs
against which a stop-sale order exists
Virginia Egg Law
Exemptions
Producers who sell a total of 150 dozen eggs or less per week produced by
their own hens are exempt from the law
Producers who purchase not more than 60 dozen eggs per week from other
producers
◼ If you purchase eggs from another producer and segregate them at your farm-You
now fall under the USDA Egg Products Inspection Act and must register for Shell Egg
Surveillance
Contacts For More Information
Elizabeth Myers, Program Manager, Poultry and Egg Marketing
540-209-9140
Pamela Miles, Food Inspection Services
804-786-0412
Questions?Resources can be found at
www.swvafoodsafety.org
Sandy Stoneman
276-223-6040
2110 N 4th St
Wytheville, VA 24382
