Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Gobsheen on August 01, 2012, 08:28
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Hi,
About 2 weeks ago, our youngest (human!) had a bug.....vomitting & no appetite etc for about 48 hours. All fine for a few days when everyone, except me, was vomitting. We put it down to a bug of some sort and we're pretty much back to normal (middle son puked again yesterday but fine this morning).
We had friends staying for a week duing all this and they didn't catch it. I've just realised that we didn't have any eggs while they were here......no particular reason. I'm hoping it is just a bug, but could it be linked to the hens/eggs?
The hens are all fine, eating and drinking normally. One is broody but fine when put out of the nest box.
I hope there is no link to the hens but thought I'd better ask the question. Any thoughts?
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I doubtanyone could say it was definitely not the hens but whatever it was it seems to have been contagious. However, I think you will find that those who keep hens do not get any more tummy bugs than they would if they did not keep them. We keep ducks quail sheep cats dogs horses as well as hens and we very rarely get anything even when things are going round.
I'm glad you are all fine now :)
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there are no known illnesses that we can catch from our hens especially if you follow the correct procedure of always washing your hands before and after handling them. Also if you are in a vulnerable group such as very young and elderly you should have your eggs well cooked.
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I wouldnt worry too much that its the eggs as a lot of people seem to be getting tummy bugs at the moment. A lot of my family have and I work in a hotel and the guest seem to be riddled with this bug on there arrival lol I know I have to clean their rooms.luckily the only thing thats got me yet is a stinking cold lol. Well hope u all get better.typical when its the summer holidays aswell.
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Your description sounds very much like norovirus. Very difficult to get rid of - look at problems with cruise ships - good cleaning and hand hygiene (soap and water not alcohol cleaners) are the only answers; be especially careful handling vomit. Door handles and taps are worth an extra bit of attention.
There is no link directly to hens, indeed there is often no food link at all; it is human to human. The scares of Salmonella can be ignored as the symptoms do not fit.