Preventing diseases in backyard poultry

You can help prevent disease outbreaks in your poultry by practising good biosecurity.

Clean equipment and enclosures

• Clean your poultry housing, yard and equipment regularly.
• Disinfect your birds' feed and water containers regularly.
• Don't share equipment with other birdkeepers unless it has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Keep feed and water clean

• Ensure your birds’ drinking water is town, bore or chlorinated.
• Store feed in a container with a secure lid.
• Don’t let your birds’ feed and water become contaminated by wild bird droppings or other animal waste.

Keep your birds away from wildlife

• Don’t let your birds mix with wild birds, especially wild waterfowl.
• Restrict access to open ponds, lakes and creeks.
• Use protective netting or keep them housed in coops and aviaries  to prevent wild birds from mingling with yours.
• Have a rodent control program in place.

Prevent the spread of disease

• Keep new birds separated for 10 days before introducing them to your existing flock.
• Use new egg cartons where possible, as used cartons can spread disease—if you use pre-used cartons, keep them clean and away from birds.
• Know the signs of disease to look for in your birds.
• Report large numbers of sick or dead birds to the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Protect human health

Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and aviary birds can sometimes carry more common diseases including salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis or psittacosis that can spread between birds and people.

To help protect you and your family:

• wash your hands with soap and running water and dry them before and after collecting eggs and immediately after handling birds or touching anything in the area (such as feed and water troughs) where your birds live
• don’t kiss or cuddle your birds or hold them close to your face so that bugs may transfer to your eyes, nose or mouth
• don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth after handling birds, their eggs or equipment (such as feed and water troughs, nest boxes)
• don’t let poultry inside your house, especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored
• wear the same pair of shoes to tend to poultry and keep those shoes outside the house
• clean equipment used for birds outside your house.

If you are concerned about your health in relation to poultry or aviary birds, call 13 HEALTH.

Also consider…

• Egg safety
• Chicken and other poultry meat safety
• Food safety and hygienic food preparation