Follow Up Regarding Conversation With Bakersfield Californian Reporter

Samuel Morgen is the reporter's name that I spoke with on Friday afternoon. I appreciate that he reached out to Bakersfield Urban Backyard Hens to discuss topics that he was considering writing about. He wanted to hear from another source regarding these topics: salmonella, Newcastle, and irresponsible hen owners.

Following are some points I shared with him:

Salmonella -

The following statements come directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official website (CDC)

1. "Salmonella is most often spread when a person eats contaminated food."

2. "Food is the source for most of these illnesses."

3. "Most people recover without specific treatment and should not take antibiotics."

4. "Many different animals and pets can carry salmonella." These animals include: "turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, toads, parakeets, parrots, wild birds, guinea pigs, fowl, hedgehogs, dogs, cats, and horses" (to name a few).

5. CDC's statement of where and why salmonella is most common: "Salmonella illness is more common in the summer. Warmer weather and unfrigerated foods create ideal conditions for Salmonella to grow. Be sure to refrigerate or freeze perishables."

6. CDC's recommendation for backyard chickens, "Stay healthy around your backyard flock by washing your hands, keeping birds outside your house, and supervising young children around your flock." (The reason for young children supervision is because they are not mature enough to keep their hands out of their mouths. The adult supervision is to support them with washing their hands after being around the flock.)

7. Here is a list of foods from the CDC's website from 2018 to 2020 that have been major salmonella outbreaks: peaches, onions, cut fruit, ground beef, papayas, frozen raw tuna, pre-cut melons, ground turkey, raw chicken products, pasta salad, dried coconut, and raw sprouts.

Newcastle (VND) -

The following statements come directly from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) official website from a brochure they have titled "Virulent Newcastle Disease: Information for Bird Owners".

1. "Human Health: VND is not a food safety concern; properly cooked poultry products are safe to eat. In rare cases, humans that have exposure to infected birds may get eye inflammation or mild fever-like symptoms. These signs generally resolve without treatment, however, medical care should be sought if symptoms persist. Infection is easily prevented by using standard personal protective equipment."

2. These are CDFA's recommendations to keep your flock safe: Keep your bird area clean, keep new birds away from your flock for 30 days before introducing them to your flock so you may watch for illness, and do not borrow equipment (if you do, make sure you disinfect it first).

3. There was an out break in Southern California a few years back. The backyard hen community acted responsible and the issue was contained and eradicated. During this time, never was the practice of backyard hens banned. Backyard hen ownership continued during this period and after.

4. Because human exposure is "rare" and the result is "eye inflammation" that "general resolves without treatment" the suggestion is for bird owners to wash their hands after handling birds.

Irresponsible hen owners not following the ordinance -

1. With every activity there will be a few irresponsible people. We can say this about everything.

2. If an irresponsible driver causes a crash do we prohibit all people from driving? If an irresponsible drinker abuses alcohol do we prohibit all adults from drinking? If an irresponsible dog owner does not live up to the responsibilities of pet ownership do we prohibit all people from owning dogs? Of course the answer is "no".

3. In the United States people have the right (and the expectation should be) to be treated fairly and respectfully by the government the it elects to represent them. Denying responsible citizens access to something based on the possibility of some irresponsible citizen's actions would not be fair or respectful. Lawful and responsible citizens should not be punished for the possibility of someone else's irresponsible actions.

4. Our government builds trust, access, and participation from citizens when it makes decisions that respect the responsible majority.

5. The possibility of irresponsible hen owners is minor. The majority of pet owners (including backyard hens) love their animals and want to keep them safe while having meaningful interactions and relationships with them.

6. The ordinance is a positive because it provides clear expectations, assurances, and guidelines that can be communicated and followed. If needed, the same ordinance may be used to correct the situation of an irresponsible hen owner; just like every other situation where an irresponsible person does not live up to the expectations of a Bakersfield City ordinance. There is a agency that addresses this.

Feel free to use these 'talking points" when having conversation with family, neighbors, and friends. I cannot promise that Mr. Samuel Morgen will communicate these factual points on these three topics that he asked me about in the article he might write. I hope he writes an article that is factual and accurate and not one based on statements of possibilities and exaggerated fears. I do appreciate him taking the time to reach out to Bakersfield Urban Backyard Hens for the opportunity to share on these topics.

I will see you on Wednesday, September 23rd at the City Council meeting. It starts at 5:15. Arrive early. The address is 1501 Truxtun Ave. Bring some friends. You need to participate and take action to make Bakersfield hen friendly.

Thank you for your ongoing support and intentional commitment to action.