I see alot of pics with people holding their chicks close to them...just wondering if there is anything (like bugs) that we can catch from them? I love my girls and do pick them up...just wondering??? Jen
Most external mites and lice are species specific. And most babies have not been exposed to anything that would cause them to be infected. And chickens eat ticks. So I think we are pretty safe.
Mamachick, I've had chickens for 32 years and never caught a thing. Chickens that are well-cared for usually do not have any zoonotic diseases. Even lice is rare. http://vbs.psu.edu/extension/resources-repository/publications/VSE-06-03.pdf The above link has a list of things that are possibly passed on by chickens, but like I've said, I've had chickens and ducks (and sometimes turkeys) for 32 years and never gotten anything.
Threej, thats the cutest thing I've heard about chickens!! LOL Hearing this(that you won't catch bugs) makes me love them even more! I was afraid to pick them up and hold them although I did alot when they were babies. Thanks for the info! Jen
The short answer is yes ... If care is not taken ... (Wash hands, keep coop clean ...) https://www.chickenforum.com/f12/histoplasmosis-chickens-31/