Backyard Poultry｜The 5 Deadliest Mistakes Keepers Make (Plain-Language Version) | Evidence chain

FAQ

After the chickens have had medication, can the eggs and meat be eaten as usual?

Not straight away. Drug metabolism takes time before residues clear from eggs and meat, and that waiting time is called the withdrawal period; eating before enough time has passed means you and your family are swallowing drug residues, which you can neither see nor taste.

ニワトリに薬を使ったあと、卵や肉はいつもどおり食べられますか。 — すぐには食べられません。薬が卵や肉から抜けるには代謝の時間が必要で、この待ち時間を休薬期間と呼びます。十分に待たずに食べれば、自分と家族が薬の残留を口にすることになり、しかもそれは見えず、味もしません。

After the chickens have had medication, can the eggs and meat be eaten as usual? — Not straight away. Drug metabolism takes time before residues clear from eggs and meat, and that waiting time is called the withdrawal period; eating before enough time has passed means you and your family are swallowing drug residues, which you can neither see nor taste.

Can a dirty eggshell simply be rinsed clean under the tap?

Not advisable — the instinct runs exactly the wrong way. The shell surface carries a natural protective film, and running water washes that film off, which can instead push dirt from the shell surface, bacteria included, through the pores and into the egg. The correct approach is to dry-brush off visible soiling and refrigerate the egg directly, without washing it in water.

卵殻が汚れたら、水で洗い流してよいですか。 — おすすめしません。この直感はちょうど逆です。卵殻の表面にはもともと天然の保護膜があり、水で洗うとこの膜が落ちてしまい、かえって殻の汚れ（細菌を含む）を気孔から卵の内部へ押し込むおそれがあります。正しいやり方は、乾いたブラシで目立つ汚れを落とし、卵はそのまま冷蔵することです。水で洗わないでください。

Can a dirty eggshell simply be rinsed clean under the tap? — Not advisable — the instinct runs exactly the wrong way. The shell surface carries a natural protective film, and running water washes that film off, which can instead push dirt from the shell surface, bacteria included, through the pores and into the egg. The correct approach is to dry-brush off visible soiling and refrigerate the egg directly, without washing it in water.

Can eggs from my own chickens be served raw or soft-cooked to children?

Not advisable. "Home-raised" does not mean there is no salmonella risk, and that risk bears no direct relation to whether the birds are free-range, organic, or clean. Pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with weakened resistance face a higher infection risk than others from raw or undercooked eggs.

自分で育てた鶏の卵を、生卵や半熟卵にして子どもに食べさせてもよいですか。 — おすすめしません。「自家産」はサルモネラのリスクがないという意味ではなく、放し飼いかどうか、有機かどうか、清潔かどうかとは直接の関係がありません。妊婦、幼児、高齢者、抵抗力の弱い人は、生卵や十分に加熱していない卵による感染リスクが一般の人より高くなります。

Can eggs from my own chickens be served raw or soft-cooked to children? — Not advisable. "Home-raised" does not mean there is no salmonella risk, and that risk bears no direct relation to whether the birds are free-range, organic, or clean. Pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with weakened resistance face a higher infection risk than others from raw or undercooked eggs.