Bangor Daily News interviews Coffin about chickens
Donna Coffin was a source for the Bangor Daily News for its story discouraging people from keeping chickens as house pets because they harbor bacteria harmful to humans, including salmonella and Campylobacter which can be fatal in extreme cases. At the very least, both can cause a great deal of digestive and intestinal discomfort, including diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting, according to the article. If it’s necessary to bring a chicken indoors to recover from an injury or illness, there are some things to keep in mind to protect humans and fowl. “The risk to the chickens is small if they are brought indoors,” said Coffin, an educator with University of Maine Cooperative Extension. “But once they are acclimated to warmer indoor temperatures, they will need to be kept warm all winter.” That means even bringing a chicken into a warm area like a shop or garage to recover from an injury or illness means that bird must be housed at that same indoor temperature for the rest of the winter after it has recovered. Keep the birds away from spaces frequented by the human household members, and never allow the birds near areas where food is prepared and eaten.