This should not be happening in your house

An impressive 10 per cent of salmonella patients surveyed kept chickens in their bedroom, says the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

Though their survey was not done in Tasmania, local scuttlebutt suggests chickens might be scratching around in some Apple Isle homes.

Anyone who has experienced the eye-stinging fragrance of a fresh chicken turd will wonder how a homeowner could allow chickens inside.

The point of this post though is to reveal that people get salmonella from kissing and cuddling chooks, including the oh-so-cute baby ones.

About 13 per cent of salmonella patients surveyed had kissed their birds.

This is a useful message for all Australians, as backyard chook-keeping is still popular.

Before you run out to buy a chook or two, note that council regulations often apply. For example, you can’t keep roosters in some places without a permit. Presumably the permit stops them crowing.

Farm germs might not be all bad though. One Tassie mob is apparently harnessing the power of poo to create a health retreat.

Meanwhile, you should probably keep your sheep out of the house too.

Read CNN’s chicken-salmonella story here.

Kiss this