There are over 200 times more chickens than people in Delaware.
The CDC says that a Salmonella outbreak in 21 states has been linked the homeowners keeping live chickens in their backyard. Of the 52 confirmed Salmonella cases, 28% are children under 5. In interviews, those hit by the Salmonella outbreak told the CDC that they bought their chickens from agricultural stores, hatcheries and on the web.
If you do have some yard birds of your own, remember that chickens can have Salmonella germs on their feet, in their feathers and in their droppings, so wash your hands often and don’t let livestock into your home.