Why you shouldn’t have indoor chickens

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 10, 2026

There are few things cuter than a fuzzy, warm baby chick. But close interaction or cuddling with that same chick or its adult poultry parents can be a real health risk for humans. So, turning a chicken into an indoor house pet is not a good idea. They can carry bacteria very harmful to humans including salmonella and Campylobacter. Both of those bacteria affect millions of people in the United States every year, and both can be fatal in extreme cases.