Just in time for National Egg Day, the CDC, and a Greeley high school student, answer the question, Do Chickens have Lips?

A classic French omelette is easy to whip up. Just take it low (heat) and slow to make sure the egg is cooked through completely and there is little browning on the omelette's bottom. Photo by Emily Kemme.

By Emily Kemme

Ever since esteemed literary critic, John Leonard, cracked open the question, “Do Chickens have Lips?” in his 1974 New York Times essay evaluating the wretchedness of his profession, in particular those journalists, — the “vending machines of opinions” — who write 800-word columns, the world has pondered this head-scratcher: do our feathered friends in fact have lips?

Leonard never answered the question, instead following up with an opinion that the question served to further ambiguity in conversations requiring a definitive response.

But once implanted in the public’s mind, we have searched for resolution these 47 years past.

The question, “Do chickens have lips?” answered at last

The FDA recommends cooking eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. So where does this leave beloved foods like a soft-cooked egg (above) or delectably oozing Eggs Benedict? If you have a healthy immune system, aren’t pregnant, and are not younger than 5 or elderly, that decision is up to you. Photo by Emily Kemme.

Thanks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent warning against kissing or snuggling your backyard poultry flock, the topic has at long last been laid to rest.

If people are inspired to kiss birds, it only follows that the recipients of the kisses must have lips upon which to plant them.

Although innumerable websites negate chicken lips’ anatomical existence, Collins Johnson, backyard chicken producer and rising senior at University High School in Greeley, emphatically confirmed that chickens do indeed have lips.

“Chickens have reduced lips due to their beak and head shape. They're much more noticeable on chicks, and especially in Gouldian finches. However, they do shrink down as they get older,” Johnson said.

Bird lips are visible on their gape, a fleshy area at the base of the beak, sometimes called a bill. As feathers fill in around the beak area, the gape is less visible.

The CDC's warning about kissing chickens followed multi-state outbreaks of Salmonella infections linked to contact with backyard poultry. A total of 163 people from 43 states were reported ill, with 34 hospitalized. As of May 20, two were reported sick in Colorado. Of the reported illnesses, one-third occurred in children under age 5.

 With chefs and home cooks scrambling to find the best way to celebrate National Egg Day on June 3, the warning could not have been timelier.

What is Salmonella?

 Salmonella is a bacteria found in raw meat, poultry, seafood and raw eggs. Because it lives naturally in intestines, it’s present in feces, which if ingested can cause food poisoning. Infection can occur when you eat foods containing the bacteria. Foods can become contaminated during preparation if proper hygiene like hand washing isn’t followed; it can also occur if you touch a contaminated animal and then put your fingers in your mouth. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and vomiting, and can last 4 to 7 days. In some cases, illness may lead to death.

Raw or undercooked eggs are often bacteria sources because infected chickens produce eggs containing salmonella. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration recommends using pasteurized eggs in recipes that call for raw or undercooked eggs, citing Caesar salad dressing and homemade ice cream.

Pasteurization occurs when food is heated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature at which egg yolks begin to cook. It’s possible to pasteurize eggs in the microwave. There are also pasteurized egg products and eggs in some grocery stores, although the flavor quality is debatable. 

People at high risk for salmonella infection include children under 5, pregnant women, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, including transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.

 Staying healthy around backyard poultry

 According to the Colorado State University Extension, home-produced chicken eggs can be raised safely and are a convenient, nutritious source of protein. The key is following local laws and learning how to properly manage chickens and handle their eggs.

Johnson has owned and raised chickens since 2013. She ensures egg safety by monitoring broody hens — the chickens who sit on a clutch of eggs to hatch them — collecting eggs as soon as possible, and if needed, sanitizing eggs with warm water and scrubbing.

“You need to make sure to either separate or stop the hen from sitting to ensure you don’t sell half-developed eggs to people,” she advised.

Steps to consider before purchasing a flock include establishing an enclosed housing structure to protect it from predators and help with egg collection, thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting at least twice a year, keeping nesting material clean, and providing a perch above the floor over a wire-mesh-covered dropping box so droppings don't contaminate nests. Once you've established a flock, follow CSU Extension's helpful guidelines to keep your eggs and chickens healthy.

Even that jammy egg swimming in a bowl of ramen noodles can potentially contain salmonella bacteria, which can cause food borne illness. Photo by Emily Kemme.

What about eating runny egg yolks?

 For an inexpensive, low calorie protein source, you can’t go wrong with eggs. Versatile and tasty, Johnson said most people believe home raised eggs are higher quality. The chickens “have access to a variety of foods ranging from greens, bugs, and even small rodents.”

Because of this diverse diet, eggs from home producers will have deep orange yolks, she said.

To avoid foodborne illness, the FDA recommends cooking eggs until both the yolk and white are firm. Scrambled eggs should not be runny. It advises washing hands, utensils and work surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after coming into contact with raw eggs and foods containing raw eggs.

So how can you justify enjoying the slow ooze of Eggs Benedict enveloped in hollandaise, tossing a raw egg into steak tartare, or slurping up a jammy egg along with strands of ramen noodles?

If you have a healthy immune system, aren’t pregnant, and are not younger than 5 or elderly, that decision is up to you.

How to cook a Classic French Omelette

The key to a tender omelette that is foldable and fillable is advance preparation and good cooking tools. If you’re preparing several at a time, invest in two heavy 10-inch skillets. A rubber fork is useful for keeping the egg strands together without tearing them, which makes a tougher omelette.

•            3 large eggs

•            salt and pepper

•            2 tsp cold water

•            1 T unsalted butter

•            PAM cooking spray or use a nonstick skillet

•            1 T fresh parsley, chopped

•            Desired fillings – use your imagination, the sky’s the limit! This particular omelette includes sliced avocado, micro-greens for crunch, and a sprinkle of parsley.

 Gently crack eggs into a small bowl. Add salt, pepper, and water. Whisk with rubber fork for 60 seconds until creamy.

 Prepare 10 inch skillet by spraying with cooking spray, or if using a nonstick skillet, you can skip this part. Place skillet over medium-low heat and add butter. Heat until melted and bubbles have begun to subside but haven’t completely dissipated.

 Pour in eggs and let set for 20 seconds.

 Using rubber fork or a chopstick, gently scramble egg along the skillet surface to cook curds for 20 seconds, then smooth to fill in the omelette bottom so there are no holes.

 Cook on very low, occasionally running rubber spatula beneath and around edges to loosen, for 45 seconds.

 Strew fillings on one side of omelette.

 Cover with tight fitting lid and cook for one minute, steaming and plumping eggs.

 Using metal spatula, gently fold half of omelette over to cover the filled side.

 Serve warm sprinkled with parsley.

 Serves 1.

 Recipe courtesy of Feeding the Famished.