Low and Slow safety

[smoker pete]

I have never had a Salmonella problem with Chicken or Turkey.  As long as you take the IT to >165ºF you'll be fine.  I personally prefer to take the breasts to 170ºF and the Thighs/drumsticks to >180ºF.  My neighbor has worked for Foster Farms for years and yes, it's true that all poultry does inherently have Salmonella but cooking to the proper temperature will and does kill it.

Ever since I started smoking poultry in the Bradley smoker in 2007 and now for years with my pellet smoker-grills I mostly like to smoke at 180º - 225ºF for 1 hour for chickens and 2 hours with turkeys before I bump the temperature to 325º - 400ºF until I reach the internal temperatures I listed above.

Just my 2¢ ... I have never worried about the "Danger Zone" when cooking poultry/turkey cause I never play around with the IT.  That's my story ... and I'm sticking to it.  No one has ever become sick eating any or my poultry/turkey.  Salmonella is nothing to play with.  Better be safe than sorry and by all means cook/smoke it at the temps you are comfortable with.  Me, I'll take it 170ºF.

[smoker pete]

I think hogs used to have trigonometry, or something like that, but they no longer get it so there is no worry about it.  Of course, when I was growing up we cooked them low and slow then and still didn't get any of that trigonometry then.  Dee

You're correct about "trigonometry" Dee   

FYI ...

Pork Myth: Pork Must Be Cooked to Well-Done Due to Trichinae Parasite

Myth: You have to cook pork to well done because pigs often carry a parasite that can lead to a condition known as trichinosis in people if they eat undercooked pork.

Fact: While there is a historical basis for caution regarding trichinosis, it’s no longer a threat that should concern U.S. pork consumers today. In fact, the odds of getting trichinosis from eating pork sold at retail stores is only 1 in 154 million.* Why? Because, the parasite responsible for this disease has been almost completely eliminated from modern pork production. That’s thanks to the American farmers’ adherence to strict production practices and the federal government’s ongoing monitoring programs of farms and processing facilities.
   
These facts, coupled with properly cooking pork to USDA’s recommended 145 degrees Fahrenheit, a three-minute rest time and proper storage techniques, mean that most of the handful of cases each year is caused by eating wild game meat, not pork. So, it all means eating pork in the 21st century is safer than ever.