On My Way to NPIP

Egghead_Jr

Free Ranging
13 Years
Oct 16, 2010
8,079
5,091
556
NEK, VT
I'm so excited. After months of periodically calling the Vermont Dept. of Agriculture and leaving a message with my contact number...drum roll please...I finally had a secretary pick up the phone! This to some may not be much of a mile stone but if you've left your number multiple times on an answering machine for a state agency that never returns calls I'm almost giddy with this level of government service. The ability to answer a phone during office hours is marked improvement.

I was actually transferred to another line, after random beeps of miss typed numbers on phone, and in passing the persons name was stated whom's answering machine I was about to leave my brief description and contact number. I now have a name and direct line to this regions administrator. There is a slow rising belief that the flock will indeed be certified by summer. Let's not be overzealous as it's not even Thanksgiving yet but with a contact name and persistence I've no doubt of a person to person conversation with the correct individual by New Years. After four months the cog is now in motion.
 
Good for you.
It's a federal program but with state administration so experiences, costs and admin structure are very different from state to state.
I had to have a 4 month lead time since I contacted in the busiest time of year.
At our NPIP office, there is only one person that does the tests statewide for smaller breeders. When he isn't in the office because he is out testing, one only gets a recording.
I just had my second annual testing in August.
In our state, every bird on the property over 4 months of age needs to be tested and the results are immediate.
In some states, only a percentage of the flock needs to be tested.
 
It's five months of age here and all birds first testing. Not certain as yet to talk to the person for this region, small state and two people, but believe its random testing each year thereafter. NPIP is required for sale of birds though it's not really monitored and of course needed for any showing or sales across state lines. The certification doesn't mean much to me as it only checks for pullorum but will make life easier with sales, transporting and showing. If I get in the machine now and in rotation of yearly testing it shouldn't be a problem when policing of rules gets strict and the agency is overrun.
 
Here they hold two classes a year where you can become certified to do your own testing or test someone else. Each state really is different.

It’s one of those government programs that has worked. Pullorum used to be pretty widespread but it’s really rare now. Arkansas has been certified Pullorum-free as have several other states. Pullorum is what was targeted but each state is free to add some other requirements. Arkansas has some additional requirements.

Sometimes progress comes in small steps. Now that you have their attention there is hope.
 
I had to check this post to see how long it's been since I made contact with the state. Not too bad, week and half ago and three phone messages directly to the testers cell phone later and we have contact! The good news is schedule of testing was very quick. I was thinking of doing spring test but decided a.s.a.p. would be less headache of attempting to reconnect. He'll be here 8am the 15th. This way I can get retested next fall when the chicks are over 20 weeks. Yup, it's a 5 birds random flock grab after the initial entire flock first test here in Vermont. And they've added AI to the test. Not sure why mereks isn't thrown on too as AI test is also a lab result not done on sight like the pullorum. He told me how easy that test was, I see how it would be advantagous to run a quick certification class for that. Drop of blood swirled in a thin liquid medium and if it clogs up it's positive. Just have to start a fire in the garage that morning to have a place above freezing.

I told him I'd leave the coop closed to make it easier for us and he said that's a great idea, I'll swing by when I leave my house in morning. So it should be a fun morning, seems a nice fella and once in program I may only have to call his cell phone direct for retesting twice in one week. Quick schedule but hard to get through to people was my experience in Vermont. It would be months but I guess squeaky wheels get the grease (which is a poor reward system for bad behaviour) so one could call every day and make contact in a weeks time easy.
 
I have been a member of the Georgia NPIP program for two years. Their service has been excellent, the employees are efficient in what they do and very pleasant to do business with. This program has been very beneficial and informative for me. The only thing is catching the chickens. It's best to have your birds contained before they arrive. Membership is eight dollars a year and thirty-five cents for each bird tested. I sell both chickens and eggs. This program reassures me and my customers that my birds are healthy. I have also taken a class in egg candling and culling birds humanely. Knowledge is good and none of it took a lot of time.
 

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