Hatching chicks requirements in Texas? Any limits?

Hello I'm from Texas, and was wondering if Texas has a limit on how many chicks you can hatch from your house? I get my hatching eggs from NPIP certified farms. Would I still have to be certified in any way for me to sell and hatch chicks if they come from farms that provide the hatching eggs, and are regularly checked by the state, and are NPIP certified?

I've been in the business of only selling day-old chicks for going on 3 years now. I started to buy chicks from my dads friend that's owns a breeder farm of different varieties of chickens for different hatcheries. I started off buying and reselling 100 chicks, and then took them to the flea market down the road, and they ended up selling in no joke like 10 minutes. It was from that point on that I knew this was the business for me since I used to breed show goats for FFA/4-H.
I bought my first 2000 egg setter/hatcher 2 years ago to start hatching my own chicks, and since all the trials and errors I was able to get a steady hatchrate of 85%-90%. Last year I bought a 5400 setter and used the 2000 incubator for hatching only, and my sales have been going through the roof. Last year I had to tell people that I could only produce on average 1600 chicks a week, and that they would have to wait since I didn't produce enough. Now this year i increased my egg capacity to 5400 eggs per week, and bought some other stuff that can help during the busy time of the spring.
I want to check up with the rules and regulations since I'm going to a bigger scale in 1 1/2 months, so I don't get fined for not knowing something.

I live in the Rio Grande Valley...

http://www.tahc.state.tx.us/news/brochures/TAHCBrochure_FowlRegistration.pdf

It looks like if you only sell from your home or premise, or only sell NPIP chicks, then you are exempt. However, since you are hatching them at home and then selling at the flea market, I think you are not exempt, but you may need clarification (since the NPIP exemption is for chicks from a NPIP hatchery, not eggs).

In Texas your flock must be PT tested in order to sell your chicks.
This is who is in charge of the NPIP in our state:
Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory: Home
but know that you do not have to pay the NPIP membership fee ignorer to sell chicks. Specifically Mr. JC Essler...feel free to shoot him an email with any questions...he is a very nice and helpful man. (The membership fee here in TX is $100 annually.)
You can JUST get the PT test done. It is good for a year and the test is cheap.

Also...he can answer your question about the number/limit you can hatch to sell as a "regular" person before you need to apply for a hatchery license. ( I am not sure that is the correct wording ) Actually if you like I will shoot him an email for you. I have met him in person and have chatted with him quite a few times recently.

For clarification, it sounds like OP is simply buying eggs from various sources, then selling the chicks. If they are being sold as day olds, how would he have any stock that could be PT tested???

OP, how long are you holding any of these chicks before selling them???

lazy gardener said:

For clarification, it sounds like OP is simply buying eggs from various sources, then selling the chicks. If they are being sold as day olds, how would he have any stock that could be PT tested???

OP, how long are you holding any of these chicks before selling them???

Click to expand...

Thanks Lazy....
I didn't quite read too well.

I think as long as they have the receipt with the sellers info and the seller IS selling eggs that have come from a PT tested flock then it would be fine. The paperwork is the important part IF the state steps in and asks to see it it is best to keep it on hand. Recently, when I took the class to become a PT tester it was made aware that the selling of chicks and such at let's say flea markets and the web were soon going to be "being looked at" much more often. Does that make sense?

BUT....here in Texas this may be considered a "hatchery" and hatcheries have different guidelines to follow. There is something called a fluff test that we testers perform at hatcheries for PT. So eggs have to come from a PT tested adult flock or a PT tested hatchery IF they quailfy as a hatchery....this qualification is what I am NOT sure of. But I will be finding out fist thing in the morning. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.