Participants in the program are likely (I'm assuming) required to report and keep records of intrastate sales regardless of whether or not the state they reside in requires sales come from an NPIP certified flock. Failure to do so would eliminate the traceability aspect of the program, which is sort of the whole point. Whether they do or not is on them. My state requires all sales of poultry and hatching eggs to be sourced from an NPIP certified flock unless being used for immediate slaughter. This of course is not enforced, because it is next to impossible to. Both NPIP farms I have picked birds up from in person have taken my money and handed me a box with no other exchange of information. Whether that's good or bad on their part, I don't know and frankly don't care. The chicks I received have been superior quality and came from a strong, healthy flock that I know tested clean.When you say NPIP flocks are likey obliged to keep records of their sales, could you elaborate on that?
No heritage breeds would be lost without NPIP. A great many heritage breeds would be lost without the breeders who are largely all NPIP certified who everyone, given your way, would avoid at all costs.How many heritage breeds would be lost without NPIP?
And which ones?
That depends. As in the OP's situation, a non-NPIP certified individual attempting to ship birds from a non-commutable distance away that crosses state lines: A) violates most, if not all state laws regarding NPIP requirements for moving birds across state lines; B) assuming the buyer knows little to nothing about the seller, right off the bat demonstrates at best ignorance of the law, or at worst, disregard--red flags when you have no idea who someone is or what they stand for, particularly when you are about to give said person a substantial sum of money; C) you have no idea what type of environment the birds are coming from and no way to see for yourself. In this situation it would absolutely not be foolish to discard the breeder.And would it be foolish to immediately discard a non-NPIP breeder based on the simple fact they are non-NPIP?
If you have the means to pick up birds from a non-NPIP source and are comfortable with the environment from what you can observe, go for it. Take your birds, stick them in quarantine, and be happy.
For the record, I am not and have no desire to be NPIP certified. However, to discount the work NPIP breeders do because of what amounts to silly superstition is quite unfair.