Poultry showing ??

[bgill1215]

I will be starting to show next year but I have a few questions. Is there testing that my flock needs to have done before entering in any shows? Or will testing be done at the shows?

Photos below are requirements for a local country fair. But I'm just confused by all of this. Hope do I get a PDA issued leg band? I assume it's from Pennsylvania department of agriculture. Went on the site and didn't see anything about leg bands. Any help would be appreciated. I will be showing bantam silkies. And located in Pennsylvania.

 

[Pyxis]

Is there testing that my flock needs to have done before entering in any shows?

Yes. Nearly all shows require pullorum testing, and a good majority are now also requiring AI. This needs to be done prior to most shows. The easiest way to make sure your birds are tested and ready to go is to just join the NPIP program. Testing for pullorum counts for a year when you're NPIP, and AI for six months.

Can't help you about the legbands; that I don't know about and seems to be unique to PA.

 

[bgill1215]

Yes. Nearly all shows require pullorum testing, and a good majority are now also requiring AI. This needs to be done prior to most shows. The easiest way to make sure your birds are tested and ready to go is to just join the NPIP program. Testing for pullorum counts for a year when you're NPIP, and AI for six months.

Can't help you about the legbands; that I don't know about and seems to be unique to PA.

I don't think npip will work for is since you need to retest every time you add new birds. We do meat birds every year. Plus hatching out eggs. But I'll look into it.

 

[Pyxis]

I don't think npip will work for is since you need to retest every time you add new birds. We do meat birds every year. Plus hatching out eggs. But I'll look into it.

As long as you get those birds and eggs from NPIP sources, it's not an issue

 

[bgill1215]

As long as you get those birds and eggs from NPIP sources, it's not an issue

Oh I didn't think of that. I'm have to see the cost of doing NPIP meat birds come from a harsher so no idea about that. Eggs would just be my pen though.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Hatcheries are NPIP . Any birds added to from hatchery source are allowed. It's when adding from private sources you need to ensure they have NPIP to document for your state inspector.

To the OP: Call the fair poultry show and ask if they will have a vet or state inspector on site at check in. Many fairs do. It won't cover AI as that is a test that is sent out to lab but does provide instant testing of Pullorum.

AI is a silly requirement. You'd know if your flock had it, at least you'd be losing most of the birds, testing at that point would be prudent. FInd if it's Newcastle or AI or... close down the flock or eradicate. Biannual testing is akin to taking the temperature of a healthy child everyday. What's the point?