Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[MagicPidge]

That is so sweet how Winfrey lines up for her confinement. And good news about Carl. Must be something about grass that is a problem only for her. I have a cat that I took to the vet recently thinking it had mange - nope - just a cat with a few fleas that he is allergic to. Never heard of a cat being allergic to fleas before. It turns out that Tiger is allergic to flea medication to.

Poor Tiger sounds like he's in for a rough time

 

[Gold Coaster]

Hello fellows,

I just wanted to provide you with an update regarding the stocking densities of free range egg farms and ask for your assistance one last time. Hopefully, if all goes well, we will all have free-range eggs from happy hens on Australian supermarket shelves forever.


Please add your name to the petition by following this link:
http://broadcast2.futuremail.com.au...Action-Alert-National-Free-Range-Egg-Standard


CURRENT NEWS: It's been a long, hard battle, but with your determination and persistence, together we can win! On Friday 12th June 2015 the State Ministers for Fair Trading will be meeting to decide on a legal definition for 'free range' eggs and we want to make sure that they know exactly what you, the consumers, expect.

Our Truth in Labelling campaign began back in 2010 when industry decided they wanted to cash in on the increasing consumer demand for ethical produce. Rather than produce what consumers expected from free range production, the big players instead moved the goal posts to redefine 'free range' to mirror their intensive systems. The past 5 years have been a rollercoaster – although it seemed blatantly obvious that people expected eggs labelled 'free range' to come from hens that actually go outside, the major producers had other ideas.

In March 2011, HSI complained to the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) about the Australian Egg Corporation Limited's (AECL) application for a Certification Trademark, allowing them to increase the outdoor stocking density for layer hens from 1,500 hens per hectare (as per the Model Code of Practice), to a staggering 20,000 per hectare! The ACCC called for public submissions on the matter and listed the issue as one of their priorities. In the meantime, we sent a series of complaints to the ACCC on individual egg producers and their false and misleading advertising, some of which have made it into the Federal Courts. Their outcomes are imminent and will hopefully help the State Fair Trading Ministers arrive at an acceptable legislated standard.

In late 2013, HSI wrote to all Ministers attending the December Legislative and Governance forum of Consumer Affairs advising them of the issues and calling for a national free range definition, and finally they announced it was on their agenda for their next meeting, on 12th June.

You were a big part of this, having signed one of 40,000 individual post cards presented to Government, we got their attention! Now we are asking you to do one more thing to help us get this over the line, protecting true free range producers and of course the stars of the show – the hens themselves! This is a perfect opportunity for us to spell it out for these Ministers one last time, urging them to ensure that the new National Information Standard on free range eggs represents true free range production systems and truth in labelling. Also, as the ACCC are so well versed on what consumers expectations of 'free range' are, we believe they should be at the table for these meetings, so we are asking the Ministers to include them in these discussions.

NSW Fair Trading is leading this project and say they will "work to enhance consumer confidence and certainty around egg labelling” – well then, this is what consumers want:


Hens must have a maximum outdoor stocking density of 1,500 birds per hectare, and they must be able to move about freely on an open range on every ordinary day. Practices must be based on the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) 'five freedoms' of animal welfare.


ACTION: Please click here today to send an instant message to the Fair Trading Minister in your State, letting them know your expectations of true free range. We have provided our suggested text to help you, but do feel free to add your own comments or tailor it as you wish.

This is such a critical point in this campaign, so on behalf of all the hens and the true free range producers we thank you once again for your amazing support!

- Humane Society International



Thanks for taking the time to read this!

Cheers,
Gold Coaster

 

[Teila]

Howdy folks

Once again, work has been interfering with my chookie chat

Back in my beginner days I took the word of the Produce Store Clerk and purchased Aristopet Worm-Enda Plus with Praziquantel which she mentioned was “OK and you can just put a drop or two straight in their beak on their tongue” .. got it home, took it out of the packet and read the instructions “NOT TO BE USED in food producing species of animals”.

Is a chicken not a food producing species, as in eggs? Or would they be meaning food producing as in ‘eat the bird’? Either way, I was not taking any chances and now only purchase and use products which specifically mention that they are safe for poultry. I have also learnt to not trust Produce Store Clerks

ChristieB just me, but I would not be feeding the eggs to the dog either.

Appps good to hear that Carl is hanging in there and Winry sounds sooo cute waiting at the bunny cage.

Sunny Chickens sorry to hear that your hen turned out to be a roo.

Welcome back Fancy, you were missed! I hope Little George has come good now. Good luck with the comp!

satay congrats on the eggs!

MagicPidge ‘scuse my ignorance but why are rusty looking feathers an “uh oh” in quails? [I know absolutely zip about quails]

Cwrite I had a dog who was allergic to fleas but didn’t know cats could be allergic also. Good to hear that your gals have no after affects following your doggy visit.

No news of note from Bambrook Bantams; integration is progressing really well but now it is more a matter of protecting the Aunties from Cilla as opposed to protecting the bubs from the Aunties

If it was not for Cilla still being a little on the protective side, I could probably open up the coops and turn the run back into one because the Aunties are fine with the bubs but I know that Cilla is just going to hound everyone and give them grief all day; she does that on free range so cannot imagine what she would be like in the coop/run. Hopefully she might cut the cord soon; they are nearly 11 weeks old

 

[IamSamSam]

Howdy folks 

Once again, work has been interfering with my chookie chat   

Back in my beginner days I took the word of the Produce Store Clerk and purchased Aristopet Worm-Enda Plus with Praziquantel which she mentioned was “OK and you can just put a drop or two straight in their beak on their tongue” .. got it home, took it out of the packet and read the instructions “NOT TO BE USED in food producing species of animals”. 

Is a chicken not a food producing species, as in eggs?  Or would they be meaning food producing as in ‘eat the bird’?  Either way, I was not taking any chances and now only purchase and use products which specifically mention that they are safe for poultry.  I have also learnt to not trust Produce Store Clerks 

ChristieB just me, but I would not be feeding the eggs to the dog either.

Appps good to hear that Carl is hanging in there and Winry sounds sooo cute waiting at the bunny cage.

Sunny Chickens sorry to hear that your hen turned out to be a roo.

Welcome back Fancy, you were missed!  I hope Little George has come good now.  Good luck with the comp!

satay congrats on the eggs!

MagicPidge ‘scuse my ignorance but why are rusty looking feathers an “uh oh” in quails?  [I know absolutely zip about quails]

Cwrite I had a dog who was allergic to fleas but didn’t know cats could be allergic also.  Good to hear that your gals have no after affects following your doggy visit.

No news of note from Bambrook Bantams; integration is progressing really well but now it is more a matter of protecting the Aunties from Cilla as opposed to protecting the bubs from the Aunties 

If it was not for Cilla still being a little on the protective side, I could probably open up the coops and turn the run back into one because the Aunties are fine with the bubs but I know that Cilla is just going to hound everyone and give them grief all day; she does that on free range so cannot imagine what she would be like in the coop/run.  Hopefully she might cut the cord soon; they are nearly 11 weeks old 

LOL my first time mumma took 9 mths to cut off from the ones she raised - and remained in the flock.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Howdy folks 

Once again, work has been interfering with my chookie chat   

Back in my beginner days I took the word of the Produce Store Clerk and purchased Aristopet Worm-Enda Plus with Praziquantel which she mentioned was “OK and you can just put a drop or two straight in their beak on their tongue” .. got it home, took it out of the packet and read the instructions “NOT TO BE USED in food producing species of animals”. 

Is a chicken not a food producing species, as in eggs?  Or would they be meaning food producing as in ‘eat the bird’?  Either way, I was not taking any chances and now only purchase and use products which specifically mention that they are safe for poultry.  I have also learnt to not trust Produce Store Clerks 

ChristieB just me, but I would not be feeding the eggs to the dog either.

Appps good to hear that Carl is hanging in there and Winry sounds sooo cute waiting at the bunny cage.

Sunny Chickens sorry to hear that your hen turned out to be a roo.

Welcome back Fancy, you were missed!  I hope Little George has come good now.  Good luck with the comp!

satay congrats on the eggs!

MagicPidge ‘scuse my ignorance but why are rusty looking feathers an “uh oh” in quails?  [I know absolutely zip about quails]

Cwrite I had a dog who was allergic to fleas but didn’t know cats could be allergic also.  Good to hear that your gals have no after affects following your doggy visit.

No news of note from Bambrook Bantams; integration is progressing really well but now it is more a matter of protecting the Aunties from Cilla as opposed to protecting the bubs from the Aunties 

If it was not for Cilla still being a little on the protective side, I could probably open up the coops and turn the run back into one because the Aunties are fine with the bubs but I know that Cilla is just going to hound everyone and give them grief all day; she does that on free range so cannot imagine what she would be like in the coop/run.  Hopefully she might cut the cord soon; they are nearly 11 weeks old 

Praziquantel hasn't been tested on poultry and therefore isn't labelled for use in chooks. There is a worm enda for poultry that only contains levamisole hydrochloride, which is one of the few products approved for use in poultry.
Avitrol plus also contains praziquantel and isn't labelled for food producing birds, and yes that means eggs and meat.
http://www.petandgarden.com.au/aristopet-worm-enda-poultry-wormer-125-ml.html

 

[Teila]

Praziquantel hasn't been tested on poultry and therefore isn't labelled for use in chooks. There is a worm enda for poultry that only contains levamisole hydrochloride, which is one of the few products approved for use in poultry.
Avitrol plus also contains praziquantel and isn't labelled for food producing birds, and yes that means eggs and meat.
http://www.petandgarden.com.au/aristopet-worm-enda-poultry-wormer-125-ml.html

Thanks Fancy, I am glad I went with my gut and did not use it.

 

[K Spot]

I use Avitrol tablets. I just withhold eggs for 2 weeks. No dramas.

 

[Fancychooklady]

I use Avitrol tablets.  I just withhold eggs for 2 weeks.  No dramas. 

As with any ' off label ' product, it's a personal choice. Praziquantel is not tested in chickens and in many countries isn't licensed for use in humans. there are potential side affects that won't impact everyone but still can be quite serious. Cramping, nausea, dizziness and in severe cases , fits. In the absence of science there is no way of knowing how long the drug or traces of it remain in the birds system. That makes it a ' guessing game '.
That's why it's important to choose very carefully because if I wanted eggs laced with drugs and antibiotics id go to the grocery store. Fresh eggs , I grow my own.

 

[MagicPidge]

Howdy folks

MagicPidge ‘scuse my ignorance but why are rusty looking feathers an “uh oh” in quails? [I know absolutely zip about quails]

Hellooo!

Ah, they generally are a sign of the quails being male. Which I can't keep thanks to the noise regulations in the area.

 

[satay]

Hellooo! 

Ah, they generally are a sign of the quails being male. Which I can't keep thanks to the noise regulations in the area. 

The boys are pretty loud for sure.