Choosing a good farm to purchase from?

[dainerra]

. The point of my post was: Find out the reason given. Determine if it is acceptable.

I think we had the same point

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Pretty sure.

 

[donrae]

Keep in mind a lot of folks are paranoid about letting others onto their property for basic security, also. Tons of folks who advertise on craigslist won't let you on their place but want to meet in a public place. If that's the case you just have to look at lots of pics and they have to be able to transport the animals you want to view.

In my neck of the woods, no one seems worried about personal security or biosecurity. Folks around here seem to love to talk about their animals! Course, most of us are armed or have other personal security measures, and as for biosecurity, most of us seem to think if an animal gets sick that easily it needed to be culled anyway.

If you get hinky feelings from a place, though, just stay away. Personally, I'd check out the not-so-nice looking place. Lots of folks around here don't keep their places looking very nice but they have good healthy stock and they don't think it's made of gold, either.

 

[farmchick897]

I'm curious to know.. The Parvo virus has been mentioned with dogs. Aren't you also placing puppies at risk every time you leave the house since the virus is found in feces and can be brought into a home on shoes, clothes, car tires, possibly even birds? But this post is about rabbits and goats and I'm curious to know what diseases can be brought into your farm by allowing people to view animals? If the risk is so great, why would people ever show or have petting exhibits? And Im sure commercial producers have no reason to allow people to view their animals, I mean they aren't selling to the general public. Also, they risk people taking video and posting on YouTube and then we are all shocked that our beef, chicken and pork aren't raised in open grass fields.

 

[ThistleRidgeGA]

I can answer from both sides here: as a buyer and as a seller of farm animals.

First of all, while I will allow some people on our farm, they are not allowed in the areas where our animals live (eat, sleep, etc.) solely for bio-security reasons. All visitors to our farm that will be walking in any areas where our animals are/could be are required to be sprayed with Lysol spray on their shoes/a few inches up their pants' legs. This is non-negotiable. There are some diseases and viruses that can be spread on contact, and your animals don't show signs for quite some time.

I am more than happy to take photos of the animals (date stamped) for persons from all angles to keep them posted, and I take photos of the living areas of my animals as well so folks KNOW I keep a clean farm. It may not always be organized (it's a farm!)

While my photos are close-cropped showing the animals, I have the full photos available for persons showing them background area where the animals are standing (so they can see, again, it's a clean and normal farm with healthy animals.)

I talk to buyers before meeting them at our farm though most of our buyers of items and animals has been word-of-mouth anyways.

As far as knowing WHO to buy from: references. I ask friends in the area that are farmers if they have any dealings with so-and-so farm or with so-and-so. I have received a lot of "yes, wonderful people!" and I have also received, "I would not suggest buying an animal from them."

When I am talking to another farmer, I ask the regular questions about health, diet, etc.

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farmchick897 - you ask about shows or petting exhibits....I'm assuming you're fully aware about illnesses transmitted in shows and petting exhibits, right? There's a reason why there are usually hand sanitizers available at both. When folks have petting exhibits, more often than not, they are separate pens/areas than where an animal is born/raised.

Some examples include the following (remember, even the CDC says hand sanitizer doesn't kill ALL germs, bacteria, and viruses, and even when used may not cover/remove all from a person's skin/underneath fingernails

E. coli
Salmonella
Cryptosporidium
Foot and Mouth

If we CAN prevent the spread of disease, why wouldn't we?

 

[mlongworth]

I'm curious to know.. The Parvo virus has been mentioned with dogs. Aren't you also placing puppies at risk every time you leave the house since the virus is found in feces and can be brought into a home on shoes, clothes, car tires, possibly even birds? But this post is about rabbits and goats and I'm curious to know what diseases can be brought into your farm by allowing people to view animals? If the risk is so great, why would people ever show or have petting exhibits? And Im sure commercial producers have no reason to allow people to view their animals, I mean they aren't selling to the general public. Also, they risk people taking video and posting on YouTube and then we are all shocked that our beef, chicken and pork aren't raised in open grass fields.

 

[mlongworth]

Yes parvo can be transmitted very easily. I regularly chase people and their dogs out of my yard for that reason. Plus if you have a dog you shouldnt bring it to my yard to do its business i dont let my giant do it to you. Parvo can live in your yard for a year. But it can be stopped. I had a litter of pups born the same night a new pup of ours came down with parvo. Everybody was fine no puppies caught it and I took care of them all. Friends didnt like spraying down with bleach when they came over but tough cookie. Parvo got there somehow so i was going to stop it from happening again.

I'm curious to know.. The Parvo virus has been mentioned with dogs. Aren't you also placing puppies at risk every time you leave the house since the virus is found in feces and can be brought into a home on shoes, clothes, car tires, possibly even birds? But this post is about rabbits and goats and I'm curious to know what diseases can be brought into your farm by allowing people to view animals? If the risk is so great, why would people ever show or have petting exhibits? And Im sure commercial producers have no reason to allow people to view their animals, I mean they aren't selling to the general public. Also, they risk people taking video and posting on YouTube and then we are all shocked that our beef, chicken and pork aren't raised in open grass fields.

 

[farmchick897]

I agree with Parvo being a high risk, what I'm simply saying is there is also risk of you and your family bringing it home every time you step foot outside. Did you know that most puppy mills sell on the Internet and always!! Always!! Have a nice picture of the puppy, clean with a nice background. You don't think people are stupid enough to post a picture of an animal living in filth do you? That's why you go visit the place.
Back to livestock... Tell me if I'm wrong or it's done different in other areas.. But Petting exhibits, state fairs, etc.. Have hand sanitizer for prevent YOU from getting sick. They don't require you to change clothes and dip your feet in bleach to protect the animals..
We are talking small farms, and if you feel it's that much of a concern then by all means have people do a foot bath. But to prevent someone from coming out to see your animals that you are trying to sell and trying to play it off as bio security reasons is a load of crap in my opinion.

 

[ThistleRidgeGA]

Back to livestock... Tell me if I'm wrong or it's done different in other areas.. But Petting exhibits, state fairs, etc.. Have hand sanitizer for prevent YOU from getting sick. They don't require you to change clothes and dip your feet in bleach to protect the animals..

We are talking small farms, and if you feel it's that much of a concern then by all means have people do a foot bath. But to prevent someone from coming out to see your animals that you are trying to sell and trying to play it off as bio security reasons is a load of crap in my opinion.

See my above response regarding hand sanitizer.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/11/09/3654646/petting-zoo-was-e-coli-source.html
http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/kids-petting-zoos
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/11/the-petting-zoo-problem/
"But soon the goats began to jump onto visitors, and eventually the small-statured Katie was knocked to her hands and knees on the muddy ground.
The exhibit didn’t offer any hand washing stations, only hand sanitizer dispensers, so Katie did her best to clean off with what was available, but could only hope to wipe away the worst of the grime before heading off to explore the rest of the fair.
That was on a Friday. By Tuesday Katie was too sick for school. On Wednesday she had bloody diarrhea. That’s when her parents rushed her to the hospital, where they eventually learned she was infected with E. coli O157:H7, the dangerous bacteria most commonly associated with undercooked hamburger.
Katie had spent six days in the hospital when doctors expected to discharge her on Nov. 2, Election Day. Then she went into kidney failure. She had developed a case of hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that can result from severe E. coli infections, predominantly in children."

See my above post about visitors to the farm.

Ironically enough, there are breeders of dogs and other animals that will not allow visitors out to their kennels or homes until the puppies have reached a certain age. What's the problem with that? Again, I ask...if we can PREVENT diseases/illnesses, why wouldn't we?

 

[donrae]

I agree with Parvo being a high risk, what I'm simply saying is there is also risk of you and your family bringing it home every time you step foot outside. Did you know that most puppy mills sell on the Internet and always!! Always!! Have a nice picture of the puppy, clean with a nice background. You don't think people are stupid enough to post a picture of an animal living in filth do you? That's why you go visit the place.
Back to livestock... Tell me if I'm wrong or it's done different in other areas.. But Petting exhibits, state fairs, etc.. Have hand sanitizer for prevent YOU from getting sick. They don't require you to change clothes and dip your feet in bleach to protect the animals..
We are talking small farms, and if you feel it's that much of a concern then by all means have people do a foot bath. But to prevent someone from coming out to see your animals that you are trying to sell and trying to play it off as bio security reasons is a load of crap in my opinion.

I just had to catch that line--have you LOOKED at craigslist? I can't believe the conditions folks post pictures of. I'd be mortified for the whole world to know I kept my animals in such bad conditions, but lots of folks just throw it out there!