destruction and disposal order --help!

[johnskoi]

i posted this emergency, some of you will remember me --- i NEED help so i'm posting it here as well..thanks...

i've got a flock of 40+ peafowl, 30ish geese and goslings and 50 ish silkie s/g 's.... i ordered peacock eggs from a eggs from someone in SD... her quail eggs came back pos ... they came here two days ago and took samples from my flock and eggs... all tests came back NEGATIVE .. they show up today and want to kill my birds ... i'm on the phone with lawyers as i'm typing.... i don't see why they can't just quarantine me....any help and quick help would be a GREATLY APPRECIATED the virus her quail eggs had was high path avian influenza....thanks (and if my birds ever showed anything POSITIVE, i'd be more than willing to comply)

adding my phone # because every second counts right now 631-210-4127

 

[nchls school]

[COLOR=333333]i posted this emergency, some of you will remember me --- i NEED help so i'm posting it here as well..thanks...[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]i've got a flock of 40+ peafowl, 30ish geese and goslings and 50 ish silkie s/g 's.... i ordered peacock eggs from a eggs from someone in SD... her quail eggs came back pos ... they came here two days ago and took samples from my flock and eggs... all tests came back NEGATIVE .. they show up today and want to kill my birds ... i'm on the phone with lawyers as i'm typing.... i don't see why they can't just quarantine me....any help and quick help would be a GREATLY APPRECIATED   the virus her quail eggs  had was high path avian influenza....thanks  (and if my birds ever showed anything POSITIVE, i'd be more than willing to comply)[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]adding my phone # because every second counts right now  631-210-4127[/COLOR]

What a terrible thing to happen. I am so sorry to read this.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

This is frightening!

Perhaps if you can create a very strict quarantine proposal for your property it will head them off? (I do see that you say they don't want to quarantine you, but if you make a proposal they may see how serious you are).

There's some good information here about how the virus spreads that may help you to create a compelling proposal:
http://blog.farmsanctuary.org/2015/05/what-you-need-to-know-about-avian-influenza/ (of course info is available elsewhere)

Since it looks like you could (theoretically) spread the virus yourself through clothing/shoes, maybe you could create a proposal that involves using those disposable paper overalls and shoes (like they use at crime scenes!) whenever you are near the birds. You'd also want it to be clear that that your birds will be contained in a small area (do they free range?), and show that you are keeping your birds isolated from any wild birds (may need to reinforce pens?).

You can only hope that they will see you are committed to extreme measures to ensure the safety of your birds and other birds as well.

 

[frenchblackcopper]

WOW!! What a nightmare you have. This could have the impact of Mad Cow disease before too much longer. County Fairs are cancelling poultry shows,people all over facebook selling show birds because they won't have any shows to enter them in. I can see "closed flocks" over this and selling anything before it's tested could become a serious crime,especially if the sold birds are infected and shipped to the new owner. Don't know if your local county police can help,as far as not allowing them to trespass in your property without a warrant or court order. Suppose the results got mixed up with another sample they had?? And your birds are fine? Bigger mistakes has happened before. You could ask for another lab to try and see what results they get. That sounds tough but it could buy you time to get an answer.

 

[new 2 pfowl]

The crazy part is that his birds already tested negative!

 

[enola]

And one of the many many links that have been posted from Government information sites even stated that when a flock tested positive, the farm was quarantined until a SECOND positive was confirmed......

My heart aches for you!

 

[enola]

I hope no news is not bad news . . . .

 

[johnskoi]

what may be my last video of my babies ... http://youtu.be/1pGKkSpRt4g ( i swear a little) ...the more phone calls that i make i see JUST HOW political this IS ... if ANY one of them had a close family member in MY shoes, the option of every other day testing would be carried out --- i don't know the right people, so even though THAT OPTION WAS OFFERED TO ME ON DAY 1, they've since renegged on it -- another thing is the 'possible' fomites (pea eggs that MAY have been exposed) ARE negative, they came from an NPIP AI tested source... if i don't sign off (give the ok to kill), i won't be reimbursed and it will happen anyway---------i'm not signing --- but someday , i will expose them for what they are .... i signed off on the eggs in hopes they find NOTHING and rest a little easier........... i have a feeling that the reason the people weren't the same as last time, was because they KNOW what's REALLY going on...i think they now have to follow thru with their 'threats' or someoneS won't look good..... if i can, i will update as possible -- my computer and phone are 'acting up' a little... and thank you all for being there...

 

[johnskoi]

may they all suck eggs (the ai kind)...

 

[new 2 pfowl]

What about loading all of your birds into a big truck and just leaving?
It would be sheer madness while you were in transit...but it would buy you some time.
Maybe someone here has a spare coop your gang can hide out in? Or a big field you could camp in?

Start a "Go Fund Me" and we'll all chip in for your getaway.

(hoping the USDA isn't reading this)


*eta:
By the way, it seems that according to the state of VA, "'Poultry' means all domesticated birds, including backyard poultry, used for the production of meat or eggs for consumption, for the production of other commercial products, for restocking supplies of game, or for the breeding these categories of birds, as well as fighting cocks used for any purpose. Birds that are kept in captivity for any reason other than those reasons referred to in the preceding paragraph, including those that are kept for shows, races, exhibitions, competitions or for breeding or selling these categories of birds as well as pet birds, are not considered to be poultry."(www.vdacs.virginia.gov/animals/pdf/avianva.pdf) This probably isn't helpful, but I just mention this because most emergency orders relating to avian flu seem to refer specifically to "poultry." Also, from a case called "Reichley v. Pennsylvania Dept of Agriculture" (2005), I gather that the USDA can't overrule state D of A regulations (Reichley didn't win this case).

Oh well, I don't know anything about law, and your lawyer is certainly already doing all he/she can for your pretties.

Just wishing we peafolk could help.