Getting NPIP cert testing.. when is best?

[ChicksinFL]

Here is my problem my chickens range drastically in age from already 5 months to just hatching (purchased eggs). My girls want to do the state fair in Feb and a APA show in Jan. So our birds would need to be tested in Dec. However there might be more or different birds the girls want to take to our county fair in April. The state only tests once a year and they've told me the only younger birds that will go under our cert. is the off spring of what is tested. So I have such a huge range of birds non of which are off spring.... Do I get the testing done on as many as possible in Mid to late Dec. they won't test anything not old enough to lay and then let them bleed any of the younger ones that we might take in April? Or do I let them bleed the older ones that we might take in Jan and get tested mid to late Jan in time for the state fair but not the APA show? My only issue with bleeding them in April is that the county fair does not allow the kids to touch the birds once in the cages. So any none cert. birds would be bled and then caged with no clean up chance.

This is such a hard choice.. I had been told by another local chicken keeper that the guy came out and only a sample not every bird and then cert her NPIP. However when I contacted the person from FL in charge so I could get with our county guy she said they will only test what is laying and that it only covers their offspring.

Any input on when we should choose to get our flock tested? All but one set of eggs I've bought or birds I've bought have come from a none NPIP cert. flock. I did that before I knew what NPIP was and had decided we would go that route.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

This is how it is in NY.

They will test birds 4 months or older. The amount they tests depends on how many you have over 4 months at the time. I had about 80 or so when I was tested, so they did 30 birds. That NPIP test covers all the chicks hatched from my flocks eggs. It lasts for one year.

 

[ChicksinFL]

We just had the NPIP testing done last week. Out of 26 birds 17 were tested, all breeding pairs were done and the pens that have more then a pair then trio's were tested. They wouldn't test my 4 month olds though, but did test turkeys and ducks as well as the chickens.

Inspector was super nice, didn't feel like he was scooping the place out for other stuff. We chatted a bit he gave my girls some handling suggestions to help tame up one roo who is a little nasty. Talked about showing gave them some advice on that as well since his daughter had showed for many years. Then he went on his way said I should have my card with my number before we leave for state fair in two weeks if not I my paper that will show they were tested and passed just no number yet.

I was really worried about getting tested thinking they would come in and try to find violations of any local laws and stuff or how you kept they chickens etc.. but it wasn't anything like that at all.