- Dec 15, 2009
- 195
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Quote:
I forgot to mention. Obviously he is familiar with web postings or verbal discussions by BYCers about the Deep Litter Method. The above comments seem pointedly directed at common suggestions about DL (dirt floor, putting scratch on the litter, etc) on sites like this.
He is arguing to law makers that an academic expert like himself will be necessary to come up with permit requirements and rules for keeping BYCs. He has obviously imbibed the commercial poultry management Kool-aid
The problem is, of course, that successfully keeping BYCs is worlds apart from intensive commercial poultry agriculture. BYCs will be regulated...if not out of existence, then certainly out of personal choice as to how their chickens will be housed, fed, etc.
It will be important to constantly stress to law makers that there are many successful ways of raising small numbers of chickens in a back yard. Point out that BYCers are able to much more intensively manage their personal birds and spend much more time and effort per bird than a commercial poultry farm. In fact, that is the point of raising BYCs. Also, things will work in small scale poultry raising (like DL) that would not in large commercial operations. If, when it comes to specific regulations, you have to fight for the right to choose methods that you can make work...that, for example, in the case of the DL method there are many BYCers that use this successfully, despite the expert's claims that it doesn't work. That is the time to bring in BYC experts who have had success with methods that are different than the Expert is pushing for.
If push comes to shove, politely keep reminding people that The Expert is an expert on raising commercial poultry, not on raising BYCs. Emphasize the difference.
Good luck!
I forgot to mention. Obviously he is familiar with web postings or verbal discussions by BYCers about the Deep Litter Method. The above comments seem pointedly directed at common suggestions about DL (dirt floor, putting scratch on the litter, etc) on sites like this.
He is arguing to law makers that an academic expert like himself will be necessary to come up with permit requirements and rules for keeping BYCs. He has obviously imbibed the commercial poultry management Kool-aid
It will be important to constantly stress to law makers that there are many successful ways of raising small numbers of chickens in a back yard. Point out that BYCers are able to much more intensively manage their personal birds and spend much more time and effort per bird than a commercial poultry farm. In fact, that is the point of raising BYCs. Also, things will work in small scale poultry raising (like DL) that would not in large commercial operations. If, when it comes to specific regulations, you have to fight for the right to choose methods that you can make work...that, for example, in the case of the DL method there are many BYCers that use this successfully, despite the expert's claims that it doesn't work. That is the time to bring in BYC experts who have had success with methods that are different than the Expert is pushing for.
If push comes to shove, politely keep reminding people that The Expert is an expert on raising commercial poultry, not on raising BYCs. Emphasize the difference.
Good luck!
