Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Arielle]

I have been thinking of getting NPIP certified and would love to hear the pros and cons from those of you who are certified.
I would appreciate to hear from the people who are not certified to hear why you choose not to get certified.

I have been going back and fourth on the idea of getting certified for the past 3 years. My biggest drawback is that I need to get under 100 birds and that will be challenging for me. I currently have 160. My goal is to get down to 130 before winter, but that is about as slim as I can get before having to make some really difficult choices.

The other major drawback is the setup of my facility. From what I understand, the testers only test birds 4+ months which means any un-tested birds need to be kept separated from the tested flock until they testers come back (12 months later). The logistics of this are nearly impossible. How do you guys manage this?

THe first time testing my flock , If the young birds , the under 4 month ones, were not an issue for me bacause they were from the stock that was tested.

Why the limit on the number of birds?? I did nothave a limit other than the tester didnot want to do a lot of birds. Not sure why.

Selling birds is an issue-- supposed to only buy and sell from NPIP tested flocks. THough I don't think this is well policed. Neede for the shows I have been to or for the swaps.

 

[BGMatt]

I have been thinking of getting NPIP certified and would love to hear the pros and cons from those of you who are certified.
I would appreciate to hear from the people who are not certified to hear why you choose not to get certified.

I have been going back and fourth on the idea of getting certified for the past 3 years. My biggest drawback is that I need to get under 100 birds and that will be challenging for me. I currently have 160. My goal is to get down to 130 before winter, but that is about as slim as I can get before having to make some really difficult choices.

The other major drawback is the setup of my facility. From what I understand, the testers only test birds 4+ months which means any un-tested birds need to be kept separated from the tested flock until they testers come back (12 months later). The logistics of this are nearly impossible. How do you guys manage this?

NPIP varies by state. So you'd need to ask either someone that has NPIP certification in your state or the state vet themselves about the age thing. Washington doesn't care about the young birds, but you have to have a minimum of 30 birds over the age of 16 weeks to even get tested, probably working under the assumption that the young birds were from the adult birds. You do have to have separate incubating and brooding rooms too which I thought was odd.

 

[Arielle]

You know, my kids stopped having all those childhood maladies when we stopped eating commercially derived meats, dairy and highly processed anything. Not one ear ache for 3 boys, one case of strep before going off the aforementioned foods, multiple colds for the youngest before going off those sources of food. After going off dairy and processed or commercially derived animal proteins, no more colds, no more flu symptoms of any kind when the schools were full of them, no more any of the normal childhood illnesses. Didn't even get chicken pox real strong...one or two pox for each kid.

None of those things until they grew up, went off on their own and started eating commercially derived meats, dairy and eggs once again, plus many, many processed foods.

Truly, our food supply is tainted.

All the more reason to keep moving in the direction of producing our own meats, dairy etc. SOme day I hope to have a sustainable meat resource that is also fed off our land, without much commercial feed.

 

[juststruttin]

THe first time testing my flock , If the young birds , the under 4 month ones, were not an issue for me bacause they were from the stock that was tested.

Why the limit on the number of birds?? I did nothave a limit other than the tester didnot want to do a lot of birds. Not sure why.

Selling birds is an issue-- supposed to only buy and sell from NPIP tested flocks. THough I don't think this is well policed. Neede for the shows I have been to or for the swaps.

My rep said to qualify for the backyard subsidized program ($50) you have to have under 100 birds. Anything over 100 birds falls under the standard NPIP certification and is not subsidized and is quite expensive. I have not looked into it.

I asked if I could simply pay for the extra birds and she said no. She said 100 birds takes 1 tester all day for and they do not have the time or resources to test more than 100 birds.

 

[Wisher1000]

I just finished my own silhouettes of Silver Campines (inspired by Bob) and thought I would share them. I have a book where I keep my notes and such and it is going on the front of that. I will also put it up in the breeder barn so I will have it handy.


They are right side up on my desktop <scratches head> Oh, well......

 

[3riverschick]

My grandfather died shortly after tripping and falling carrying in a new TV at 92!!! HIs sister lived many years longer, recognizing her own family if not others, geez at 100 and 30 years since our last visit, I sure did not expect her to remember; lived five more years to 105. Good genes there I think. HOpe I got some of them!

My mother is 95 and spry. Our parents lived during an exceptional time in their younger years. Born in the late 'teens, they had none of the high processed foods we have today. Lived thru or born directly after the Great Flu of 1918. Their mothers pregnant during the waning years of WWI with its attendant nutritional limitations. Then came the Depression during their teen years and plain food for 10 years or so. Immediately after came WWII with food rationing and Victory Gardens. More plain food. We didn't start to hybridize wheat until 1950, way after they were grown up. I read Wheat Belly, a startling book by a cardiologist. Our parents grew up on spelt, the same wheat eaten from 1700 till 1950. Personally, I think it has something to do with their long lifespans. I was born in 51. Couple of years ago, we eschewed modern wheat for spelt and a slimming diet and lost 40 lbs. each. Went back to modern diet w/ modern wheat and gained 20 lbs. back.
Did you know that wheat is one of those grains which retains both sides of chromosomes when it is hybridized? Spelt has about 24 chromosomes. We have hybridized wheat enough that now it has over 100 chromosomes. The number of chromosomes has advanced, and is higher, than the human body's ability to adapt and assimilate it. Thus our bodies now react to, rather than work with, the chromosomes in modern wheat. Interestingly, an experiment at our house, as the cardiologist opinioned, resulting in no mental fogginess or sleepiness after eating spelt, as we had seen when eating modern wheat. So, those foggy hours and naps after Thanksgiving dinner aren't all the fault of the turkey, looks like the dressing and biscuits are also culprits.
Best,
Karen

 

[BGMatt]

My rep said to qualify for the backyard subsidized program ($50) you have to have under 100 birds. Anything over 100 birds falls under the standard NPIP certification and is not subsidized and is quite expensive. I have not looked into it.

I asked if I could simply pay for the extra birds and she said no. She said 100 birds takes 1 tester all day for and they do not have the time or resources to test more than 100 birds.

Wow, that is unbelievably lame...glad I'm not in CA, sorry you have to put up with that. But yeah in your place I'd either say (expletive) NPIP, or find someone else to talk to about the non subsidized program.

 

[BGMatt]

I just finished my own silhouettes of Silver Campines (inspired by Bob) and thought I would share them. I have a book where I keep my notes and such and it is going on the front of that. I will also put it up in the breeder barn so I will have it handy.


They are right side up on my desktop <scratches head> Oh, well......

This is a great idea. I used to do this same thing, blow it up to lifesize and hang it out there. Really helps you focus on type and ignore color. What I always found the three most important things about any poultry evaluation/cull session to be were an outline, the current SOP and of course ice cold beer. (Although I suppose that last one could technically be considered optional.)

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

My reasoning for avoiding NPIP is that I cannot find ONE THING our federal government does well .... so why welcome them into my backyard to initiate more bureaucracy, which they certainly cannot manage. I digress

 

[Wisher1000]