HEY! Now that Spring's Here....Suggestion/Warning re: purchasing birds

[speckledhen]

I now have seen two folks have to cull their flock or birds purchased who had a form of CRD and Mareks bought from the same person. Please, please, please, look at the Feedback Report that is in red under Hatching Eggs for those sellers who have very low scores! That is your Red Flag, folks.

Here is the link to the Feedback Page...

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pcz6aC_klXJDTE8H01hR-RA

 

[gumpsgirl]

Thanks for the reminder Cyn!

Please do your homework folks! It will save you loads of heartache in the end.

 

[speckledhen]

Naturally, not all buyers or all sellers leave feedback, but that is your place to go when you are considering a purchase from someone. And it would be great if you have purchased eggs or birds for you would please fill out a feedback form; only takes a moment. Thanks!

 

[speckledhen]

Am bringing this one to the top again.

 

[Equus5O]

Hi. I have a quarantine question.

If I buy birds from a seller that is displaying them at a large annual fair (Sussex County Fair, in NJ), would it be safe to assume that they're healthy?

I'm not totally ignorant.

I know that there's an inherent risk involved always, and there are no guarantees in life. But, is showing chickens similar to showing horses, in that you have to show proof of Coggins? Do you need a certificate of some sort to bring your birds onto the showgrounds?

Thanks in advance,
Sandra

 

[Sillystunt]

 

[speckledhen]

I do not show birds or go to shows, so I have no idea what health guarantees they have to give. I would never assume a bird is completely healthy, even getting it at a show. It can still be a carrier of something, but not showing symptoms.

Quarantine is no guarantee. It's just the least we can do to try to bring only healthy birds into the flock. Nothing is perfect or foolproof, but just because of that, I would not ignore proper quarantine procedures that may save you heartache down the line.

 

[miss_jayne]

at bird shows there are pullorum test requirements. at swaps, not necessarily a requirement at all.

and just like coggins, just because you tested negative that one day, doesn't mean you're clean for everything else the rest of the year.

BUYER B E W A R E.

 

[ozark hen]

Glad this was bumped up as it is important to keep in front of everyone. I was at a flea market this past weekend and they had two cages full of chooks..mixed breed and nothing looked amiss........but.........I found I was afraid to even go close to the cages for fear of bringing something home to my flock. I probably overreacted but my motto now is "better safe than sorry."

 

[Cherokeerainbow]

Thank you for taking the time to post all of this info.
I now have alot more to research and think about.
I was considering purchasing chicks on-line from a hatchery...now I'm a bit worried. Perhaps I should wait and order from my local Agway (Paris Farmers Union)? Or at one of the shows here in Maine (Farmington or Oxford, there will be folks at the shows to test birds if you want ect)
Are the Hatcheries on-line not reputable? Any way to find out? Are they regulated? Ugh...sorry, see...worried now and too many questions.