How to stop contamination from other chicken owners...

[lazy gardener]

I like that, and I may move forward to that plan in the future. In the past, I have banded the birds I want to sell, and allow the customer to "pick from the specific color bands". But, that does increase the stress on the birds as I must then catch them. The big issue I see about crating the birds prior to customer showing up is that the customer may be late, then the bird is left "crated" far longer than I am willing to allow them to be. Not a good thing in summer heat.

 

[aart]

The big issue I see about crating the birds prior to customer showing up is that the customer may be late, then the bird is left "crated" far longer than I am willing to allow them to be. Not a good thing in summer heat.

Yep, I crate at night and try to have them come early,
keep crates in the garage(under house so is cooler) until they show up.

 

[Minky]

Yes, when I bought mine, all 8 were crated and waiting by the front gate. Gate never even opened, we just chatted and exchanged goods and then I was on my way. I had no idea what they were going to look like til I got home.... I understood, and it wasnt a big deal to me... I would do the same if it was my livelyhood.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

.... I had a customer who wanted to come in my run to "help catch" the birds she was taking home. I had to be firm and tell her that she could watch, but she needed to stay outside my run. This is for the safety of my flock as well as the safety of the visitor. I don't want to wonder or worry about how my roo is going to react to a stranger in my run when the girls are being "caught". Nor, do I want to wonder how a stranger is going to interact with my birds.... !!

Never mind how the "stranger" is going to "interact" with your birds, the question in my mind is how the Sam Hill will my birds "REACT" to a stranger. Most leghorn or game chicken type birds will act like the Devil himself is trying to stick them with his pitch fork.

I can't think of a better way to turn a gentle rooster into a man (or woman) fighting hellion than to scare the be-jesus out of your flock.

 

[lazy gardener]

Absolutely, therefore, hubby and I are the only ones who enter my run.

 

[theoldchick]

https://www.poultryimprovement.org/documents/StandardE-BiosecurityPrinciples.pdf