I CALLED ABOUT A CHICKEN SWAP FOR TRACTOR SUPPLY IN AUGUSTA MAINE

[Danigirl3]

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Yes,
sorry I should have stated that.

 

[hoppy]

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yes, the skowhegan auction is on monday's.
rabbits and chickens sell at 11:00-2-3oish(basicly when they sell out) then it's calves, goats, sheep,pigs, horses. household stuff including cages and feeders and equipment are outside and start before the animals but the animals start at 11:00 even if outside is not done. in the fall they sell produce in bulk too.

 

[joanie_maine]

I'm sending a whole bunch of birds to the Skowhegan Auction (Clark's Livestock Auction) today.

It's a quick way to sell birds. If you sign up with them and have an "account", you can just drop the boxes off ( they mark them as yours) and they send you your check in the mail.

Boxes have to have three air holes on each side.

It's not as time consuming as a swap, but the money is less

 

[chickn]

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it doesnt sound like it is as much fun as the swaps either. but good info to have, thanks

 

[spook]

Ok, here is the story from Bill Morrisson the USDA Poultry tech. I spoke with him this morning at 8:30 am.

If we sell from our own back yards, we can sell one chick at a time. If we sell from TSC it is considered a "business" (forgot the exact word) you must sell 6 CHICKS at a time. You can sell 1 adult hen at a time, but young birds, 6 at a time.

I do not know about pullets, but unfeathered you have to sell by the law or you will be inspected, and, that means on your property you can sell anything you want.

You will want to contact your own state, USDA @ (your state) gov.com

Wait and I'll write Dr.Don Hoenig the Maine state Vet and see what he says.

I'll post asap

 

[gypsy2621]

wait that cant be right.
just because you are selling at a buisness , it isnt The buisness for the store as in it isnt the store selling there for it doesnt fall under the same catagory( unles they found a twisted way of enforcing the issue0.

 

[spook]

Alrighty, here is the next tidbit I just recieved...Hey, I called Dr. Hoenig the Maine State Vet, if anyone knows, he will.

The reason that the state of Maine has a 5 chick limit is that for holidays and especially Easter, those (excuse me) idiots that buy 1 chick and then do not know what to do with it the day after, it gets rehomed, if lucky, with other chicks and birds that will kill it. Birds have a flock mentality and you understand.

So, we here at the chickenstock fun folks are left with rules made for everyone else.
I used our last chickenstock for questions and answers. EVERYONE is buzzing about it and the paper article. So, its not going to be closed down, the no sales in July and August were exceptional "rules" as its to hot to be placed under a hot bulb, or in the closed box while they take the kids swimming to cool down ...needn't go further with that scenario.

We are in a gray area, auctions, or commercial places cannot sell less then 5 birds at any one time. We do fall into that, yet we are also doing a "public service" sharing , talking and showing our "livestock" to the community. We do need education, I covered with my book on some illness', where to test, photos and the Biosecurity papers, cards with how to treat your chicks, what they need, everyone sold their own critters. (I think I repeated stuff- oh well)
The woman that would handle finding out about all this stuff was bucked off a mule and broke her pelvis and was in surgery. OMG...ouch isn't even enough to explain my knowledge of this tragic event.
But, Dr. Hoenig is going to check into the areas regarding the gray area, he did not see anything wrong with the function we had. He went to an event this past Saturday with livestock and did not have 1/2 as many as we had. We figured on a good 300 for an approx number.
We will not be shut down, it is a public service especially with the kids and special needs children were talked to, shown and explained things. The rest of the pig man was not discussed! LOL

It will be a few weeks before I will hear back from Dr. Hoenig, like I said, he is a super guy, he works to see these events do as they are supposed to. And we all know, bird health is a big deal- any animals health is important.
ASAP I'll post the results.
Kel

 

[gypsy2621]

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this would make a great argument for the state EXCEPT:
90 % of the time chicks are rehomed to someone with a working knowledge of flock intergration. they in fact know better than to put a 4 week old chick in with 1 year olds or older birds,( at least I would hope they did).
UGH stupid laws were written for stupid people. the rest of us just have to try and comply and pitch a fit about it.

 

[spook]

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Yes it does fall into that catagory, if you sell chicks from your doorstep, you can sell 1/2 of one if you want. That is your business, but due to other situations, the states have had to put their feet down to prevent cruelty of 1 bird sold and tossed out to die. Atleast when you sell 5 chicks, the finances are there and they can survive better. I don't know, but I was told by 2 different authorities that poultry club swaps are one thing, and Dr. Hoenig was unsure of they CAN do it, other then being that the money goes into the club, no personal money made...

Like I said, this is Maine I'm talking about, so however the legalities are, I am finding out. The laws are one thing, how can "we" progress and enjoy these events he really wants to work with us and see if we can slip in as private sales.
Again, the law for selling 5 chicks at a time is because of uneducated people buying on a whim cause little Joey or Janey wants one.

The other thing is, we can always tag onto a poultry show/club event. Usually we have the club events at a fairground, but this could be an insurance deal too. Someone everywhere has made it bad for someone else that is honest.

Oh, and guys, I am not the one to argue with, I called, I'm trying to do good and this may be giving me a full time "job" in the events that I don't sell or desire to, I'm there to enjoy everyone elses work. And I like how you think Gypsy BUT look at your own state, I believe there are rules on your sales too. For NH I believe it is 12 chicks. I believe in following laws, er most of them.

 

[spook]

this would make a great argument for the state EXCEPT:
90 % of the time chicks are rehomed to someone with a working knowledge of flock intergration. they in fact know better than to put a 4 week old chick in with 1 year olds or older birds,( at least I would hope they did).
UGH stupid laws were written for stupid people. the rest of us just have to try and comply and pitch a fit about it.

Gypsy, I would have to disagree with you on that. I have seen some common sense deficit people. Most people do not know that birds need water available 24/7. They don't know that you cannot leave them in a closed in area in summer. Most folks don't realize a goldfish cant sit in a green bowl in a window and live.

Once you get in an area that people are in poverty, we all have seen some, that allow their animals to be on muddy corrals, feces packed on their feet, burdocks caked on their fur. Mange, ring worm, mastitis in an udder, untrimmed toenails, poultry with feet deformed from wire cages. I know of a clydesdale horse that you can see its hip bones and ribs, the feet appear to be sloped forward and chipping, another horse of different breed is in the same corral, and people have thought about stealing these horses, but you know the ones that will be arrested.

For those of us that don't know everything, first ones to admit it, there are so many people that feel the KFC and Turner (egg farm) was funny. Such inhumane treatment, saying "its only a chicken", UGH.
So, lets see if we can work with the higher ups, keep peace and make Chickenstock a positive event in the State of Maine, its making good grades so far.

oh and 90% of the time they are rehomed...what about that other 10% ? I would rather see no chicks sold then deal with knowing they died a horrible death. But that is me. I love my birds.​