I need answers ASAP. Tyson has a huge chicken barn across the street from me, they told me to get r

[Chicks on DL]

Any update on what is causing your illness? I too have watched the documentaries on Tyson farms and will NEVER knowingly eat Tyson chicken. They put profits over people's health. Nature has responded by producing stronger organisms that are making us sick. I read an article the other day that due to all the antibiotics fed to these chickens that more women are suffering from urinary infections due to e-coli bacteria they ingest from eating chicken. It's a newer stronger strain that is harder to get rid of. I have battled these types of infections most of my life and I have always eaten lots of chicken. Now I have to eat chicken that is organically raised or with no antibiotics, etc. I am mad as hell that our government seems to have such latent disregard for public health!

Don't get me started on GMO and MSG!

Both of which also make me sick (actually physically ill).

I pray that you are good health and hope to hear from you.

 

[Dbboss]

I work for a poultry company. I even have worked for Tyson at onethe point. The companies do discourage growers from setting up in a location close to other poultry for biosecurity reasons, but they also realize their growers can't control what their neighbors do. I can definitely tell you that they are not going to drop a grower solely because their neighbor decided to get a few chickens. However, if they are poor growers, the company may use that as excuse to not renew their contract since they do have certain rules about it in their biosecurity programs (loophole). It's all about the $$$$. If they are productive and efficient growers, helping the company make lots of money, do you actually believe they will be dropped because you decided to get a few birds? Heck no! Will the service man bring it up to them every now and then? Probably. So what? Tell them you're sorry, but its your land & you will continue to have chickens on it. If they get dropped by Tyson, don't feel bad. I promise you it was because they were not making money for the company, not because of your birds. (Think they'll get rid of their birds if you complain about the smell? No! Lol.)

 

[City farm]

You do not want to know what most people that are educated
have to say about those types of corp...
I thought they had their chickens inside.. No where near out doors.
So what would it matter. Call your local code inforcment.
Sad and it will work out.. Don't give up..

 

[Ashdoes]

Subscribed.
Good for the OP standing up for herself, and her property.

 

[oldrooster]

I haven't read all the posts yet but have 2 questions. 1) are you buying your home on contract from the previous owners? if you are get a loan from somewhere else ASAP otherwise they may try every shady way to make you loose the property. 2) have a lawyer review your deed and all other paper work from your sale to make sure the previous owner did not put a covenant restriction on the property prohibiting poultry from being raised there. If you had an attorney represent you in buying this property (meaning you paid an attorney out of your own pocket) he/she may have not looked into that or ignored it because you had horses not birds. I have a friend who is a secretary at a real estate office and she told me most businesses if they own a property and move to a larger (or different) location in the same area they put a covenant restriction for 10-20 years that you can't put in a similar business to protect them from competition. So you need to check those 2 things and also check the local zoning they may have enough legal pull to a zoning law to prohibit that for a certain area (the lawyer should be able to check for that too) a county may want the property tax and jobs bad enough to make zoning laws to help them.

 

[Xrxbug]

It is a bio-security issue that Tyson is being overly cautious about. My husband used to manage a poultry research farm for a university that worked closely with Tyson on research issues. They were all about bio-security.

What they aren't telling you is that it is a proven fact that English Sparrows and Starlings are HUGE threats to broiler operations. They can carry disease and spread it where ever they go (which is pretty much everywhere) so as far as airborne contamination is concerned your little healthy flock is really not a great threat.

So long as you do not go to your neighbor's property with shoes/clothing that you have worn around your chickens, and vice-versa there should be no issues of cross contamination. Airborne disease can be carried via wild birds and airborne particles but there is no way they can prevent backyard flocks from being within airborne range unless they own all the land for miles around.

It could be that the Tyson growing neighbors are being paranoid. If their contract says no backyard birds (which I am sure it does) they may still be thinking of your property as their backyard.

I would just let it go until and unless I was served with legal paperwork. If the neighbors are worried about losing their contract then they should have thought about that before they sold the 40 acres and put a stipulation in the deed that there would be no poultry raised there.

 

[Chickielady]

It is a bio-security issue that Tyson is being overly cautious about. My husband used to manage a poultry research farm for a university that worked closely with Tyson on research issues. They were all about bio-security.

What they aren't telling you is that it is a proven fact that English Sparrows and Starlings are HUGE threats to broiler operations. They can carry disease and spread it where ever they go (which is pretty much everywhere) so as far as airborne contamination is concerned your little healthy flock is really not a great threat.

So long as you do not go to your neighbor's property with shoes/clothing that you have worn around your chickens, and vice-versa there should be no issues of cross contamination. Airborne disease can be carried via wild birds and airborne particles but there is no way they can prevent backyard flocks from being within airborne range unless they own all the land for miles around.

It could be that the Tyson growing neighbors are being paranoid. If their contract says no backyard birds (which I am sure it does) they may still be thinking of your property as their backyard.

I would just let it go until and unless I was served with legal paperwork. If the neighbors are worried about losing their contract then they should have thought about that before they sold the 40 acres and put a stipulation in the deed that there would be no poultry raised there.

X 2 !!! Excellent post ! Your property is NOT THEIRS and as long as your birds are on your side of the fence/road, it is NOT any of their bizness !

 

[Chicks on DL]

Lainey, How are you doing? Please update us on how you are feeling and your tests. Worried we haven't heard from you.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Please someone have a answer for me
I have 30 chickens I have raised from 1 day old, today the people I bought the house from told me I had to get rid of the chickens because Tyson will not allow them to have their business (raising Tyson chickens) so close to me and my backyard chickens. The old owners felt downright bad asking me to do this, it's the way they make their living. I understand that, really I do. I have 40 acres I could move them a 1/2 mile away from these other chickens, but I will not be able to enjoy them like I do now, they would not have water readily available to them, I would have to truck it to them, not to mention when it gets cold, I will not be able to give them any heat.
My question is this, does anyone know if Tyson can close these people down because I have my baby's so close to these barns? I am just sick!!!!!!

Hope it's the histioplasmosis, which is curable. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis could mean giving up birds.

Just found this thread. Very interesting. Skimmed through it and your updates. Just a few questions.

1) What state are you in. In Arkansas Tyson is big. Very big. But not in charge. Tyson can not dictate what we do on our own property, no matter how close the property line is to a Tyson barn. That should have been something your seller thought of. They should have kept a "buffer zone" of land.

2) Join the NPIP - National Poultry improvement Plan. One flock test a year. Most states only tests for Pullorum-Typhoid. Its easy and simple. Will also allow you to sell and ship hatching eggs. Learn about NPIP at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publicati...ent/printable_version/npip_brochure_12-05.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/poultry/

3) After getting NPIP certified, have your local print/sign shop make you a road sign with the NPIP logo and your certification number on the sign. Like this one.

ETA: This sign at your road will prevent your neighbor from coming to your property. Tyson also has a rule, their growers can not go onto some else's property where there is poultry. Next time they come over, call and report them to Tyson.

4) Wear a surgical quality face mask when ever you go outside.

5) Buy a HEPA filter system for your home.

6) Consult an attorney about the harassment from your neighbor.

Your neighbor should install a safety fence, to Tyson's standards, about 20" or so from the actual property line, their side. This fence should keep all of your poultry from entering their property. After all, it is your neighbor that has an issue, not you. Please keep us updated on how you are doing and the issue with your neighbors. Don't forget that some breeds of ducks will lay as many eggs as chickens. Guineas will eat lots of bad bugs. So add some ducks, geese, turkeys and guineas to your flock. you have 40 acres! Fill it up!

 

[Chambertin]

Many have said and it is true:
The problem is theirs not yours.
They decided to sell the property and took the chance that you would have poultry. Only their contract says that they need to be far away from other flocks.
If you really feel for them then work it out somehow. You might even be able to have the inspector for Tyson come over and test your flock.

But... I think that as others have said Tyson will just use it as an excuse to cut an unproductive operation.
The contract growers program is really just a method for large companies to offload the risk and annoyance of owning the equipment in a fluctuating market.
Whatever they may say about a mutually benificial arrangement it doesnt look to be so at all.
Still a good grower will prosper, anyone else who doesnt have the knowledge or immidiate resources to cut loan costs will strugle.

The other woman sounds like a real piece of work, but thats the product of these grower assignments.
Big company offloads all the risk and debt to someone who thinks that a "regular market price" and "no feed costs" are good ideas. However the real headache is keeping the contract so you can pay off the loan for the chicken house and other upgrades.

Maybe the other party was evil to begin with, maybe the pressure of keeping the loans paid spurred the quick land sale.
Regardless its not your problem, I hope you are over your sickness and that things have calmed down.
Evil is evil, no matter where it started stand your ground and dont let it change you.

Good luck