I should be charged with failure to protect...

[Camelot Farms]

Ok. No flaming right? I already feel like a ^&*^%!!!

Here is my sin. It started out as a really good thing. I wanted to get NPIP certified so I called my state vet and got the name of someone 'trained' in Pullorum testing and he came out last night with another guy who went to the training with him.

He gets set up with his little board and all the stuff he needs to get started.

Bring out my OEGB. 15 minutes later, we still dont have a drop of blood and my bird looks like swiss cheese. Its not pretty. So, we try another OEGB, no luck. I suggest going for a bigger bird since I now know that this is his 1st time testing and the training was over a year ago.

Send DS for a D'uccle roo. I locate a good vein and we finally get one done. So, we move on through the D'Uccles and some of my mixed bantams.

Then we try the silkies. Mmm. Hmm. Black skin looking for a dark blue vein. By now, I am finding the veins and just letting him poke.

At some point, DS gets me aside and says 'why is he using the same needle on all of the birds'. OMG Sweet Jesus. He IS using the same pin. Too darn late now. We have only 2 birds left to do.

Then other DS says, You'd think they would be wearing gloves. OMG Sweet Jesus. Where is my head? I never even noticed.

It gets better....After they leave and I am cleaning up, DS says I wonder why they didnt bring an eye dropper. I shake my head to clear the fog and ask why? what for?

I should mention that I dont like blood so when they would stick, I would close my eyes. So I missed the fact that when the guy finally got blood, the other guy would DAB HIS FINGER IN IT and then RUB IT IN THE TESTING SOLUTION. OMG...

DS thought they should have brought eye dropppers to gather the drop of blood and release it in the syrum.

Then I go through my copies of the paperwork and find that the forms are not filled out correctly. As a matter of fact, he doesnt even note that they are all 'clean' on the form.

DH asked me when they got here if I was comfortable with having them here. I should have known at that moment that something wasnt right. DH never gets involved in chicken business unless forced but he knew we were in a bad place.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Oh and on a final note, several of the birds pollurum bands are off this morning because they put standard size bands on my bantams.

And to rub salt in a wound....I paid for this to be done.

Just arrest me and put me in chicken jail for not being a good chicken-mama.

 

[thecochincoop]

I would definately call the state and complain. I have my birds NPIP tested and the lady is very sanitary and biosecure. This was very unprofessional. Dont feel bad if is not your fault. They should have known what they were doing.

 

[jafo]

I don't knoiw much about chickens, or the testing of, but I do know incompetance when I see it, and I seriously doubt I would have allowed these two nincompoops to continue after the second dose of not finding blood. Musta been torture to the birds as well as you to hafta put them through it. I'd file a formal complaint.

 

[jenjscott]

Well, its not all as crazy as it seem, but some of it is. Yes, they use the same needle on all of the chickens. Usually wiped of with alcohol in between. There is usually a small loop that they collect the blood with to smear with the testing agent. In Arkansas, you have to train a second time a year after the first time to stay licensed......I don't know about other states. You also don't get certified just by having any tester come out and do your chickens. Someone from the managing department (here its the livestock and poultry commission) has to come out and inspect your location and if you have incubators, they swab your incubator. So as I am a cerified tester, even if I test every one of my chickens, that doesn't make me NPIP certified. I can show my chickens etc. The certificate is good for ninety days. When you are certified, you only have to be tested once a year, and after the first year, the percentage of your flock tested decreases. I know NPIP is a state/federal thing, so I don't know how much it varies from state to state.

 

[Camelot Farms]

jenjscott, thanks for the additional info.

Sadly, they did not wipe anything with alcohol swabs.

The Pollurum testing is step one in our NPIP cert process. Once they get the paperwork at the state office, they send out the inspector and then we move onto AI testing etc.

 

[Ladyhawke1]

Excuse me; the minute that man used his finger to place the blood on a slide, the testing was NOT valid. If you have paid money for these services and if they are supposed to be state, sponsored agents….you have been taken for a ride. These people need to be reported.

They need to be reported not just to justify the actions at your facility but also to protect others from this hazard. They are potentially big fat disease spreaders.

I have reread your post. A “vet” got the name of someone “trained”. However, was this person certified and did you see credentials saying that? The whole thing stinks. Sorry but this is sloppy work and you have been duped.

This needs to be redressed.

 

[Camelot Farms]

Quote:
I called the State Vet at our Dept of Ag and he gave me the names of folks in our area who were certified. Thats how I ended up here.

 

[RedStarDaddy]

I do believe I would give the state vet a call Monday morning, if not this morning.

RSD

 

[Southern Chickens]

When the man came and did my flock, he did use three different pokers/needles on about 20 birds. He called them "bleed sticks", they looked like a long sewing needle with a large eye at the end. He would "bleed" the bird and collect a drop of blood in the eye of the bleed stick. Then he would place it on some drops he had on his board. If it turned grey it was bad and then he stuck a long swab (q-tip) in the top of their mouths. The chickens and I didn't like that part. He worked for the Florida Dept of Agriculture, not a vet.

 

[Camelot Farms]

Quote:
Our guy was trained by our States Dept of Agriculture. He wasnt a vet and doesnt work for a vet. I guess the state sponsored a training some time ago for folks interested in being testers and these fellas went to the training and got certified.

In fairness, we were their 1st clients since the training a year ago. And apparently the training didnt include any info on small birds such as Bantams. Some of my bantams arent much bigger than a Serama and the veins are threadlike. I started prepping the birds for him by finding veins and getting them puffed up a little for him and it was hard especially on the dark skinned silkies.

I am more freaked by the lack of cleanliness....finger dipping...no sterilization...bands off this morning...incorrect paperwork.