Is it True that you cannot give away less than 6 ducklings at a time?

[Chickie Mamma]

I am trying to find the law regarding this, but I have always given away no less than 2 babies at a time. Someone

has mentioned that it is against the law to sell/give away less than 6. I was able to buy less than 6 from a reputable nursery online. Is this true? I put up a Craigslist ad (which I have always found great homes for the babies from there) for at least taking 2, and someone is busting my horns about not allowing me to give away less than 6 at a time. I don't want to get in trouble, so I changed the ad. I feel bad for the person that wants to add a nice pair to their flock etc. Thanks for any input

 

[theFox]

Check the statues of the state you are in. That determines the minimum number of baby animals (note the word baby) you can sell at one time.

ETA: For Connecticut this link should provide the answers: http://search.cga.state.ct.us/dtsearch_pub_statutes.html

 

[Chickie Mamma]

I am trying to find it. Thanks

 

[theFox]

Check the addition to my last post.

 

[Chickie Mamma]

THANK YOU so much! The only thing that keeps coming up is that it is illegal to sell dyed chicks and ducks.. I'll check out the link

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

it depends on the state you live in. NH you cannot order less than 12 chicks from a hatchery/feed store. if you are a private breeder there is no limit or minimum you have to sell from your own property. when there are chicken swaps in our area at any feed stores the Dept of Agr came down and sort of mandated that we need to be NPIP tested flocks and have to stick to the minimums on chicks, ducklings and other poultry when selling at those places.

i'm not a breeding facility but i am NPIP tested for my parent birds. i don't use an incubator-i use broody hens instead. so i will never be able to have 12 chicks under 4 weeks of age available at one time to sell. so i have to wait till they are over 4 weeks old and tell if they are cockerels or pullets before i go to another swap in our area. i will sell to those willing to pick up directly from me but i still prefer that whoever is buying either have chicks close in age to the ones they are buying from me or get at least 2 chicks so they don't get lonely!

 

[Chickie Mamma]

Chickie'sMoma :

it depends on the state you live in. NH you cannot order less than 12 chicks from a hatchery/feed store. if you are a private breeder there is no limit or minimum you have to sell from your own property. when there are chicken swaps in our area at any feed stores the Dept of Agr came down and sort of mandated that we need to be NPIP tested flocks and have to stick to the minimums on chicks, ducklings and other poultry when selling at those places.

i'm not a breeding facility but i am NPIP tested for my parent birds. i don't use an incubator-i use broody hens instead. so i will never be able to have 12 chicks under 4 weeks of age available at one time to sell. so i have to wait till they are over 4 weeks old and tell if they are cockerels or pullets before i go to another swap in our area. i will sell to those willing to pick up directly from me but i still prefer that whoever is buying either have chicks close in age to the ones they are buying from me or get at least 2 chicks so they don't get lonely!

Thanks for that info. I think I found out what the problem was, I posted under a NY Craigslist, not CT. From what I found in CT law, it is illegal to dye the birds. There was nothing about quantities etc. I think in NY, the "6" rule is implied. I always give away at least 2, they need one another. Thanks again.​

 

[theFox]

In a large number of states you have to sell a minimum number of 6 but that isn't true in all states as Chickie'sMoma has told us is the case in NH, I haven't gone through the laws for CT so I can't speak to them. Sometimes the numbers are not codified in the statutes but in the rules issued by that states Department of Agriculture under the statutes.

There are several valid reasons for those laws/rules, from stopping impulse buying (however given the cases of chickoholism I've seen here on BYC, I'm not certain they have succeeded) to protecting the birds while in shipment.

Hope you find what you need to.

 

[chicnfarmer]

wow, this is good info - good question!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I think it is actually a small number of states that have rules about minimum numbers of chicks; seem to mostly be concentrated in the north and east parts of the country. As for dyed birds, that seems to be a smattering of everywhere.

ETA: OP, edit your Craigs List ad to say that you are located in Connecticut which does not require a 6 duckling minimum; however, YOU require them to go in twos. You can call your state Ag department or perhaps your county extension to verify.