Isn't It Too Early For Eggs?

[guineaguy]

okay peeps its harder than ya think to take pics of these little squirrels! Definately going to have to get a bucket like yours and try again. Lol

 

[TarheelBirdy]

Nice, hope you have a great hatch, and find out where your other sneaky Hens are laying.

Were the eggs from your neighbor NPIP certified? In CA I'm pretty sure all eggs, chicks/keets/poults etc and adult birds brought in have to be from certified flocks. I know each State has it's own set of poultry laws tho...

Yes and no......these eggs came from my neighbor, who bought their birds from me as keets last year....those keets came from birds who eventually all tested negative and became NPIP certified. I am selling all of these (they are spoken for as soon as they hatch) but if I were to keep them I would have to have them checked at my next NPIP appt to stay in compliance. What I was told by the State Representative who came out was that any and all new birds brought in after my appointment would have to be tested at the next appointment, if they were not already checked.

 

[guineaguy]

 

[bargain]

Found the nest!!! Into the bator they go!

woohhooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote:

Hmm, keets that left your property last year and grew up elsewhere could have been exposed to diseases from other birds between then and now tho. They were not tested, so you don't know the birds aren't infected with (or carriers of) any infectious diseases. I was under the impression that once a flock becomes NPIP certified the flock (and property the flock lives on) is then closed to anything coming in that is not NPIP certified... eggs, keets/chicks or adult birds. Are the diseases that your flocks got tested for not transferable to or thru the eggs?

I'm not trying to start an argument, but allowing eggs in from outside sources that are not NPIP certified seems like that would create a major risk of a certified flock becoming infected, and then if your flock does become infected it would not be brought to the State's attention until your next test date (be it 6 months later or 12 months later, whatever your State requires). So realistically (if the diseases are transferable to or thru the eggs) you could be selling infected birds and/or infected eggs and not know it. Kinda makes being NPIP certified a moot point, if there are no restrictions on what can be brought in, in between test dates... doesn't it?

​

 

[TarheelBirdy]

Hmm, keets that left your property last year and grew up elsewhere could have been exposed to diseases from other birds between then and now tho. They were not tested, so you don't know the birds aren't infected with (or carriers of) any infectious diseases. I was under the impression that once a flock becomes NPIP certified the flock (and property the flock lives on) is then closed to anything coming in that is not NPIP certified... eggs, keets/chicks or adult birds. Are the diseases that your flocks got tested for not transferable to or thru the eggs?

I'm not trying to start an argument, but allowing eggs in from outside sources that are not NPIP certified seems like that would create a major risk of a certified flock becoming infected, and then if your flock does become infected it would not be brought to the State's attention until your next test date (be it 6 months later or 12 months later, whatever your State requires). So realistically (if the diseases are transferable to or thru the eggs) you could be selling infected birds and/or infected eggs and not know it. Kinda makes being NPIP certified a moot point, if there are no restrictions on what can be brought in, in between test dates... doesn't it?

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Valid point, I don't argue that the NPIP program is fool-proof, or even effective. Nonetheless, I became a participant because I wanted to test my breeding stock for disease. Participating in "the program" was not the important component for me, but it comes with the process if all birds test clean, and mine did. Had any of them tested positive, I would have culled them. I was advised that if I bring in any new birds, they would need to be tested in order to be NPIP compliant. I don't often bring in new birds, and when I have, I have had a re-visit by the state for testing. In theory, every participant would bring in only NPIP certified birds/eggs, thereby making the system "work." Being that participation is voluntary, I'm sure there are lots of holes. I make substantial efforts to keep my flock healthy, period. Every bird that was tested on my property was clean, and so their offspring is considered clean, and therefore I feel confident that I am breeding healthy birds that are NPIP compliant, and I intend to continue to participate as required (continue with the regular testing of all birds). While I agree that the NPIP program is far from 100% foolproof, it is not "moot" by any means. I, and others who participate in the process, have solid, clinical evidence that at our breeding stock is not carrying serious, contagious and hereditary diseases which threaten entire flocks of birds, and have the potential to spread to epidemic proportions in worst-case scenarios. Under any circumstances, despite any variables, the risk of disease coming from a participating facility is significantly lower than from a non-tested (non-participating) facility.

So, if incidental infection does occur in between testing dates, it will be detected at the next testing, and any birds that test positive eliminated. The alternative is to do NO testing. For me, it is a matter of doing the right thing, since I am giving/selling to others: making reasonable and relevant efforts to raise a healthy, disease-free flock.

 

[jnjmanning]

How many days can you hold guinea eggs before setting them?

 

[TarheelBirdy]

How many days can you hold guinea eggs before setting them?

There are different opinions on this. Many people say any fertile egg can be held up to half of the incubation time (ie. guinea eggs incubate for 28 days = hold for up to 14 days). I usually have really good hatch rates with guinea eggs, even with eggs that come of of nests outside in the scorching heat, having no idea how old they are, so it's just a guess, really.

 

[jnjmanning]

There are different opinions on this. Many people say any fertile egg can be held up to half of the incubation time (ie. guinea eggs incubate for 28 days = hold for up to 14 days). I usually have really good hatch rates with guinea eggs, even with eggs that come of of nests outside in the scorching heat, having no idea how old they are, so it's just a guess, really.

Thanks! I am hatching these for a friend. My eggs, but she is going to take the chicks. I will gather till I get a good amount, or find the other nest! LOL

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote: So Pullorum disease can't be brought into your flock via hatching eggs that are not NPIP certified?

No I have not had any testing done on my flocks... I started looking into the NPIP process 2 yrs ago, received a packet of about 250 pages of info and forms/applications but decided against it until I reduce my flock sizes.

CA has very strict poultry health laws and regulations. And NPIP participation here is definitely not voluntary, once your flock is certified. In CA you either comply with the State's laws and regulations for disease control, or your certificate is revoked.