MG Certified hatcheries/breeders?

[rebel-rousing-at-night]

No problemo @rebel-rousing-at-night !!! Thats what we do here on BYC right? Exchange info for the betterment of the hobby! Hope some more places pop up over time as people begin to realize the gravity of the MG disease. Just bc some large hatcheries don't give us many options doesn't mean we have to settle for that!!!

You know MacCana...the part I so enjoy here is members helping each other. It's a great place BYC!

 

[Sonja73]

Ok, so I've returned from my chicken depression & here's my random information & opinion

....hope it's of use & not too late. I realize this is an old thread.

I know of someone in Clermont,Georgia that is certified MG-free. & I just placed an order from Whitmore Farm today actually. Now that it's time to start over, it's proving harder to find MG free places that I initially thought. Whitmore and this woman Sara, are the only ones I've found so far. Her shipping is $50 and she has an 8 chick minimum. Her place is called Mossy Creek Poultry (She's also on FB). I will paste what she told me she carries and how she ships, etc. so you don't have to play 50 questions like I did

I'll also post links to one of her CL ads at the bottom (fix link by removing the spaces) so you can double check the info and see the pictures. I'll be ordering from her once I have enough money to order her Bue Isbars

If any of you come up with any more places, I'm also interested to know. I won't be having any more chickens again without ordering from an MG free farm/hatchery, or have birds tested before they come to my property.

This is serious busniess yo!

What she told me today: Thank you for your consideration. Yes, I have a minimum requirement of 8 chicks per order. You can mix and match any breeds you would like, and I will includes extra chicks for extra warmth as well. Shipping is USPS Express, and is $50- which includes a Horizon MicroEnvironments box, grogel, and a heat pack, if necessary. All egg/chick shipments are sent with proper NPIP paperwork. I will contact you on the ship date with the tracking number, and your chicks should arrive the day after I ship them. I require a $20 non refundable deposit to hold your order, which also goes toward your final total. I begin shipping in March, as weather allows. You're no bother at all! I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have. Yes, I have mottled ameraucanas, silver laced wyandottes, and isbars (limited availability). I also have a couple barnyard mixes- a leghorn x isbar, and marans x isbar, both of which should lay a green-olive colored egg. Prices for the chicks: silver laced wyandotte and mottled ameraucanas- $7/each , isbars $20/each, and barnyard mix $5/each. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Nice girl huh?

Facebook: https: //www. facebook. com/mossy creek poultry
CL: atlanta .craigslist .org /nat /grd /4867490618 .html

NICE!!!! I had not heard of her, I have her on my list now. I am also MG certified, now the only one in Oregon, but I am pushing others to join me! Anyone else have any leads????

 

[MacCana]

@Sonja73 ,
do you sell chicks/hatching eggs yet? I plan on joining NPIP and testing mine for everything, including MG. I'm located in southern TN about a 30-45 min from the Alabama line. But it'll be at least another year before I'll be able to do anything. I'm still waiting on chicks to arrive

. Big plans already lol. But no new leads, I'm still searching.

Hopefully some others will chime in. Surely what we know of aren't the *only* ones. They probably just don't advertise on a large scale.

 

[Sonja73]

@Sonja73 ,
do you sell chicks/hatching eggs yet? I plan on joining NPIP and testing mine for everything, including MG. I'm located in southern TN about a 30-45 min from the Alabama line. But it'll be at least another year before I'll be able to do anything. I'm still waiting on chicks to arrive

. Big plans already lol. But no new leads, I'm still searching.

Hopefully some others will chime in. Surely what we know of aren't the *only* ones. They probably just don't advertise on a large scale.

I have been selling for a few years. My waiting list is 6 months out (before I cut it off), I do not advertise. I could easily have a year waiting list or more. I would be happy to share other MG certified farm's pages or web addresses with inquiries. With that said; I do not have more than 30 breeding birds, I like to keep things on a smaller scale, it is easier to be sure each one of them is spoiled. lol.
It would be the best thing ever to have more breeders certified.
TN does not offer MG certification the last I knew of. That is one of the frustrating things about the certification, some states offer it, some don't.

 

[MacCana]

What all do you sell? (You can pm me if you'd prefer)

And I didn't realize TN didn't

, but I do know there are vets that can & will test for it (though they are far & few between) and I guess I could give customers proof with some kind of documentation from the vet that they are clean. I'm testing for my own peace of mind to be honest. A plus would be getting to advertise them as MG free. Though I will be keeping it small scale also. I currently have plans to get 25 chicks (Whitmore), a trio of adults (from a trusty source that'll be my white egg layers & personal project), 12 EE hatching eggs, and I have a male silkie and 3 frizzled pullets. SO I guess all in all, if everything goes perfect (never does) I'll have 43

!!!

Extra roosters will be going to the freezer though. So I'm sure I won't have 43 when it's all said and done. I've never ended up with all pullets, whether it be shipped, or hatched lol.

 

[Sonja73]

I have Orpingtons (different varieties) and just started a sizzle pen this year. They are soooo cute!

You cannot advertise as being MG free unless you are certified. I suggest you advertise as testing for disease. Then have pictures of the lab reports within the advertisement to be able to show it.

As more and more people become privy to diseases, they are getting a lot wiser. People are not so easily "duped" by shady breeders.

I see it a lot in the Orpington breeder circles; "We test for all diseases." Then they cannot come up with any lab reports when asked. Or it is for one bird. Yeah.

I have to have all my breeder birds tested MG/MS every 90 days as well as any birds on my property age 16 weeks or older. Then I test for P/T, AI and Salmonella annually.

 

[MacCana]

Oh I'd love me some orps

What are your types and prices? Do you ship? They've been such sweet birds in my experience.

Thanks for the info. I've never done this before (the NPIP part) and it will be a while before I try to, so I'm just starting to dip my toes into the research. Yes, I will do that then if they won't test me for it through the state. It wouldn't surprise me if they didn't though. Last year, when I thought something was starting to go on in my flock, they wouldn't come out to test bc they were possibly sick. So I had to cull 2 and have them sent to a diagnostics lab to find out what it was.

I don't see why someone would only test one bird either. I'd assume you'd want to pull a couple of birds from every group. Otherwise, I wouldn't have a good feel on what's going on or not going on in my birds ya know? I wouldn't buy from someone who did that. You have an awesome testing schedule. I think I would like to do something similar.

At the end of the day it just takes people figuring out that all chicken sources are not created equal. Just like with puppies and other pets, there are different types of breeders. Some of them I'd equate to a chicken version of puppy mills. Where pairs and trios are kept in small breeder pens to pump out eggs which they hatch and sell. Often hens are picked bare and overbred. I know a few people with set ups like that personally in my area. I live in the boonies so I guess it's just ignorance, but I would pretty much call it neglect. With more and more people getting into the hobby though, awareness is rising I think.

 

[Sonja73]

Unfortunately, most people think people are a little nutty when having a conversation like ours. It is when they are effected or someone close to them, that they start to pay attention.

I dodged the bullet here. Literally came this close >< to having to cull $1000's worth of birds (they are my pets as well, I know I am not supposed to become attached, but I do. If this makes me a lousy poultry breeder, then so be it.) because of one breeder. Who fully admits to having MG, "forgets" to tell people, claims to breed for resistance and if all that doesn't work, tries to educate people that MG is EVERYWHERE and EVERYONE has it.

Anyway, I feel the same way you do about husbandry. My birds have grass under their feet and sky above their heads. I know not everyone can do the same, but they need space. There is no excuse for overcrowding. None.

 

[MacCana]

Yeah, that's how I was possibly exposed. It was one of two ways, one of which being from the equipment I borrowed from a local game bird breeder (& fighter, but he's a nice man so "ye judge not" is what I stick to. I'd never do it, but I'm not going to change the mind of a man who's been doing it for 50 years either). He never told me he had it until I came over to visit after having to cull my flock. He just looked at me blankly & was like, "Aw hell, all mine have that. Ain't nothin' to cull over, it's everywhere anyway."

......

I'm glad you were able to nip it in the bud. I didn't have nearly that much money invested, but if time were money then it'd been thousands...I didn't have any formal "pens" set up other than a couple of chicken tractors, but my main flock free ranged and was able to walk right up to these pens. So before you knew it 1/2 of them were showing symptoms. A couple never acted any different than normal, but knowing it sometimes doesn't surface in chickens with strong immune systems, I culled everything anyway. I think the argument that it's everywhere anyway is a load of croc and an excuse for people to be lax with care or standards. It's a lie perpetuated to us by large hatcheries so that we will continue to give them our money - only spreading the disease at the same time.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

The two Tractor Supplys closest to my town in my area have ordered from TownLine Poultry Farm in Zeeland, MI this year. THESE CHICKS ARE OUT OF MG POSITIVE BREEDING STOCK!!! I only know this because when I went to the TSC after classes today, I saw that they had started chick days and immediately ran back there to hopefully get some. Well, having learned my lesson, and noticing their waterers all looked like the had antibiotic in them (color was off) I questioned where they came from and why the water wasn't clear. An employee informed me that they had started them on tetracylcine. I asked what was wrong with them, and he said nothing that he knew of. That just doesn't stack up. So i asked for the hatchery's number and spoke to a very nice lady. I asked her if they test for MG/MS and she said they did. But couldn't remember for sure so she put me on hold to go ask one of the men who worked with the chickens. She came back and told me that he said that their breeding stock *does* test positive for MG and that the man said that all hatcheries have MG and I wasn't going to find any who didn't, or if there were, he hadn't heard of any. I said thank you, hung up, and made a beeline for the door.

Now, how mindblowingly carzy is that? Did TSC not ask these questions? it's one thing to not test for it and not know for sure even, but to know you're selling your customers birds that can shortlly die if not kept on antibiotics is insane to me. I've been telling who I could so maybe you should tell your friends to check with their TSC also if they buy from them.

 

[Sonja73]

WHAT?!? I don't even know what to say to that....