North Carolina

[buttercup0884]

Has anyone found a written source of information on NPIP for NC? I would like to get the NPIP testing, but not without having written guidelines first. When I emailed the contact person for the state, he said he would explain it on the phone, but not in writing. That's a huge red flag for me. So, repeat question...anyone know where there is written information on this program? I like things in writing, no "he-said-she-said" scenarios. Thanks for any information you can give me.

because i have been told many things by many people, i understand where you are coming from, here is what i have found regarding NPIP as a whole, then what I have found according to the state

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/content/printable_version/npip-helping_you.pdf

http://www.clemson.edu/public/lph/images/ncairequirement.pdf


I myself am NPIP, I follow as many guidelines as possible to keep my birds in a bio-safe environment.

I only buy chicks/eggs/birds from others who are NPIP.

I quarantine said birds/chicks for 30 days away from my current birds.

That being said, I also show my birds, which then exposes them to everyone else's birds (even though they are all tested at the shows) the show birds then go into quarantine when we go home.

its a good program to have, but they do only come out once a year, and from what i have seen and heard, some parts of the state have different guidelines than others

 

[TarheelBirdy]

I've got some questions about guineas I'm hoping all you experts can help me with!

Fleas and ticks this year are EPIC (in case you haven't noticed). Nothing we've tried works for long, and I suspect the problem is the acre or so of grass and the three acres or so of pasture around our house. I'm considering getting guineas, since I've been told they do a good job of keeping the pest population down. My questions are:

1. How many would be a good number? (We don't want tons, but we also don't want to get so few that they might as well not even be there.)
2. What kind of housing do we need? Do we need a coop like we have for our hens, or are guineas more happy as completely free range?
3. What do we need to feed them if they are free range?
4. Where would we find guineas? (We prefer the mostly grown variety, since we don't have a good place to keep chicks.)

Thanks everyone!

4-5 would be a good number, maybe even six in case you get a predator visit. My guineas completely free range, but they can be trained to come in at night. I give them chicken feed (or, I should say, they help themselves to chicken feed) and they LOVE scratch feed. There is a risk with buying grown (or mostly grown) since it is easier to "home" them when they are younger. The grown ones are known to simply walk away, never to return.

I sell keets if you decide to get some!

 

[Moores6]

I bought 3 guineas. Can anyone tell me what color they will be?

 

[TarheelBirdy]

I bought 3 guineas. Can anyone tell me what color they will be?

Lavender. Cute keets!

 

[Moores6]

Lavender. Cute keets!

thank you. LOL poor DH should have learned by now not to tell me I could have another animal. LOL

 

[wildriverswolf90]

I bought 3 guineas. Can anyone tell me what color they will be?

they are so cute!

 

[Hollowoakfarm]

Quote: I myself am NPIP, I follow as many guidelines as possible to keep my birds in a bio-safe environment.

I only buy chicks/eggs/birds from others who are NPIP.

I quarantine said birds/chicks for 30 days away from my current birds.

That being said, I also show my birds, which then exposes them to everyone else's birds (even though they are all tested at the shows) the show birds then go into quarantine when we go home.

its a good program to have, but they do only come out once a year, and from what i have seen and heard, some parts of the state have different guidelines than others
Thanks. I have found lots of USDA stuff, which is quite helpful. The state guidelines vary so much though. The guy at NC said they were "working on" getting something in writing, but I guess they haven't done it yet. Makes me a tad nuts when I'd like to get my flock done, but I don't want to commit to something that I can't get guidelines on. That second link is quite interesting; I hadn't found anything of that sort before.

 

[CandleGal]

Thank you for that info, I was looking for NPIP guides as well and could not find anything.

 

[wildriverswolf90]

:yiipchick one of my bantam orpingtons started laying today!

Haven't seen Henthymes on here lately!? Hope you aare doing okay!

 

[NCnarrator]

4-5 would be a good number, maybe even six in case you get a predator visit. My guineas completely free range, but they can be trained to come in at night. I give them chicken feed (or, I should say, they help themselves to chicken feed) and they LOVE scratch feed. There is a risk with buying grown (or mostly grown) since it is easier to "home" them when they are younger. The grown ones are known to simply walk away, never to return.

I sell keets if you decide to get some!

Thanks Tarheel! I'm still talking hubby into it. We just got our first hens this spring, so he's hesitant to add more birds to our population...but I've had it with ticks and fleas. Our dogs are miserable (even after being treated...and treated...and treated), and so is my youngest son and I. Hubby and oldest son they leave alone, but my youngest and I get chewed up.

If I can talk hubby into it, how much lead time do you need for a half dozen keets?