Not letting visitors into the main run?

[wingstone]

To those of you who sell chicks, when someone stops to look do you let them into the run?? When I sell chicks from 6weeks to 10 weeks, these birds are housed in a coop and run that is within my main run, customers seem to look at me like i am hiding something when I do not let them into the run area...I do this for 2 reasons, first I have a physco rooster and second I do not know what these people may be exposed to, ..How do you handle this, I would understand this if I was at somebody else's place.

 

[cubalaya]

due to biosecurity, keep people far away from your chickens.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I explain the importance of bio-security.
I have plastic booties I make people that have chickens wear as soon as they get out of the car.
I don't let them handle birds or go inside runs unless they wash up and put on a disposable suit I keep on hand.
If the person hasn't been on another farm or around poultry I don't worry about it.

 

[wingstone]

Thank you for reassurance that I am not just being paranoid, I go without sleep to make sure things are clean and sanitized because we lost an entire hog business 20 years ago due to a disease that spread.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

your right in keeping them out, if you don't want to explain they could be disease carriers ( which most people would say Not Me, I don't have poop from the last place on my shoes!) Just tell them you don't want them to be attacked by the roos.
A few years ago there was a citrus canker scare in florida-so I watched a county inspector look at a neighbors tree, no booties, no coveralls, going from tree to tree around the neighborhood....I denied having any citrus on my property.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Good point. You can explain that it's just your policy to allow no visitors which is what many breeders and hatcheries do.

 

[jmc]

no one is allowed into our pens. doesn't matter if they were fumigated from head to toe beforehand. not even the poultry inspector is allowed in.

i tell em 'disease spreads easily and mysteriously' and no grumbles, rather all understand.

 

[naillikwj82]

Hang a Bio-Security Placard on your run fencing. You may also explain to them that these cautions not only protect your flock, but also thiers when they return home. That is why we Quarentine.

 

[wingstone]

Thank you all, I only brought the issue up because i recently had a customer with young birds that recently lost a few right after putting them outside, and what she explained to me really sounded like cocci, they didn't seem to like the fact that i had them wait in the driveway and i brought them what they were looking for....I also sent enough corid powder with them to treat all of their birds, with instructions on how to use it....... It is easier to prevent disease than treat it!!!