Please Tell Us... What Would You Do?

[JohnConnor12]

try feeding some antibiotics and check if it seems to show any progress as such you can't arraign other for the loss simple you can't substantiate that...sorry for the loss

 

[perolane]

I would suggest setting up a consultation with an attorney....this is normally free & he will let you know where you stand from a legal standpoint. Since you have documentation & your vet as a witness.....it may be a valid claim that you have suffered a major loss to your business & your vet will be a powerful back-up in a case like this. The wheels move incredibly slow & it may be awhile before anything comes of it....it may also cost more than the actual claim to pursue. It shouldn't cost you a penny & 30 minutes of your time to find out. At least you'll know.

You may just have to call this a lesson learned the hard way & there may be nothing you can do to recoup your losses. Start over....find out what disease you're dealing with & go from there. Your regular customers will wait & they'll also appreciate the fact that you are honest & watching out for their safety.

I would go with my vet's advice on what to do with your original flock & the new chickens ....have one of the new chickens tested for documentation. Since eggs are your business & the new chickens are both disease ridden & eating the eggs, I would cull. Sadly, they are of no use to anyone at this point & may create further problems by being on your farm. I would not spend another dime on them. You need them out of the picture ASAP....follow your vet's recommendations.

I'm so sorry that this is happening....the very best of luck to you!

 

[Boring Farm]

Wow... THANK YOU SO MUCH! And THANKS to all for your advice. I honestly hope this is a learning experience for these people. I so want to believe they made a mistake that took a nasty turn. I will be giving them this query as a learning tool and hope for the best. It was the deception of passing off chickens that they had no clue of their health nor habits. I'm still unsure how to dispose of some 50 plus layers without having to go through the culling process. BTW... I hate that word, "cull." It takes away the mental anguish of killing something that, for us, have been more 'Pet" than producer.

I'm blown away by this site and the advice I've received. I've Googled the comments and read any Ag Extension and Universities/Colleges comments and it's pretty much right on the nailhead.

Thanks again to anyone who has offered advice and/or compassion. It means a lot to us.

 

[Katy]

I think as far as culling, gassing them with a car exhaust and hose would more than likely be the easiest for that number of birds if you can make your coop air tight enough.

 

[Boring Farm]

Thanks for the info. I will contact the extension today.

Yes I live in Boring Oregon. One stoplight, a hair Salon, a General Store and three bars

It's apparent that they have not been in business for any length of time due to the fact their first sale to five people were actually someone else's layers. I have to accept my responsibility in this by not verifying the facts. I talked with one of the owners at length and they sounded knowledgable and professional. They answered all my inquires with answers anyone would expect. I trusted them without hesitation... something that I do often. I would hate to think that I need to be jaded from now on. It's not in my nature.

I will buy my chicks from the same hatchery I bought these four years ago and keep a Roo for new blood. I was very lucky in the past of giving the older hens away to people who wanted eggs and treated them as pets... like we do. I know, I know... I need to be a "Farmer" and cull the older birds for the meat. Sadly, I'm a city boy who bought 10 acres about 7 years ago and have a hard time doing that.

 

[BloominOrchid]

So sad. Just remember Karma will have her way.
Sounds like you have enough info to start a small claims. Emails & such CAN be used in court. You have the vets backing as well. First thing tho find out what your dealing with, sounds like you have some good leads on where to start with that. I wish you luck. And by the emails from the hatchery you provided us, to me they know they were in the wrong, and they are trying to bully you into going away, BC im sure you have a case here, with all your witnesses and vet records.
As far as putting the other chickens down, Do you have to? Can you the ones who are recovering? End the suffering for the ones who arent? I do think you will be able to return to your organic status. Do some research on that, once the meds have been out of the system for so long I *think* you can return to organic. Also are the meds given even on the list that would void the chickens as being organic. BC I know you can give some things and maintain organic status. (I grew up next to an organic farm)
Here is something you need to think about tho re court...one will they even show, two even if you do win, what are the odds that they ever pay up? You may be saving yourself time & money but just dropping it all together.
Best thing you can do IMHO is move on.

Just make sure you tell as many people as you can about this seller, and please do contact craigs list, and any other business assoc you can find. Save someone else the heart ache.
Again very sorry for your loss & the drama this person is putting you through

 

[Boring Farm]

Well said...

My wife said to just drop it and move on. I asked for a refund and was hoping they would say no so I could go to Small Claims Court. Here's her response that was supposed to have stopped five responses ago;

I, like you, wish to no longer communicate with you. I will send you payments, starting with the Friday after tomorrow, for 50, for 4 weeks. If that is agreed upon, then I expect to never hear from you again.

If it is not agreed upon, then my hands are tied, and you must file your law suit. But be advised, the business has gone bankrupt, closed its doors, filed its dissolution with the state. So, I'm not sure how you sue a business that dosent exist anylonger but I'm sure your attorney friend will help you figure that out.

If I hear back from you, it will mean you wish to file a suit and I do not need to send you money. If I do not hear from you I will send ur first payment Friday morning, along with the addendum.

You would think that a $300 refund would not be enough to close someone's doors especially since she received that 1 1/2 weeks ago. It's obvious they never had a business and found birds to re-sell. That's fine if you know the Seller she buys them from. But it sounded like she had a huge operation... over 1800 chickens and quail of differing varieties being fed high-quality foods, scratch & grains. Some of these emails have all the Drama of "General Hospital."

From what I've learned about putting them down, the ONLY way to alleviate the situation is to perform a necropsy (autopsy) on several birds and decide from there. There are differing illnesses that they can survive from but they will always be carriers for the next flock. I don't have that kind of money to have it done quickly and the time, cost & energy it would take to keep the flock on meds is hurting more than helping. some of the hens are losing their feathers from the antibiotics because it is a poison of such. The REAL problem is not being able to correct the feather-picking and cannibalism which now has been passed on to my flock. No, there is no great solution, just heartache because they were more "pet=Like" than Producers. We would sit on the back porch with a glass of wine and watch them chase the moths and other flying critters across the lawn and search for worms and such. Like I said before, I'm a "City Slicker" dressed in overalls after buying 10 acres over 8 years ago (this is out second mini-farm) and having to cull these will be difficult at best. I can't give them away or have them butchered because of the chemicals. I'm screwed and no one even bought me a meal & a movie first.

Thanks,
Michael

 

[Mrs MIA]

Since they've already closed their doors (how many other people are bothering them about sick birds?) then perhaps it is best to go with the settlement they propose. It will help with some of the costs of starting over, at least. If it were me, I would have something a little more legal-tight written up for them to sign. Then it becomes a personal commitment and not a business commitment, and if they fail to pay you can go after them through proper channels to enforce it.

 

[Boring Farm]

Thanks... I've thought about that as well but I believe the series of emails serves as a promissory note. I know it can be used in Small Claims Court, if necessary. BUt I'm just adding more fuel to an already fiery situation. If I get the money, great. If not, oh well. We just finished 4 days of hospice with my Mother-in-law after two months of hospital visits and 24/7 care because of her close-to-late-stage Alzheimer's so there's more important life situations rather than worry about this. It's my wife's first death and they were two peas in a pod hanging from the post in the garden 34/9 ;-)

My wife and I had a little chuckle about "the business has gone bankrupt and closing their doors" comment. If a $300 refund does that much damage they never had a business in the first place. In one email, she said I was one of her five first sales... and her sale was with someone else's hens. She couldn't possibly have 1,800 chickens, do you think? She probably lives in an apartment and her farm is from an old "Barbie-on-the-farm" set. She mentioned when she dropped off the birds she does "In Home Care" for the elderly of invalids three days a week and works "the farm" the other five days. I should have picked up on that statement right off but sometimes I feel I work 34/9 or 34 hours a day, 9 days a week for 54 weeks ;-) Her spelling leaves a lot to be desired as well but I have enough problems in my life to start judging other people. Wait... that's not true. Last week I was conceited but I worked on that for a couple of hours... so now I'm perfect! LET THE JUDGEMENT BEGIN!

Take Care & Thanks again,
Michael

 

[Sweetpeaswan]

I am so..so..sorry for what you folks are going through....most REPUTABLE hatcheries stand behind their birds.
Their giving the industry a bad name, and playing the blame game. I'm sorry to say agree with some of the
other posts...you may have to start over, cannibalism is so tough to deal with. not to mention the other things. I hope everyone on the
forum passes along the news about this hatchery,