Pollurum testing for swaps

[tiki244]

I helped someone test his flock last year and it didnt seem too bad--we didnt take that much blood---but the more birds the more time consuming---I know someone who has anywhere from 500-1000 birds at times----I know they give classes here and I think they are free but they dont give them every year so anytime I want to sell a bird I have to find someone to test it

 

[Crunchie]

Quote:
2 ml sounds like a lot of blood. I guess maybe they need that much if you are sending it in to them? When I had my birds tested, they just did a poke under the wing, enough to get a few decent size drops. Certainly not 2 mls worth. They mixed it w/the antigen and read results right there.

Surely you can get a tester to come out to your place. Yes, they do have to test each bird, but it's really not that hard.

Drawing 2 mls of blood from each bird...now that would be a pain in the rear.

ETA: To clarify--In MD, you have to test any and all up to 30 birds--so you would have to test all of your birds if you have 27 (assuming your state's requirements are the same; of course there is a good chance they are not). But if you had, for example, 100 birds, you would only have to test 30.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

tiki-Do all birds have to have this testing done or just over a certain age? i.e. are chicks under a certain age not tested?

BTW-empty your pm's.

 

[Poison Ivy]

I just had my birds tested last week we only had to test 20 here. She said only birds 4 months and older could be tested.

 

[mothergoose]

It is interesting how some things do differ state to state even though it is a National program.

In Illinois you have to test 100% over 4 months old the first test. then for larger flocks each year there after only 10%.

It took the state guy over 4 hours to test our flock when he had to come. But we have alot of birds.

Christie

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Quote:
Okay, does this mean that someone could sell birds younger than 4 months and have pollurum in their flock or do they need to have their flock pollurum tested and clear before they sell any birds?

I hope to start going to some more of these sales but, I want to understand the testing so I know what to look at and what not to look at.