Speak up- The Goverment is trying to regulate chicken owners

[BlueBaby]

All of this is just downright awful, I don't quite understand it all but I know none of it is good.

What worry's me most s if they get their foot in the door on this, how much longer until they push for more?

 

[NatJ]

I had my DH go to the link's to read to see if we might be included. He spent a long time reading through it. He said that they are basically saying that if you sell the bird's and make $500.00 a year or more that they could get you. He said that I should tell the people here that if they send a comment to suggest that they raise the amount to maybe $1000.00 a year so that it could help more of the smaller breeder's.

TL;DR.

Can someone dumb this down for me?
As an owner of six female chickens whose sole purpose is as pets (though, we do eat the eggs), if this law was passed, what would happen to my flock? Would they need inspecting, banding, etc? Would I have to get rid of two of my hens?

Short answer: it only applies to birds that are NOT "poultry."
Here is their definition of poultry:

"Poultry means any species of chickens, turkeys, swans, partridges, guinea fowl, and pea fowl; ducks, geese, pigeons, and doves; grouse, pheasants, and quail."
https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...-use-in-research-under-the-animal-welfare-act

If your birds are on that list of "poultry," this will have no effect on you.

If you have birds that are NOT poultry, this might affect you (who needs a license, who does not need a license, what you must do to get a license, various rules about housing and identifying the birds, and so forth.) But if your only birds are poultry, you can ignore the entire thing.

 

[3KillerBs]

What worry's me most s if they get their foot in the door on this, how much longer until they push for more?

BINGO!

But if your only birds are poultry, you can ignore the entire thing.

Except for the just concern of any citizen about the continual expansion of government regulation.

I would like to know where in the Constitution of the United States of America the federal government is granted the power to regulate the treatment of animals.

 

[LaFleche]

Advance warning government wants to control your bird keeping ! This proposed rule may be viewed in today’s Federal Register. Beginning tomorrow, members of the public may submit comments. All comments must be received by April 25, 2022. If you care about this please go to the federal register to comment and voice your opinion before April 25th.

Today we are inviting public comments on a proposal to amend the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations to establish new regulations and standards governing the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of birds. The proposed regulations would apply to captive birds not bred for use in research.

This proposed rule will be available on the Federal Register. The public comment period opens February 22, 2022 and closes April 25, 2022.

USDA Seeks Public Comment on Proposal to Establish Animal Welfare Regulations for Birds

WASHINGTON, February 18, 2022 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is inviting public comments on a proposal to amend the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations to establish new regulations and standards governing the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of birds. The proposed regulations would apply to captive birds not bred for use in research.

The proposal would ensure each individual bird that is subject to the AWA is raised and maintained in conditions that ensure its good health and well-being and that its physical and behavioral needs are met. The proposed rule outlines how entities with birds can obtain a license and the standards they would have to follow.

APHIS is asking the public to provide comments on how this proposed rule would impact the regulated community, as well as ways that APHIS might assist regulated entities with implementation of these standards, whether through documents, guides, training, or other means. APHIS also invites comments on the proposed operating standards for facilities, the proposed animal health and husbandry standards, and the proposed transportation standards.

These proposed standards would allow APHIS to ensure the welfare of birds while affording flexibility in implementing the standards to bird breeders, dealers, exhibitors, and transporters.

In addition to the proposed rule, APHIS has completed an Environmental Assessment and a Regulatory Impact Analysis for these regulations and is sharing both documents for review and comment.

APHIS is committed to ensuring the welfare of regulated animals and continues to carry out the critical day-to-day work of ensuring the humane treatment of vulnerable animals through unannounced inspections, pre-compliance visits, horse protection inspections, and other activities.

This proposed rule may be viewed in today’s Federal Register. Beginning tomorrow, members of the public may submit comments. All comments must be received by April 25, 2022.

This seems like some kind of supposedly "good intentions" getting derailed.

 

[3KillerBs]

This seems like some kind of supposedly "good intentions" getting derailed.

Everyone knows where the road paved with good intentions leads.

A couple decades ago before we entered a period where we moved very frequently, I was trying to get into breeding cockatiels and these regulations would have stopped me because I had 7 birds and, even at a modest $80 for a young, tame bird in the mid-late 90's, even minor success would have put me over the $500 limit.

 

[Sally PB]

Thank you, everybody, for this discussion, and for keeping it civil. It's a hot button topic for all of us here on BYC, and I have to say my blood pressure was high yesterday, after reading (what I could) of the Rule. Legalese can make my eyes glaze over. I agree that it is very poorly worded.

Though, yeah, any possible reach by the government into my life is NOT welcome. Once it starts, where does it end?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Short answer: it only applies to birds that are NOT "poultry."
Here is their definition of poultry:

"Poultry means any species of chickens, turkeys, swans, partridges, guinea fowl, and pea fowl; ducks, geese, pigeons, and doves; grouse, pheasants, and quail."
https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...-use-in-research-under-the-animal-welfare-act

If your birds are on that list of "poultry," this will have no effect on you.

If you have birds that are NOT poultry, this might affect you (who needs a license, who does not need a license, what you must do to get a license, various rules about housing and identifying the birds, and so forth.) But if your only birds are poultry, you can ignore the entire thing.

^^^ Agree with this summary.

Apologies to any whose stress levels increased (with mine) as I worked my way thru this. I remain at a loss as to why the AWA chooses to continue to exclude poultry, it seems pretty clear that they have the authority to regulate them, if they want to, under the text of the implimenting statutes.

It may be simply that other agencies don't want to cede any turf. https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2016/03/federal-agency-food-safety-regulation-000068/ Or there may be some other reason besides. or a host of them.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I would like to know where in the Constitution of the United States of America the federal government is granted the power to regulate the treatment of animals.

I'm also questioning this.

 

[Battlepants]

From what I've been reading in the thread, it looks like they want go after the battery farming of pet-style birds (parakeets, ect) and this won't effect food-style birds (chickens, quail, ect). And, quite frankly, I agree with the movement. Thinking back to my childhood, I knew too many people who had a parakeet and all it would do is scream all day and I recall seeing the occasional pet-style bird up a tree from someone who likely dumped them.

Regulation of over-breeding and making sure they have good living conditions (for the main example: Not keeping one alone!) sounds like a good thing.

 

[Molpet]

Can you imagine the funding and employees required to inspect everyone involved. They can't even fund enough inspectors for processing plants.