Talk to me of NPIP- Am I being paranoid?

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Okay, I'm hearing different things about this NPIP certification and for some reason it has weirded me out a little. I tried google searching it, but I can't seem to find definitive info about it anywhere.

- Is it mandatory to be NPIP certified before shipping live chickens or is this a state by state deal? What if the receiving state is not NPIP, but your state is?

- Does it give the gov't the right to just randomly show up at your place to check things or is it by appointment?

- If they do find illness in your flock, do they just close your flock or do men in hazmat suits show up and slaughter everything? (Those that have bought from me have had the birds tested and my flock is clean, but the implications give me the willies.)

- If I go NPIP am I on file forever?

Given the way our civil freedoms are shifting, I don't particularly want the gov't all up in my business. While I understand the benefits of NPIP certification, I do admit that it makes me nervous being on some federal list. Am I just being paranoid? I swear I am not a Glenn Beck afficionado, but something about NPIP is making me nervous.

What do y'all know about it all? I need to hear both sides of the argument (but please don't turn this into a political brouhaha. I just want to know about NPIP.).

Thanks!
Nervous in the Country

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Well....that's why I haven't signed on. I just sell live birds locally. I don't want them all in my business...and as they say...if you put it out there... I'd rather deal with not being NPIP. My birds are clean, I am careful, they all were hatched here except my ducks, but they were day olds so.....that's what I tell potential buyers. Forget NPIP for me. They already want my phone number at TSC every time I buy feed

Nosy busybody crap gets on my nerves!

 

[EweSheep]

I have been going back and forth about NPIP as well. Good thing it is for out of state but realistically, the PO job does not contain checking every box of poultry to have NPIP stamped on it. So I took a chance to ship two EE;s to NY without any papers and they got there without any problems. Same for hatching eggs. As my postal state inspector friend of mine, it is not mandatory and it is only benefit the other NPIP breeders who has to follow the strict rules of NPIP standards of biosecurity on all birds coming on to their premises.

I do have a feeling that NPIP is being looked over but not enforceable, not in my state. However ALL of my flocks were from NPIP certified stocks from private breeders and hatcheries. That I do not have to worry.

Sometimes people get into the scare tactics of NPIP and non NPIP. I think, we living in US, we should do whatever we think it is best and let the buyers make their choices.

I never heard or saw anyone get into trouble with the USPS for shipping non NPIP birds.