Christy,
The threads are locked, but they are not gone. The moderators went through
a lot of trouble to clean up the OT thread so they could leave it on the board instead of just deleting the whole thing. I was a moderator on another forum for years and I know what a pain in the patootie that can be to do! To reference it any time, go to it here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/605260/chickens-for-10-20-years-or-more-pull-up-a-rockin-chair-and-lay-some-wisdom-on-us
Then, you can just bookmark it in your favorites and use it as a reference any time you like.
Delisha,
Thanks for your thorough and thought-provoking reply.
It looks like in Missouri, I'm exempt from inspection on eggs, as long as I sell them from my property...which is what everyone else seems to be doing.
To sell chicks and/or hatching eggs legally, I would need NPIP certification, which is what you were talking about, I assume.
Jeff,
I just got my NPIP packet from the state last week. email Rose Foster at
[email protected] she is very nice and very prompt at returning inquiries - I had my packet within a week of emailing her. Here is a copy of the email I received from her after my initial inquiry so you have a little info on it now, if you haven't written yourself already...
"Thank you for contacting the Missouri Department of Agriculture regarding the National Poultry Improvement Plan(NPIP). It is a program for poultry breeders and hatcheries that sell day old poultry and or hatching eggs as well as those who are involved in competitive showing or exhibiting purebred poultry.
There is currently no cost for the basic level of participation which is pullorum-typhoid clean. To test for pullorum-typhoid, each bird must be handled to collect a drop of whole blood that is mixed with antigen on a testing plate. Results are immediate so you will know your status the day of the testing. Additional testing would incur fees as they are optional. Depending on the time of the year we may have federal funds for avian influenza testing and we would advise you of that option.
We do not have electronic applications so a packet will be mailed to you. Once you receive the packet, look it over and let us know if you have questions. Birds must be 4 months of age for the pullorum-typhoid testing and time of the year selected for the first flock test will be your anniversary test thereafter. Flocks must be tested once per year.
I have attached a document with more information. Also, complete and return your application at least 60 days prior to when you would like to schedule your flock test so we can work you in with current participant testing.
Thanks again for contacting the Missouri Department of Agriculture regarding the NPIP."
In RE to your sellling eggs there in the Springfield area - I am in a real rural area here in SEMO and like yours, my area is saturated with eggs. But St. Louis is only a couple of hours away, and I think once I get my egg business really up and rolling in a year or so, I'm going to go and try to contract with a local small restaurant that does the whole organic/free range/hipster type menu.
Being as Springfield is a fairly decent size city, you might have luck with something like that as well - some downtown bistro type place that has that type of menu. A lot of those places LOVE to buy local - pride themselves on being able to tell folks where the food they are eating came from.
Good luck!
Good to 'see' everyone over here. Now let's send out some positive vibes to get the OTs over here and get back to learning from them!
