traveling with chickens across state lines?

[AmyBeth]

Hi,
I was planning to travel from texas to california by way of arizona and new mexico with two chickens I wanted to bring to a friend. Does anyone know the rules about taking chickens across state lines?
Could they be confiscated like some fruits/plants could be?

 

[nnbreeder]

Most states do require health papers on livestock. You would need a NPIP cert. at the least and possibly a clean Avian Influenza cert, as well depending on the state.

I would check with the Ag dept. in Ca. to see what is required at that end because they are probably the strictest of the states mentioned. You can do a search for their web site and probably come up with the answers that you need.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Never had anyone stop me at state lines to ask about chickens, and I have traveled from Arizona to California to New Mexico to Texas to Oklahoma, etc. That said, Texas has the strictest poultry & livestock import laws of the states listed. No special requirements (testing or health papers) to show in California or Arizona.

 

[PepsNick]

Plus I doubt the police would know OR care.

 

[key west chick]

Maybe I shouldnt have, but Ive brought back chickens from Key West to Ga about 6 or 7 times over the last few years. No paperwork, no vet check, just chickens in a crate.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
To get into Arizona or California, you have to pass through an inspection station. Occasionally they will simply wave you through; other times they stop you and ask questions about what you have with you. In my experience, you almost always have to at least drive very slowly through the check point. For both states, bringing in fruit or uninspected agricultural products is a huge No-No. Neither are likely to be interested in chickens unless there is an epidemic such as the END epidemic from a few years ago.

 

[desertdarlene]

I was going to say the same thing. I had nothing in my little tiny Geo and, one time, they questioned me a lot about bringing in fruits and vegetables. I don't remember them asking about animals or poultry. Good to have a health certificate, anyway, just in case.

 

[RedfogsFlock]

We travel from Indiana to Arizona with animals all the time. We take I-40, no checkpoints coming or going for any of the states we go through. We travel I-44 from St. Louis down to I-40, and take that to I-17, have never been stopped other than the toll roads in OK. We had enclosed trucks going through the toll roads, so have never been stopped for our animals. NM has checkpoints going into Gallup, but they are usually closed. In the last 19 years I have never had to stop at one. I guess really it depends on the route you take.

 

[Desert Rooster]

they only ask if you have any fruits and vegtables, and look in your cars trunk

 

[WhoopiePie]

just make sure they don't have any bench warrants