Utah!
- Thread starter Naztrain
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Thank you! Its not a picture of my hens. But I do free range my buff orps in my back yard and they are the bestest mommies ever.
Thank you! Its not a picture of my hens. But I do free range my buff orps in my back yard and they are the bestest mommies ever.
Hey...just wanna ask again. Does anyone have any fertile eggs they would sell me here in Southern Utah?? I am looking for Buff Orps, but would take other pure breed egg layers.
Does anyone know of any Utah egg swaps?
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Sorry... I don't know of any. Good luck.
Sorry... I don't know of any. Good luck.
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Well, let's start one!
Ok, anyone want some non-fertile brown eggs!? (grin)....
Actually, I'd seriously think about a doing a 3:1 (4:1?) non-fertile:fertile egg swap, once I get an incubator. (my Australorp didn't work out too well last week...)
Well, let's start one!
Ok, anyone want some non-fertile brown eggs!? (grin)....
Actually, I'd seriously think about a doing a 3:1 (4:1?) non-fertile:fertile egg swap, once I get an incubator. (my Australorp didn't work out too well last week...)
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So, I always hate to tell folks when I'm out of town, because you never know... but, we're back. So, I can tell you, we were out of town!
We went to Snow Basin/Pine View Reservoir for 4 days, and then to Deer Valley/Jordanelle Reservoir for another 4 days. Sea Doo's, swimming, fishing, and family time. Best vacation ever.
(It's surprising how cheap 'ski' condos are in August!)
Anyway, I was only mildly happy with the 12-year-old help who took care of the chickens. At least they're all still around. (that I know of... haven't counted 'em yet)
Anyway, my mom sent me a link on the IFA/Roxersone that was in yesterday's (Aug 6th) Trib.
=-=-=-
Under fire, Health Department pulls back on arsenic report
By JUDY FAHYS
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated Aug 6, 2010 11:25PM
The maker of a chicken-feed additive, complaining that a state study harmed the good name of its product, has prompted the Utah Health Department to partly retract its findings.
But, even after agreeing references to the additive roxarsone dont belong in its May report, the Health Department stands by its conclusions that its lab found worrisome levels of arsenic in the poultry feed a Mapleton family used for its backyard chickens, the eggs those hens laid and the two kids who ate them.
State Epidemiologist Robert Rolfs said that the study should not have linked roxarsone, which is added to reduce disease and increase pinkness in poultry used for meat, to the high arsenic levels in the Mapleton familys chicken feed. Since his agency did not test specifically for that chemical, tying roxarsone and the Mapleton feed went beyond the evidence we had.
Still, Rolfs said, this limited study served a valuable purpose in answering a question for a worried Mapleton mom whose young children tested high for arsenic, a naturally occurring mineral that in excessive amounts can cause cancer.
We did find arsenic in the feed, Rolfs said. We did find arsenic in the eggs. We did find arsenic in the children, and the arsenic went down when they began using a different kind of feed.
News about the link has kept the backyard-chicken community talking about it for weeks. At the forefront of a national trend, many backyard-hen keepers go to the trouble of raising chickens to have better control over what their family eats, and the arsenic report, in some cases, has undermined that sense of control.
The Intermountain Farmers Association (IFA) said it does not add roxarsone to any of its feeds and suggested the Mapleton feed, which reportedly came from one of its stores, reflected only background levels of arsenic.
IFA called for a retraction of the Health Department study last month. Layne Anderson, the associations vice president for agricultural operations, did not respond to calls seeking comment for this article.
Meanwhile, Douglas J. Behr, an attorney for Alpharma LLC, which he describes as the only company approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell roxarsone in medicated animal feed, has sent the Health Department two letters demanding the studys complete retraction.
Behrs letters, obtained through an open-records request, note that the Health Department lab never used the proper test to detect roxarsone (the state lab tested instead for total arsenic). Also cited are a slew of what Behr describes as egregious scientific errors.
The attorney also blames the concerned citizen, presumably the Mapleton mom whose request for help from the Health Department prompted the study, for violating FDA regulations by using medicated feed in ways for which it is not approved.
As we have clearly demonstrated, Behrs letter says, the [study] unfairly and falsely defames my clients product and must be withdrawn immediately and a clarification issued. Failure to take these actions may force us to proceed with other measures to protect our clients reputation.
Behr declined to comment Friday.
But the Health Department announced July 29 it was withdrawing the report because of the references to roxarsone. In addition, the federal agency that funded the study, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, has removed the study from its web page, pending further review.
Although the study left many backyard-hen keepers anxious, it also has sparked a lively discussion about poultry feed. What many would like to see is more study. And that includes the Utah Health Department, where Rolfs noted that the Mapleton-feed study never was intended to be comprehensive. The agency simply was trying to answer questions of a Mapleton mother who was freaked out by the high arsenic levels a doctor had detected in her childrens urine.
Rolfs added that the Mapleton egg findings underscore the need for more study something he hopes to get funding to do.
I dont think the evidence we have now is that there is an imminent threat to the health of the people of Utah, he said. Its a concern we ought to look into.
=-=-=-
Found at http://sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50066784-76/arsenic-feed-eggs-mapleton.html.csp
Marty
We went to Snow Basin/Pine View Reservoir for 4 days, and then to Deer Valley/Jordanelle Reservoir for another 4 days. Sea Doo's, swimming, fishing, and family time. Best vacation ever.
(It's surprising how cheap 'ski' condos are in August!)
Anyway, I was only mildly happy with the 12-year-old help who took care of the chickens. At least they're all still around. (that I know of... haven't counted 'em yet)
Anyway, my mom sent me a link on the IFA/Roxersone that was in yesterday's (Aug 6th) Trib.
=-=-=-
Under fire, Health Department pulls back on arsenic report
By JUDY FAHYS
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated Aug 6, 2010 11:25PM
The maker of a chicken-feed additive, complaining that a state study harmed the good name of its product, has prompted the Utah Health Department to partly retract its findings.
But, even after agreeing references to the additive roxarsone dont belong in its May report, the Health Department stands by its conclusions that its lab found worrisome levels of arsenic in the poultry feed a Mapleton family used for its backyard chickens, the eggs those hens laid and the two kids who ate them.
State Epidemiologist Robert Rolfs said that the study should not have linked roxarsone, which is added to reduce disease and increase pinkness in poultry used for meat, to the high arsenic levels in the Mapleton familys chicken feed. Since his agency did not test specifically for that chemical, tying roxarsone and the Mapleton feed went beyond the evidence we had.
Still, Rolfs said, this limited study served a valuable purpose in answering a question for a worried Mapleton mom whose young children tested high for arsenic, a naturally occurring mineral that in excessive amounts can cause cancer.
We did find arsenic in the feed, Rolfs said. We did find arsenic in the eggs. We did find arsenic in the children, and the arsenic went down when they began using a different kind of feed.
News about the link has kept the backyard-chicken community talking about it for weeks. At the forefront of a national trend, many backyard-hen keepers go to the trouble of raising chickens to have better control over what their family eats, and the arsenic report, in some cases, has undermined that sense of control.
The Intermountain Farmers Association (IFA) said it does not add roxarsone to any of its feeds and suggested the Mapleton feed, which reportedly came from one of its stores, reflected only background levels of arsenic.
IFA called for a retraction of the Health Department study last month. Layne Anderson, the associations vice president for agricultural operations, did not respond to calls seeking comment for this article.
Meanwhile, Douglas J. Behr, an attorney for Alpharma LLC, which he describes as the only company approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell roxarsone in medicated animal feed, has sent the Health Department two letters demanding the studys complete retraction.
Behrs letters, obtained through an open-records request, note that the Health Department lab never used the proper test to detect roxarsone (the state lab tested instead for total arsenic). Also cited are a slew of what Behr describes as egregious scientific errors.
The attorney also blames the concerned citizen, presumably the Mapleton mom whose request for help from the Health Department prompted the study, for violating FDA regulations by using medicated feed in ways for which it is not approved.
As we have clearly demonstrated, Behrs letter says, the [study] unfairly and falsely defames my clients product and must be withdrawn immediately and a clarification issued. Failure to take these actions may force us to proceed with other measures to protect our clients reputation.
Behr declined to comment Friday.
But the Health Department announced July 29 it was withdrawing the report because of the references to roxarsone. In addition, the federal agency that funded the study, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, has removed the study from its web page, pending further review.
Although the study left many backyard-hen keepers anxious, it also has sparked a lively discussion about poultry feed. What many would like to see is more study. And that includes the Utah Health Department, where Rolfs noted that the Mapleton-feed study never was intended to be comprehensive. The agency simply was trying to answer questions of a Mapleton mother who was freaked out by the high arsenic levels a doctor had detected in her childrens urine.
Rolfs added that the Mapleton egg findings underscore the need for more study something he hopes to get funding to do.
I dont think the evidence we have now is that there is an imminent threat to the health of the people of Utah, he said. Its a concern we ought to look into.
=-=-=-
Found at http://sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50066784-76/arsenic-feed-eggs-mapleton.html.csp
Marty
Hey Marty, you beat me to it! My best friend read that article at the cafe this morning, and I just got around to reading it myself.
I figured that there had to be another explanation. You know, the IFA layer feed is never going to be completely "arsenic free" because of the naturally occurring levels of arsenic in the environment (i.e. traces in the water lead to traces in the wheat). But I did believe IFA when they said there were no arsenic additives like Roxarsone because of our eggs testing completely negative.
Well, I just got out of the shower and I have to go do my hair and get to a concert.
I figured that there had to be another explanation. You know, the IFA layer feed is never going to be completely "arsenic free" because of the naturally occurring levels of arsenic in the environment (i.e. traces in the water lead to traces in the wheat). But I did believe IFA when they said there were no arsenic additives like Roxarsone because of our eggs testing completely negative.
Well, I just got out of the shower and I have to go do my hair and get to a concert.
It was never reported in the original Tribune article or in the study WHICH feed the family had fed to their chickens--only that the feed was manufactured by IFA. It has not been confirmed ever that the family was feeding layer feed to their hens.
From this follow-up article, it sounds like the family may have been feeding a medicated feed. The only kind of that I know of is chick starter, which is not appropriate for laying hens.
It could possibly be that they fed broiler feed even. That feed is not formulated with the intention that people feed it to chickens they will eat eggs from.
My strong opinion, after doing considerable research regarding info in the study, is that there were way too many things that were irresponsibly left out of the study and the article. I'm glad some retraction is being published.
Here's to hoping better, more complete info will be presented soon.
From this follow-up article, it sounds like the family may have been feeding a medicated feed. The only kind of that I know of is chick starter, which is not appropriate for laying hens.
It could possibly be that they fed broiler feed even. That feed is not formulated with the intention that people feed it to chickens they will eat eggs from.
My strong opinion, after doing considerable research regarding info in the study, is that there were way too many things that were irresponsibly left out of the study and the article. I'm glad some retraction is being published.
Here's to hoping better, more complete info will be presented soon.
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From the article, that was poor journalism, nor the health department report it was not even clear that it was IFA feed. This was an assumption in the article. The health department's report was good science. The reason they pulled the report is they do not want anything out there that may make them look bad. After reading the DOH report I am not concerned about the IFA feed. So now, unfortunately, due to bad journalism valuable information will be suppressed. I do have the report if anyone is interested.
Now for the disclosure, I am a scientist, social scientist, and have work for the health department in the past. I no longer work for them, but with them and others across the nation. These are folks who do what they do because they love it, not for the money. Unfortunately, they do not have the resource to defend pieces like this, better to retract and cut their losses.
Now for the disclosure, I am a scientist, social scientist, and have work for the health department in the past. I no longer work for them, but with them and others across the nation. These are folks who do what they do because they love it, not for the money. Unfortunately, they do not have the resource to defend pieces like this, better to retract and cut their losses.
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