To share the recent letter to the State Veterinarian, I welcome your comments!!!!
Of course with the internet, it can be a blessing and a curse. I was reading on another state that the NPIP program is not only for the PULLORUM-TYPHOID, but for other ailments such as MG, MS, and other infectious diseases needing certificates to pass between one state/country to another is only for commercial flocks. My question here is if we do not test for these conditions, be it the small flock/show bird owner and small farm egg/chick producer, then aren't we creating our own death spiral?Are the costs of such tests that high that we are not expanding our own standards for Maine flocks? These birds that we spoke about, still to this point are NPIP tested negative! Even losing as many birds as this farm has at this point. Yet said flock owner could turn around, say next week, hypothetically, sell anyone of this flock, eggs or chicks, and proudly say NPIP tested. And be true, spread to another unsuspecting, healthy NPIP tested flock.Interestingly the online site I belong to
www.backyardchickens.com, "Chickenstock", we have had a couple of them, one in Litchfeild the other at the W.Gardiner Gun Club, went to one in Milford, NH and really wanted to bring the folks in my own community together, share their enjoyment for poultry, ducks, etc. Sell, trade and buy something new and different, yet now I feel as thought I have the huge responsibility to avoid bringing these people together, for the health of their flocks. My opinion,NPIP is not doing all that it can to better the health of Maine flocks. Now, I have heard that all in or all out approach to raising/continuing a flock in my standings of
"assuming" at this point that the birds I hold have MS and exposed to ILT from vaccined birds. Its also my understanding that with these conditions my property will always have the "toxic dump" affect. Once I have no more poultry in my possession that if I was to clean with strong disinfectants that I can have more birds in the same unsterilized wood building. Yet I have read that once its here, it is here, on one acre of land, I will never rid any flock of these health issues. Yet introducing new birds is a big no no, how can I continue (for my own personal use) to bring in layers for eggs and Cornish X as meat birds?I am very sorry to plaque you with more questions, like I said, the internet is a place where you have many answers that lead to more questions. Being new to the "diseases" of poultry, never having a single issue through all the years I have owned them (ignorance is bliss) and beginning to enjoy other peoples joys of showing and raising such beautiful examples of birds, I really wonder how long it is before we need to up testing procedures through the 4-H and Poultry clubs, Bio-Security and what to do for after care. Most folks can go kill their "tainted" poultry, mine are pets with a benifit, also from 2 NPIP tested people (false security).
The one test that we expect in club shows, fairs, selling and shipping eggs is NPIP tested, only Pullorium and Typhoid. No other protection between your bird and Joe Schmoes at the poultry shows. So now you can come home with your bird, do you quarentine your show birds? Most of us its a no, they came from here, toss them in with their buddies and go about your business..until the coughing or bloody cough and then we worry, and its to late.
