Author Topic: can anyone give me some tips?  (Read 16480 times)

Jean

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can anyone give me some tips?
« Reply #30 on: May 02, 2011, 02:06:49 PM »
Apparently they do not know what they are talking about.  Just got off the phone with a Ms. Powell at NC Dept of Ag and she said no laws about MG vaccine and you can call her to confirm.

919-733-7601

I have a book of all 50 States and their import regulations, it\'s not yet complete, but I have most of the information I need to ship chicks legally into other States.
Jean

John

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can anyone give me some tips?
« Reply #31 on: May 02, 2011, 03:40:25 PM »
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laws

To borrow a phrase from big brother...Don\'t Ask - Don\'t Tell.
The less said the better and do what you have to do to protect your property and investments.
IMH?O

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smaller & more economical

The vaccines are not marketed to us breeders and small time fanciers so the manufacturers don\'t care.  
The waste is a shame.


Beth C

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can anyone give me some tips?
« Reply #32 on: May 02, 2011, 04:02:11 PM »
Thanks, Jean. Just got off the phone with Ms. Powell. When I explained what the testers had told me, she confirmed with the poultry vet, Dr. Sarah Mason and this is what Dr. Mason said:

Killed MG vaccine is allowed. However, if you use the vaccine you have to report it to the state because, if ever tested, vaccinated birds will test positive.

I am still pressing to get something in writing, to put the question to rest for good...

Beth C

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« Reply #33 on: May 02, 2011, 04:10:19 PM »
John: That was my original plan, but the false positive thing scared me off.

Mike Gilbert

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can anyone give me some tips?
« Reply #34 on: May 03, 2011, 01:50:33 PM »
Why not just breed for genetic resistance to MG?  If adult birds are carriers it is best to expose young birds to them at an early age.  They will have a mild case, develop antibodies, and generally lead healthy lives after that.   Those that don\'t are candidates for culling.

Jean

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can anyone give me some tips?
« Reply #35 on: May 03, 2011, 03:06:52 PM »
Mike, that will work for the strain that one may have on their own property, but when you start showing, you expose your birds to other flocks\' germs.... there are many different strains of MG floating out there.

It is not a requirement of NPIP to test for MG.  Yes, you would get false positives, but there is no reason for the State to test for it unless your are selling a bird and someone wants to make sure it is MG negative.

It can also cause false positives on your pullorum test if given within a few weeks of testing.  Older birds can also cause false positives on the pullorum tests.  (I know these facts from personal experience.)
Jean

Beth C

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« Reply #36 on: May 03, 2011, 04:05:11 PM »
It\'s not required for NPIP, but if you send a bird to the state lab for a necropsy (which I\'ve done), they are tested for MG. If you sell a bird to someone else and it comes up positive, the flock of origin is tested (this happened to a guy I know, but fortunately for him, his flock was clean, the birds were apparently infected after he sold them). If you are found to have a positive bird, your entire property is put under quarantine. While it is my understanding that they cannot force you to destroy your birds, they become essentially worthless because you can\'t sell or show until the quarantine is lifted, and it\'s lifted when your entire flock tests negative (i.e. all the positive birds are dead, since that is the only legal way to get rid of them).

Commercial poultry is big here - NC is the 4th largest state for broiler production & the 2nd highest for turkey. The big boys (Tyson, Perdue, Sanderson, Raeford, etc.) pretty much own the state. Neither vaccinating nor breeding for resistance (btw, Mike, I agree with you) is cost effective for them, and the rest of us have to bend to their will...

Edited to add: If I understand Dr. Mason correctly, if you report to the state that you are vaccinating you won\'t be put under quarantine, as long as nothing is showing symptoms.

John

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can anyone give me some tips?
« Reply #37 on: May 04, 2011, 10:05:16 AM »
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The big boys (Tyson, Perdue, Sanderson, Raeford, etc.) pretty much own the state.

And, if they had their way none of our flocks would exist.  They have the money to lobby to get their way and would love to have the government regulate fanciers and small farmers right out of owning chickens and other livestock.   :(

Beth C

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can anyone give me some tips?
« Reply #38 on: May 04, 2011, 11:46:19 AM »
It\'s really scary. They control everything. Other than hobbyists like us, there really aren\'t any independent growers anymore - every single farm (at least here) is under contract with one of *them.* We\'ve got guys who\'ve been on the land 6 generations but have no say over what goes on there anymore, because they went so far in debt building the facility the company demanded that they can\'t stay afloat if they lose their contracts. Several growers were very much opposed to switching from roll-up walls to the new style housing where the birds are raised completely in the dark,  but they had no choice if they wanted to hold onto their farms.