NPIP
The National Poultry Improvement Plan

So as to not waste your valuable time: We are not NPIP Certified.

Just thought I would throw that out before I opine on the NPIP

Honestly don't know how to address this subject.

I have had exactly two people in fifteen or sixteen years ask me if I was "NPIP certified" and then the two individuals declined taking the pet turkeys I had offered at no charge.

Ok, I also believe it is better to err on the side of caution. And one lady from the Tampa area suggested "I look into it"

However.....

From their website:

Poultry Disease Information

The National Poultry Improvement Plan was established in the early 1930's to provide a cooperative industry, state, and federal program through which new diagnostic technology can be effectively applied to the improvement of poultry and poultry products throughout the country. The development of the NPIP was initiated to eliminate Pullorum Disease caused by Salmonella pullorum which was rampant in poultry and could cause upwards of 80% mortality in baby poultry. The program was later extended and refined to include testing and monitoring for Salmonella typhoid, Salmonella enteritidis, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, Mycoplasma synoviae, Mycoplasma meleagridis, and Avian Influenza. In addition, the NPIP currently includes commercial poultry, turkeys, waterfowl, exhibition poultry, backyard poultry, and game birds. The technical and management provisions of the NPIP have been developed jointly by Industry members and State and Federal officials. These criteria have established standards for the evaluation of poultry with respect to freedom from NPIP diseases.

APHIS' mission is to safeguard the health of our nation's agricultural resources. Our many animal health experts work closely with other federal agencies, states, foreign governments, industry and professional groups, and others to enhance international trade and cooperation while preventing the introduction of dangerous and costly pests and diseases.

Please find your state and contact the Official State Agent for information on becoming an NPIP participant.

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Okay--So that is impressive and good and heck yes I'm all in. What could be bad about this?

So, I opened the user guide:

32 pages that explained nothing (that I could understand) Perhaps I should apologize for not realizing the value of bureaucratic mumble and not any jumble.

Big disappointment for me (Subtext-why cannot they write a coherent guide?)

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Next I opened the biosecurity audit form-Only four pages, not bad. However as I scanned the questions my eyes were watering at the income tax like government form and repetitive questions about your "biosecurity plan".

Honestly these type of forms encourage people to ahh fib. The type of questions (my version) "Did you enjoy beating your turkeys" "Did you dispose of the body correctly when you beat your turkey?" And "did you fill out the correct form when beat your turkey?"

OK, so I made those questions up. But that is how I felt reading the questions.

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So........That was just two items so far reviewed. I got to thinking "And who has time for these fill out the audit forms?"

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Full disclosure: There are wild birds around me!

(and I sort of like it) (Woodpecker nesting in the turkey roost)

Wild Ibis visitors. (uh-oh)

Our invasion of Black bellied Whistling Ducks (tree ducks)

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So, I am still researching the details- attempting to find the cost, (all the web-brochure states is: To maintain your NPIP status, your flock must be tested annually.)

So is that $3.00, $300.00 or 3000? annually?

Am still attempting to understand the time required vs. the value of this certification. The goal is fantastic and I support it.

Still I still feel (meaning no facts) many people who might have this cert are "fibbing" One of the audit questions is: How are you keeping wild birds away from your flock?

Well unless you have an indoor screened farm, you are not keeping wild birds away. Or does the gov just want you to fib?

Full disclosure: I have wild birds around

Last weekend the turkeys chased away a crow and fulvous whistling ducks. The cardinals and catbirds raid my tomatoes, I feed painted buntings and I cannot stop turkey buzzards and bald eagles from landing in a dead pine tree. A wood pecker is nesting the remains of the maple tree perch and a dove a day is murdered by a beautiful little Merlin hawk. Owls visit all the time. Boat-tailed Grackles are hanging around because the St. Johns river is still flooded.

And I am trying desperately to get humming birds to come to the flower garden.

Should I lie, I mean fib on the audit form? "No sir/mam, have not seen a wild bird round these parts in years"

To be totally fair, the actual question reads as follows:

Are there control measures in the biosecurity program and/or site-specific biosecurity plan to prevent contact with and protect poultry from wild birds, their feces and their feathers as appropriate to the production system?

So "appropriate to the production system" made my previous rambling statement foolish. I apologize for that.

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Anyway do I need this cert?

I am not a business. Have a simple hobby flock. I do not sell or ship any eggs or birds.

And my flock of turkeys and chickens are exceedingly healthy. So healthy in fact that I often have no answers to some questions because I have not had any health problems besides old age and occasional avian pox. No experience and I just say "Do not know"

But I have Grackles visiting!

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Have to apologize for the possibly rude comments. A little frustrated at the web page that would make a Soviet bureaucrat proud.

As mentioned I am still attempting to find the value for me in this great project.

Still learning.

Will add information as I find it.

Have to say, the comments on Backyard Chicken are mostly not very positive.

This was just one question I read:

"I wanted to participate as well. I am just not sure I understand the whole process. I was reading a craigslist ad about trading/selling chickens and that it is illegal to do so if you are not NPIP. Is this true? How often do come to test? I am very curious about this. I know it is not a requirement for a "backyard" flock, but what is the benefit?"  BC

**Want to make my on opinion.

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Well continuing on. I am looking for information to become NPIP certified.

I reviewed the web page for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. I am familiar with this page. In the "early days" of the internet, this site was the only social media site for animals. (For Florida)  

Their Home page states the following: 

 

Listings for domestic birds and birds used for food are acceptable. The selling and purchasing of game birds (quail, pheasants, etc.) require a permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Farris Bryant Building, 620 Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399, telephone (850) 488-6253. Domestic poultry being sold out of state must be enrolled in the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), and all shipments must be accompanied by a VS 9-3 form, a report of sales of hatching eggs, chicks and poultry. For information about becoming an NPIP participant, call (850) 251-1226 or visit  http://www.poultryimprovement.org/default.cfm. Ads for all migratory birds offered for sale must include a state game farm license number and a federal fish and wildlife permit number. For state license information, contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Farris Bryant Building, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399, telephone (850) 488-3641. For federal permit information, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 75 Spring St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, telephone (404) 679-7070. It is the seller’s and purchaser’s responsibility to have all required licenses and permits.

There it is the link for the NPIP cert! I click on the highlighted NPIP link and (deflated) I am routed back to the really bad NPIP page that I have already complained about. (I feel like I'm stuck again in that traffic circle outside the Cork airport when we began our driving tour of old Ireland.---No way out of the circle-just another lost yank tourist)

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So I am going to keep looking for this mysterious NPIP thing, and enjoy the wild birds around my turkeys. Great Blue Herons and big white Egrets have been feasting on walking catfish in the road ditch. The Painted Buntings have just began to appear from wherever they disappear to in the hot months.

The whistling ducks fly over the yard every night after sunset. So very cool!

Hey stranger

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Another update: And I have been mocking the Florida bureaucrats....

Been reading about veterinarian care (for poultry) in the United Kingdom and now understand that "over there" they go to vet school not for animal/poultry care/medicine but to educate themselves how to fill out the English Bureaucratic forms "based on EU laws"..... (I think)

But I passed the quiz!

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