The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is using
the Midwestern poultry avian flu outbreak as an opportunity to decree new
requirements for chicken farmers. These newly released rules - in case of a
potential event - have prompted small family farms, and backyard chicken
owners to wonder how cozy the Ag Commission wants to be - and what happens
if a quarantine is declared.
All poultry owners are now required to register for an NC Farm ID number,
regardless of the number of birds owned.
This ID number will help the department to alert poultry owners about
outbreaks.
Owners can register online after August 1.
It's that word "regardless" that has people talking. Seriously - NCFarmID
for one or two chickens? NCFarmID regardless
<http://www.ncagr.gov/avianflu/>. Some backyard chicken owners already
don't appreciate what they feel is an invasive mandate.
“In planning our response for highly pathogenic avian influenza, one
problem we’ve come across is that we can’t protect birds that we don’t know
exist,” Meckes said. “We need to know where poultry are located so we can
properly protect commercial and backyard flocks."
Given the government's previous treatment of backyard gardeners, family
farms and chicken owners, with the addition of destructive practices should
an outbreak be declared and a general misunderstanding and mistreatment of
independent growers - it isn't too surprising that backyard free-range
owners are concerned about getting flagged in a database. If previous
abuses like the Rawesome food raid
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/03/rawsome-raid-_n_917540.html>
and Morningland
Dairy Cheese
<http://www.activistpost.com/2013/01/final-fda-raid-and-takeover-of.html>
hadn't taken place, then maybe people would be happier to help without
concerns of targeting and food source destruction.
*The Food and Commerce Crimp-Down Continues*
Bird sales were already limited earlier this year, but now shows and live
bird sales will be cancelled this fall and winter. Individual sales will
still be allowed, but sellers - including pet store owners - are prompted
to quarantine their chicks for 2-4 weeks to be in compliance with "
biosecurity <http://www.ncagr.gov/avianflu/>." More rules are in place
for farmers
markets <http://www.ncagr.gov/avianflu/index.htm#tabs-11>.
Additionally, there is a requirement for poultry farmers to submit an HPAI
(avian flu) outbreak plan if they have 200 or more birds. That plan
submission - required by September, is not required for those a part of the
national poultry improvement plan.
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[permaculture] Natural Health News and Wellness Tips: Is NC Requiring Barcodes for Backyard Chicken Owners?,
Lawrence London, 07/23/2015