Posted on 07/26/2015 10:02:11 AM PDT by Rebelbase
RALEIGH — A controversial decision by state agriculture officials is drawing the ire of backyard chicken owners and supporters.
The N.C. Department of Agricutlure and Consumer Services issued a statement Wednesday saying it is now requiring all poultry owners, regardless of the number of birds, to register for an NCFarmID number.
The identification program is usually voluntary, but has been made mandatory for all backyard poultry farmers.
“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,” said State Veterinarian Doug Meckes. “We need to know where poultry are located so we can properly protect commercial and backyard flocks.”
Officials say the information used “solely for animal health purposes” and “will provide animal health officials with necessary contact information in case of an animal health concern.”
However, some state residents see the measure as nothing more than government overreach.
“They claim that it is to protect N.C. poultry from the bird flu, but it feels like they are using this as an excuse to target and track owners of backyard chickens,” said Nicole Revels, a conservative activist from Caldwell County. “There has not been a single case of the avian flu in North Carolina.”
When she heard about the registration Thursday, Revels created a Facebook page called “NO to NC Chicken Registration,” which garnered more than 350 “likes” within 36 hours.
There is also a link to a petition demanding state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler “rescind this decree and work to protect our right to do as we choose on our own property without having to ask for government permission.”
“Also there is something to be said about the fact that this measure is implemented by way of declaration of Steve Troxler rather than by a legislative process in which the people have input and representation,” Revels added. “I voted for Steve Troxler in 2012, but I never thought he would use the position to bring about this kind of action.”
According to Revels, it is already difficult enough for many people to have backyard chickens, due to local restrictions.
Several municipalities in Richmond County have such restrictions.
No fowl are permitted in the city of Hamlet, according to Zoning Coordinator Gail Strickland. Ellerbe Mayor Lee Berry said residents in that town are allowed to have up to 12 hens, but no roosters.
Revels, a homeschooling mother, said she was planning to get backyard chickens as a part of this year’s curriculum for her 7-year-old son, but now feels targeted with the implementation of a further data collection measure.
“The state stepping in with an additional compliance measure just makes it more difficult for individuals to live an independent life free from the interference of elected officials and bureaucrats,” she said.
Yes, you are correct but they are migratory... they move through and the resident chickens in back yards stay and incubate avian influenza.
Have you seen it wipe out a growing center? I have and it is not just devastating for the growers, we all suffer. Buy some eggs, if you don’t know how much they once cost the increase is substantial and it is because of loss of laying flocks.
Beef is too high for most of us. Chicken is still an affordable protien but without control of avian influenza it will join beef in being cost out of reach. Next come hogs.
SC mandates chicken registration. Obama and Kerry are first to register.
(Ever been spurred by an angry rooster? Ain’t fun.)
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Yup .... had a mean rooster who made feeding the animals down at the barn a real adventure every day! I usually had to have something in hand to fend him off ... shovel, rake, pitch fork ...... I made the mistake of having no defensive weapons one day & he caught me at the gate & ripped the hose off my legs (I was on the way to work) & then chased me up on the woodpile. After he dodged a couple of logs I chucked at him, he lost interest & started chasing the hens. He originally came with 6 hens and I think the last one (who was getting his undivided attention at that point & had no feathers on her back) committed suicide by drowning herself in the water trough. When ‘Brewster” started chasing the horses, I got him some old laying hens which made him happy for a while. He was finally attacked by some dogs ... the neighbors found him in a ditch and brought him home wrapped in a baby diaper and he was never quite the same after that. He ended up “blue” temporarily from the antibiotic spray I used on him. After remarkably surviving, he started hanging out with one of the horses and sleeping in her stall every night - at that point, he was no longer an ‘attack rooster’ (Obama would have wanted him registered as an assault weapon in his younger years). One night, he was accidentally locked out of the barn and was just a pile of feathers in the morning. We still talk about “Brewster the (blue) Rooster” ... he’s a legend around the farm.
None. Nor the Muslims. That would be discrimination or against their religion or offensive or some other BS.
Switch to raising turkeys or ducks.
I am so glad I got out of the Hollywood of the South, that North Carolina has become. It’s getting almost as statist as Noo Joisey.
Or it could be code for those of us conservatives who are trying to teach our kids about hard work and being an entrepreneur (selling eggs). But hey, nice aspersions!
Do you live in the city?
It's for the chilluns chickuns.
Right in the heart of suburbia, in a very avg middle class subdivision...
BTTT
You must have some interesting zoning laws.
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