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Saturday, December 08, 2007

Question

Does any one know how long it takes for Long Island Reds to start laying. My good neighbor and I have 6 month old birds, their combs are puffy and red, indicating that they should be laying, yet we haven't seen one egg. We are hoping for any moment now, but it seems longer then the other breeds we have.

Can any one ease our minds? We are ready to cull them shortly.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Good Fences Makes Good Neighbors

I use to think that the statement above meant that having good fencing and keeping your animals off others property made for a good neighbor. But lately I don't feel like that's true. Now it means to me that good fencing forces bad neighbors to steal elsewhere. And our fencing isn't good enough.

This last week all 13 of our teen birds disappeared in one night. No feathers nor bodies to be found. Two days later, the remainder of our meat birds disappeared. Our roosters and our bannies and are thinner hens are left. We have also found where people have been getting in.

And it is heartbreaking. We have lost over $200 worth of chickens, since we got a new neighbor. I want to say that I don't know who it is, unfortunately we have found the eggs that people were stealing out near a shared fence, as if they were being help in a shirt and rolled out as the climbed back under.

We made a mistake in thinking that we wouldn't be violated out here. We thought we were living behind that city mentality. We were wrong, and now have set into motion things that will force the neighbor to be good. Better fencing for starters.

Recently we met another neighbor, one we really enjoy. His buddies dog as the one that ate my English bannies, and he replaced them. of course most of those were stolen. It's neighbors like him and a few others, that keeps me from leaving quickly. We do have plans, but they are down the road.

The good neighbor brought me some of his family heirloom cows peas. They are gorgeous. I can't wait to get them growing. He also stopped by and brought a few more bannies for us yesterday. Luckily the bad neighbors don't seem to like bannies. I however think they are wonderful for watching, and brooding and a rooster is great canned.

So the moral of the story is, Good Fencing Forces Bad Neighbors Elsewhere.
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Oh now this is a good one. I have Google updates that notifies me of articles written about NAIS. This one By GC (Government Computer) cracks me up. It talks about the revised version of NAIS, and when you click on their link where it says you can read the updates and submit you opinions, it takes you to a registration page for Premise ID . Good trick guys. Of course you can click on more, but it still doesn't get you the updated version, it talks about how good NAIS is for you.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Store Bought Evil?

The other day we went into the city to see my mom. While there, it was decided that we would stay for dinner.

She pulled out a bottle of store bought ketchup, and my youngest immediately began shaking his head.


"No no no." he said placing his hands in front of him. "That's hot, it will make my head go. . ." he then made explosion noises and demonstrated the way a head would explode with his hands.

I then had to explain store bought ketchup to a 3 year old.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

NAIS And the non-issue of privacy concerns

One of the biggest worries that we have is privacy right. NAIS is proving itself to not be very quiet in the way it is handling those that sign up...what I have proof that these people don't even know they have signed up.

If you are in the scapies program, you might want to read this:

The USDA Scrapie website lists EVERYONE by state that is enrolled in the program. Name address flock number what they raise. Dates enrolled, and status. Scapies Flock Program, click it, pick any state.


For those of you in Virgina, this is long, but you might want to see it.


Read and forward to as many folks that you know of in Virginia to act - ANYONE!


2. Email, phone, fax, snail-mail state vet BEFORE Dec 14th public opinion deadline that you oppose regulation - 2 VAC 5-206

EMAIL: richard.wilkes@ vdacs.virginia. gov
FAX: 804.225.2666
PHONE: 804-692-0601


3. ATTEND meeting Thursday, the 6th in Richmond to voice your opposition -
Thursday, December 6, 2007, 11:00 am, 102 Governor St., VDACS Boardroom, Richmond, Virginia.

The scrapie regulations being promoted needs to be opposed at the hearing and through email and or phone calls.
In VDACS literature they were handing out at the state fair, VDACS openly declares that scrapie id and premises id will be rolled into NAIS.

For those not familiar with the NAIS, this is it in a nutshell:
Phase I: Registering your premises, linking it to GPS surveillance. This act strips away any property protection anyone has under the US constitution. Property is protected under the constitution – premises are not. The premises ID stay with the property for life. Phase 1, will force all animals within a certain area to be destroyed, without proof of infection if the USDA deems a disease eradicable. It will also stop movement of animals within that district, so that animals can't spread it.

Phase II: Micro-chipping every livestock animal you own (every head of poultry, swine, equine, camelids, sheep, goats, cattle and some fish, etc). This places all US livestock in the “National Herd” and the USDA will have jurisdiction over all livestock as well. This will mean chipping any animal the USDA deems as livestock and placing them in the hands of the government as well.

Phase III: Recording every movement your livestock makes to the USDA database within 24 hours from birth to death. This will include trail rides, fairs, petting zoos, shows, breeding, vet visits, etc. Non-compliance may result in $1000.00 a day fines and possible jail time. There are farmers or livestock owners that do not have the technology (Amish included) or access to comply. There are NO exemptions.

Due to high costs and other factors associated with this plan, it will put small farmers out of business. For more information on NAIS: www.nonais.com www.stopanimalid. com any of these sites will give further info.

Action is needed NOW:
This regulation will hurt small goat and sheep owners--potentially putting them out of business--and force them into NAIS by requiring them to register for a premises ID number.
According to proposed regulation 2 VAC 5-206, Regulation for Scrapie Eradication, sheep and goat owners must:
1. Register their farms with the State to obtain a Premises Identification Number
2. Keep records (which are subject to inspection by representatives of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services) for 5 years every time they buy, sell, move from one management to another or show/exhibit a sexually intact goat or sheep, unless that animal goes directly to slaughter.

DETAILS:
Any violation of this regulation is punishable by a year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine.
Scrapie is virtually a non-existent disease problem in Virginia . According to information VICFA obtained through a FOIA request to VDACS, zero cases in goats and only 3 cases in sheep have ever been recorded in Virginia .
Farmers registering their farms for the scrapie program will be rolled into the National Animal Identification System if it becomes law, forcing farmers into the NAIS through the backdoor. Even if NAIS is not made law, the scrapies program is not needed in the state of Virginia .
Implementation is under the authority of Dr. Richard Wilkes, Chief State Veterinarian of Virginia .

Submit your comments calling for the withdrawal of this proposed regulation 2 VAC 5-206:

EMAIL: richard.wilkes@ vdacs.virginia. gov
FAX: 804.225.2666
PHONE: 804-692-0601

Write:
Dr. Richard Wilkes
Division of Animal and Food Industry Services
P.O. Box 1163 , Richmond , VA 232187


FACTS regarding the Scrapies program:

Directly from the Goat Working Group report to USDA 2004 (no recent reports have been uploaded on the net)

Premises ID

Since goat owners currently are already assigned premise ID numbers with the NSEP (Scrapie) program, we recommend using the current scrapie premises number during the phase-in period. This could be linked initially, and later the new premise ID protocol would be implemented.

Identification Devices - (The GWG is encouraging RFID development in Goats)

Research with RFID devices for goats is underway in other countries. The technology is widely promoted and may prove to be acceptable as ID programs move forward, but there has been insufficient testing in goats in a variety of managements as of this date.

Completion of objective trials of RFID devices and readers for goats must address the wide range of managements and marketing systems in the U.S. as well as the variety of breeds of goats, which have a range of coats as well as ear types.

… since there is no USDA approved site for electronic implants in goats, this area needs attention to address possible food safety concerns. Auricular (ear) EIDs are approved for sheep.

Implementation Time Table

Until electronic identification (RFID or other method) has been fully tested under the range of managements and environments; other methods of identification currently accepted with the Scrapie program should be acceptable for goat ID. As those trials are completed and design changes identified, the transition to a uniform method consistent with NAIS protocol would move forward. If sufficient funds are available to conduct this research and funds are provided to assist producers in the purchase of the devices, a three-year time frame could be adequate for implementation of a uniform national goat identification program. We support continuation of the current cost-sharing approach used for the Scrapie program.

Successful Implementation

The implementation of a successful national goat identification program will address and include the following components:

1. A gradual transition to the new identification protocol by using the existing Scrapie program-approved ID methods initially. Continued flexibility of ID methods/devices should be allowed.

2. Evaluate a system that would allow existing ID methods to be incorporated into a uniform National ID System. For example, the unique tattoo or electronic implant requirement of a dairy goat registry could be tied to a registration number that conforms to NAIS standards.

We also recommend ongoing communication our trading partners in North America while also communicating with other global partners to address the needs of animal identification

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This is a copy of an email I received. Did you note that the fines have increased? This post needs to be passed along, not just to people in Virgina, but to everyone, as it concerns all of us. Forget about owning personal property, forget about privacy, forget owning your own animals, this is the National herd we are talking about. People are being forced without consent and without knowledge into the NAIS and Premise ID programs.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Tools Used for Butchering and Dressing Out Poultry

This is Part 7 of the Series Tools (used on my 'stead) Parts 1-6 can be found here.

ButcheringThis picture was rigged for dramatic effect, and I thought it was funny.


Butchering, a pretty picture it does not make. But would look good on the cover of a horror novel. When it comes to butchering your bird, there is relatively few tools involved. Your hands will be important in many different aspects, from catching to the actual butcher, be it done by hand or man made objects.

For the process you will also need rope, and a high enough place to allow your bird to bleed out. We use a tree. A machete, or hatchet can be used. A board, or in our case a piece of railroad tie that has two nails hammered in about 2 inches apart. The most important of all your tools, nerves.

Dressing out/processing your birds.

Depending on the size of your bird you will need either a large garbage can (only thing that would hold our turkey)
or a large pot.

Water and a heat source are needed. Also a place to dress out the bird, such as a tarp on a table

or in the case of our ducks and chickens, a trash bag and a piece of ground. (Another thing on our list to build is a slaughtering house) running water and a hose should be close by. A pair of excellent field shears and knife. Pliers, small torch, instructions if it your first time, a husband or male that is willing to do the dirty work for you, and a stomach made of steel.

Storing is a matter of cooking and eating, canning or wrapping for the freezer.

For more on how-to do these things, read Butchering your Rooster, Butchering your Ducks, and Butchering your Turkey.

And please, I already know all the arguments against eating meat, remember I was a vegan for a very long time. So please, no outlandish comments about how evil I am.

Also I am requesting that my fellow homesteaders that blog to please write a list of tools that you use for butchering and dressing out the type of livestock that you keep. Tim, looking at you for rabbits. It doesn't need to be a how-to, just a list of tools, for this is my limit on butchering. Please leave a comment here with the link, thank you.

A Little NAIS with your Coffee?

I found it brilliant that the media in all their power has chosen to ignore, or pretty up NAIS. Occasionally an article will come out that will highlight the negatives of the program, but today is not one of those days.

The Summit Daily News has released an article about The State Fair Board of Colorado standing behind their decision to require all people that choose to auction their animals at state fairs to have a premise ID. Do you remember when I said that even if you live in a condo, and your 4Her raised 1 rabbit that your little condo would have to be registered as a farm? Here it is, this is what this federally voluntary program is causing states to do. (Like Illinois recently) The article I would like you to see is entitled State Fair stands by premise ID policy. I think I will be the doom on you person today.

What this very short tidbit of an article doesn't say is that Premise id isn't about tracking animals for disease, it's about know what your are doing on your land. It is the NAIS portion of the program that will track. The Summit Daily News states "
Supporters say the "premise ID" portion of the NAIS allows animals to be tracked relatively quickly in case of an animal disease outbreak." I know they have a fact checker somewhere.

Now I am not going to sit here and nit pick this small article to pieces, I will allow you to do that. I only have one other important bit of info to add to this.

"Two exhibitors were disqualified from the state fair this year because their premises weren't properly registered" Let's take a step back and look at this innocently written statement, exhibitors, disqualified? Here is when I say they like to pretty things up. I think a more accurate statement would have been, 2 members of 4H were escorted off Fair Grounds by security early this year when it was brought to the boards attention that the children's parents were not signed up with the premise ID registration and refused to do so.

Now the Brownfield Network is reporting that the NCBA will push for NAIS in their Magazine,
USDA teams with NCBA on premises registration. The only thing I really have to say is, well read this last line from the article. On the other hand, Wisconsin has the sixth largest group of premises to register. And according to the statistics released by APHIS last week, Wisconsin has already registered more premises, 115%, than USDA has records for. umm...does this bother anyone else? The USDA does NOT have records for these registrations? But APHIS does? I know that APHIS is the main reason we have NAIS coming down strong, well besides big business and their overwhelming need to sell overseas. But why would they have 2 different sets of records. If the USDA isn't overseeing this like we all thought, is APHIS the true mis- informer here?

APHIS:To protect the health and value of American agriculture and natural resources. What confuses me is that people want to help animals, yet wish to implant something that the Dutch have linked with cancer is horses. How exactly is this better? They wish to protect animals yet show up on a farm and "depopulate" an entire healthy herd on a suspicion. More then once I might add.

A while back there was talk of some underhanded legalized tricking of poor farmers to sign up their farms. It was a farm census that was sent out. Farmers and ranchers were a little uneasy about this. The census wasn't due, yet here it was arriving at there doorstep. Another form of legalized trickery, is not bothering to inform the people that Premise ID or NAIS will affect.

Tim over on Applehead is at his new job recently received a letter from his senator. Please, share yours with us. Many of us are interested in what they are saying about NAIS.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Congratulations!

Congrats to Not A Proper Farmer who has been chosen as The Best Homesteading Blog for December 2007 by The Modern Homestead!

Tools for Raising Poultry

This is Part 6 of the Tools (used on my 'stead) series. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5 can be found by clicking the links.

Currently the main livestock that we raise are Chickens. Yet we do raise or have raised, ducks, geese, and turkeys. Types of tools used can and have changed over the course of the years that we have raised poultry. We started with the chick brooder kit that can be found here, at the McMurray Hatchery. If you have the room, it is great. Unfortunately we do not have the room, and it became problematic. Next we tried a child's swimming pool and then our master bathtub. It worked great until the turkeys decided they could fly, we used shredded paper as litter. We stuck to the tub experiment for the next several broodings. Soon we were given a rabbit hutch, and successfully brooded our chicks in here, less mess. We are now in the process of drawing up blueprints for an outside hatchery.

Heat lamps, litter, feeders, and waters are important tools needing in brooding. Around 6 weeks you are able to move your chicks outdoors. (we have built a seperate nursery where the adults can check up and meet with the little ones, without the chicks getting hurt)This is when a chicken coop will come in handy. You will also need proper fencing, depending how far you want them to roam. We allow them out of their 1/2 acre enclosure when we are outside to keep 4 legged predators away.

The same needs are present, the litter to make nests, feeders (or feed them by hand, tossing the grain on the ground) and waters. Heat lamps are a good idea in the winter. Ours is set on a timer to ensure that they get the required amount of darkness, yet able to stay warm. A heated waterer or trough with a heating element in it, is a must have if you live in an area that freezes. I also feed them a mash that has been heated with hot milk. In the summer, ice cubes are placed in the water to keep it cooler.

Places to hide, nest or roost are placed in many different areas. We tend to "repurpose" items for this. Old work benches, buckets, washtubs, are used for nests. Metal pipes, parts of old bed frames and old timber are used for roosts.

A good litter that we found is a mix of straw and shredded paper. The hens love the shredded paper to build their nests. A good basket is important to gather large quantity of eggs, or even just a couple. More then likely while you are gathering eggs you will see something that needs to be taken care of.

More tools used, are a place to keep the feed, hand pumped well, a hose to fill the waters, hot fencing to keep predators away, and a long stick to protect yourself from that bad attitude rooster that is dead set on killing you. A large net is useful when it comes to catching those birds that are uncooperative.

Old tires are used for the geese and ducks to build nest in, these are placed close to a pond. Ponds are important if you are breeding geese. The males can get a little excited about the project and can seriously injure the female. If you have ducks, make sure you get both males and females. The males killed our hens because of the lack of females. They would chase them into the pond and be randy with them until they drowned. We ate the ducks.

Tomorrow, Tools Needed to Butcher your Poultry.
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