The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: lordlonk on January 31, 2009, 02:36:10 pm

Title: does your feed merchant ask you foryour addressand postcode
Post by: lordlonk on January 31, 2009, 02:36:10 pm

here in Lincolnshire a large feed merchant  that has severalstores across leicstershire nottinghamshire and licolnshire ask you for a postcode-a house number even if you dont want  a account facility.

Asked why this was  they replied  " in case theres a problem with the feed we can contact you " -

For chickens i replied?

espiecally for chickens ?

Is this i wonder a defra ploy to see by the level of feed bought who may have more chickens than they advise they have or a way to make all smallholders  even with a minority of birds be accountable  to future legislation like movement of cattle passports.
Sheep  i understand are being discussed about having passports - is this the beginning for chickens too ? :chook:

Title: Re: does your feed merchant ask you foryour addressand postcode
Post by: Pomona on January 31, 2009, 10:31:55 pm

Well...

There ARE plans for a GB Poultry Register, but not for passports - it would be unworkable in flocks of hens given the short life-span of commercial meat and hen-layer birds.  The idea behind registering is that if there are any outbreaks of bird flu (unlikely) they can alert owners and tell you what you have to do to keep your poultry safe, but it's not a legal requirement to provide information for that.  Yet.  And there's no mechanism for feed merchants supplying information to DEFRA etc.  So I don't think that's why you were asked - to be honest I would be more inclined to think that it was in case there were any problems with the feed further down the line, or marketing.   ::)

Title: Re: does your feed merchant ask you foryour addressand postcode
Post by: lordlonk on February 01, 2009, 08:44:26 am

thanks for the advice - i seem to have posted the  topic twice  for some reason. Thanks for your  message as i had a  feeling that theres some plans to do tagging with sheepthat chickens would at some point come into the equation. Thanks