From Another List:

=== If the ability to mail poultry is restored in the US, we will owe a huge debt of gratitude to Steve Boynton, the lawyer working for and with the North American Gamebird Association, and now working also for a newly-formed poultry shippers association (sorry, can't remember the name) formed by hatcheries and poultry clubs. THIS ASSOCIATION NEEDS MORE POULTRY-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS TO JOIN AND SUPPORT IT. ===

From Bud at McMurray Hatchery:

=== The name of the new organization is Bird Shippers of America. We will have a website www.birdshippers.org up by 9/6/2001. There is a membership page so if you would like to join we would sure like your support. ===

Folks are reporting that when they ship birds, the birds are returned to them the next day! (Proof that local post offices don't know what's going on!) Since NO live critters are being shipped, this is for ALL species. I know of one hatchery that has quit and shut down and another that's only shipping eggs.

You can thank PETA and the like for this.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), September 06, 2001

Answers

Interesting.... will have to check the website out later today. I just wanted to say that i feel that this decision will set precident and eventually all the breeders, be it fowl, dogs, goats, etc, will be feeling the decision.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), September 06, 2001.

What about bees???? I planned to requeen next spring. Can my bees be mailed to me or not???

-- Patricia Ramsey (woolspin@aol.com), September 06, 2001.

Just to play devil's advocate a bit, might this not open up opportunities for smaller, regional hatcheries, more in tune with what local markets want? How about being able to get a chicken breed that has been adapted to my regional environment, rather than one that's been bred to be adequate for many regions. Minor breeds might even sustain a comeback as people become more aware of them. Could be opportunities for many more to make some money on the land. Don't get me wrong, I have ordered from McMurray and liked the results, but why should we on one hand decry Monsanto and other large seed producers from breeding to limit available varieties of corn, but laud McMurray for having closed breeding lines and shipping them all over the country. Genetic diversity is good whether it be plant, mammal or fowl.

-- ray s (mmoetc@yahoo.com), September 06, 2001.

Good point, Ray, but I have to wonder whether there is enough demand in a lot of areas to warrant going into production. Where I live there are a few hobby breeders who sell chicks and eggs, but most of them barely break even. Sure, if we could not buy from the big hatcheries we would turn to local producers, but I still don't think the demand is there, in my area at least. A person can hatch out all the chicks in the world, but if the local market is not there it won't help much.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), September 06, 2001.

this will put many small hatcheries out of busness even those who hatch for local customers often depend on a portion of thier buseness to be shipped through the mail and with the minor breeds it could be a death sentence since there are few flocks and small numbers of birds new blood lines will become to difficult to obtain . murry was a hatchery for curiouse hobbyist some of the smaller hatcheries specialize and are hard core when it comes to breeding to type and quallity.dont get me wrong murry and strombergs are good companies they just are not the hatcheries that fit my needs but we will all suffer from the shipping problems

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), September 06, 2001.