SAY NO to HB# 468 keep our feathered freinds

ATTENTION KENTUCKY SMALL FLOCK OWNERS

February 17th 2005



FRANKFORT, Ky. A committee of Legislators met today to amend a kentucky law. The law would read as follows:

AN ACT relating to poultry.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
Section 1. KRS 257.400 is amended to read as follows:
All poultry under five (5) months of age including baby chicks, started chicks, turkey poults, and other newly hatched domestic poultry except those intended for immediate slaughter which may be admitted under permit issued by the Division of Animal Health, and hatching eggs sold or offered for sale in this state, shall have originated from flocks that meet the pullorum requirements of the National Poultry Improvement Plan or equivalent program[Kentucky Poultry Improvement Plan or the Kentucky Turkey Improvement Plan], and the regulations promulgated by authority of KRS 257.370 to 257.460 for the control and eradication of pullorum disease. Nothing in KRS 257.370 to 257.460, however, shall require any hatchery, dealer, or flock owner to participate in the National Poultry Improvement Plan.
Section 2. KRS 257.410 is amended to read as follows:
All poultry under five (5) months of age, including baby chicks, started chicks, turkey poults, other newly hatched domestic poultry, except those intended for immediate slaughter, and hatching eggs shipped or otherwise brought into this state shall have originated in flocks that meet the pullorum requirements of the national poultry improvement plan, the national turkey improvement plan,[ the Kentucky Poultry Improvement Association,] and the administrative regulations promulgated by authority of KRS 257.370 to 257.460. Every container of poultry under five (5) months of age, including baby chicks, started chicks, turkey poults, and any other newly hatched domestic poultry, except those intended for immediate slaughter, and hatching eggs shipped or otherwise brought into this state shall bear an official label or certificate showing the name and address of the shipper, the authority under which the testing for pullorum disease was done, and the pullorum control and eradication class of the product, the use of the certificate or label to be approved by the official state agency or the Division of Animal Health official of the state of origin.



A well respected small flock owner Matt John was contacted this morning to go to Frankfort and speak on our behalf. The committee never afforded him an opportunity to speak.

Should this bill pass it would put all the power of regulating poultry into the hands of one entity which is controlled by the commercial industry. We the small flock owner would not be adequately represented and our very right to own poultry may be in jeopardy. The Time to act is now. Contact your legislator and tell him to vote NO on HB #468.

You can find your representative by visiting http://lrc.ky.gov

And you can read the Bill at http://lrc.ky.gov/record/05rs/hb468.htm