Kids may no longer be able to take care of their animals

[SheepGirl]

Read full article: http://tonawanda-news.com/columns/x1295780478/CONFER-Changes-to-child-labor-laws-hurt-farmers

Excerpts:

Furthermore, most 14- and 15-year-old workers would be prevented from operating any tractor, all-terrain vehicle, milking machine, or lawn mower.

Adding even more hassle, untrained youth will not be allowed in the proximity of any motorized device during their course of work, meaning that young farm workers could not be anywhere near an elevator, or even a wagon pulled behind a tractor, preventing them from baling hay or loading and unloading barns, even though they are nowhere near the controls.

Everyone under the age of 18 will be strictly prohibited from any and all acts of animal husbandry. They wont be able to corral and herd cattle, pigs or poultry. They wont be allowed to brand, breed, treat or raise animals. Theyd be denied access to stockyards, cattle auctions, and feed lots. They cant pitch manure or feed chickens or cows.

I'm not sure if this is for paid kids or for unpaid kids? Though of course I guess if you sell a product you are getting paid...I sell wool so this better not happen within the next 7 months. I turn 18 in July and if I'm not even able to feed my sheep that is just rediculous.

 

[SheepGirl]

More information: http://www.lexch.com/articles/2011/12/04/news/regional/doc4ed67aaf215af831810254.txt

Okay...if I'm correct, apparently this only applies to kids who are employed by their family's farm organized as a corporation and kids who are employed by another farm, regardless of organizations.

 

[fortheloveofgoats]

This is just unreal, we can't have our children help out, we can't discipline our children, so what can we do? Since when does the government have so much say in what we do with our kids? I do agree with them helping out with children that are being neglected and being abused. But to the point of this?

 

[greybeard]

Where wuz this when I was a kid???

 

[fortheloveofgoats]

Where wuz this when I was a kid???