What Does Identity Confirmed Mean?
When you see the Identity Confirmed badge on a breeder profile, it means The Breeder Registry has independently confirmed that the person controlling the profile is associated with the homestead or breeding operation represented.
That’s all the badge is intended to confirm.
It’s an additional piece of information that can help keepers know there’s an established person or homestead behind the profile they’re viewing.
What Doesn’t It Mean?
Identity Confirmed is not an inspection, certification, recommendation, or endorsement.
The badge does not mean The Breeder Registry has:
• Inspected the breeder’s property or facilities
• Inspected or assessed their birds
• Evaluated their breeding program or husbandry practices
• Verified the health of their flock
• Verified every statement made on their profile
• Determined that they’re the right breeder for you
Keepers should still read the breeder’s profile, policies and reviews, ask appropriate questions, and make their own purchasing decisions.
Identity Confirmed tells you who is behind the profile. It doesn’t tell you whether you should buy from them.
How Is Identity Confirmed?
Some Nova Scotia poultry breeders and their homesteads are already personally known to The Breeder Registry. When I can independently confirm who is operating a profile from that existing knowledge, no additional verification is necessary.
For breeders I don’t already know, identity can be confirmed through an established independent online presence connected to their homestead or breeding operation.
The breeder will be given a temporary verification code to place on that established website or social media account. Once I’ve confirmed the code is there, it can be removed and the Identity Confirmed badge can be added to their Registry profile.
The purpose is simply to establish that the person controlling the Registry profile also controls the established breeder presence they say belongs to them.
What Counts as an Established Online Presence?
There isn’t a follower requirement or an arbitrary rule that an account must be a particular number of months old. I’m looking for a genuine existing presence for the homestead or breeding operation, not a brand-new page created solely for the purpose of obtaining a badge.
I’ll consider the account or website as a whole when deciding whether it provides reasonable independent confirmation.
What If a Breeder Doesn’t Have an Online Presence?
They can still have a profile on The Breeder Registry. Being Identity Confirmed is not required to be listed.
If a breeder doesn’t yet have an established independent presence that can be verified, their profile simply won’t display the badge. They can request identity confirmation later if that changes.
The absence of an Identity Confirmed badge should therefore not be treated as a warning or indication that something is wrong with a breeder. It only means their identity hasn’t been independently confirmed through the Registry’s process.
Why Have the Badge at All?
Unfortunately, poultry sales aren’t immune to fake profiles and people advertising birds that don’t exist.
Being Identity Confirmed provides one small additional layer of transparency. It lets a keeper know that The Breeder Registry has taken a reasonable step to connect the profile they’re viewing with an established breeder or homestead. It isn’t meant to replace doing your own homework. It’s simply one more useful piece of information while you do it.