RFQ27006927 Specifications - Supplemental Bid to RFQ26006476.pdf

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RFQ27006927– AGENCY SOLICITATION SPECIFICATIONS

ADULT RINGNECK PHEASANTS FOR RHODE ISLAND PHEASANT HUNTING

PROGRAM – SUPPLEMENTAL BID TO RFQ26006476

SECTION A. BACKGROUND

The ring-necked pheasant is native to Asia and was first brought over to the United States in 1881.

Since then, pheasant releases occurred throughout the United States and wild populations became established in suitable habitats. In Rhode Island, pheasants became well established in the early 1900s from historic releases. At this time Rhode Island’s landscape was dominated by open farmland, pastureland, and grassland. Pheasants could be found statewide, but the largest populations were in southern Rhode Island (e.g., Washington, Bristol, and Newport counties).

State sponsored pheasant stocking began in the 1950s to supplement declining wild population and to provide additional opportunity for upland bird hunters on state land. At present, the only pheasants occurring on mainland Rhode Island are stocked by the RIDEM Division of Fish and Wildlife or private hunting clubs. The loss of mainland wild pheasant populations in Rhode Island primarily occurred due to landscape changes, with most farmland, pastureland, and grasslands being converted to housing developments and mature forests. Limited gear is required to successfully pheasant hunt and pheasants are prized table fare, which makes pheasant hunting an important avenue to recruit new hunters into the sport and support conservation, while providing current hunters with pheasant hunting opportunity.

This solicitation is being issued as a supplemental bid to RFQ26006476 for the Adult Ringneck Pheasants for Rhode Island Pheasant Hunting Program. The purpose of this supplemental solicitation is to obtain additional sources of supply to meet the Department's operational needs during the contract term. Existing contracts awarded under RFQ26006476 will remain in effect.

The State anticipates making one or more awards under this supplemental solicitation, as determined to be in the best interest of the State. Orders may be placed with any awarded contractor based on the Department's operational needs, contractor capacity, availability of birds, delivery schedules, geographic considerations, pricing, and any other factors the State determines are appropriate. No minimum quantity or dollar amount of work is guaranteed to any awarded contractor.

SECTION B: SCOPE OF WORK AND REQUIREMENTS

A. PRICES:

Prices quoted by in-state and/or out-of-state vendors shall be the net price per bird f.o.b., 277 Great Neck Rd., West Kingston, Rhode Island.

B. PACKING:

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Delivery of adult pheasants shall be made in standard game bird shipping crates furnished by the vendor. Pheasants delivered in containers other than specified will be subject to rejection.

C. DELIVERY:

The delivery of pheasants will be at 277 Great Neck Rd., West Kingston.

Deliveries up to 3 times per week (no more than 24 total deliveries), may be required weekly beginning the second week of October through January of the following year. All deliveries shall be made as ordered and within the period specified on the proposal schedule. All birds shall be dry at time of crating for delivery on specified dates of stocking.

Specified delivery dates may be changed due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, as determined by the Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife. The breeder will be notified at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the delivery required and of any changes to the delivery.

Delivery of pheasants purchased from out-of-state breeders shall include all transportation and delivery charges fully prepaid by the contractor to specified delivery points. All crates that the contractor desires to be returned by the State, will be returned express charges collect. The State reserves the right to pick up at the farm, birds raised at out-of-state game farms when and if conditions warrant. The State reserves the right to request and accept at contract prices, delivery of pheasants in an amount up to ten percent more or less than the number contracted for.

D. PRODUCTION METHODS:

The State reserves the right to inspect the breeder’s farm prior to the award of any contract, and, if in the opinion of the State, the methods of equipment employed by such breeder are deemed unsatisfactory, the bid of such breeder is subject to rejection or revision, with respect to quantity offered.

All pheasants herein offered and to be delivered must be raised by the bidder at his or their own game farm and in accordance with the Statement of Production Methods and Equipment submitted with and a part of the proposal.

E. BASIS OF

AWARD: In making awards, consideration may be given to the following factors:

1. To Rhode Island breeders, other conditions and factors being equal.

2. Past performance as based on the quality rating which is a part of the receiving report completed by a state biologist at the time of delivery.

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3. To pheasants raised by methods that most closely approximate natural conditions, i.e., range reared in fields with natural cover.

4. To pheasants raised without the use of brails, wing clipping and/or beaks altered from natural conformation. Contracts may be awarded first to bidders offering pheasants raised without the use of brails, wing clipping and/or beak alteration.

5. Where pheasants are raised and/or held in covered pens, when such pens have the following minimum dimensions:

Length – 100 ft.; Width – 25 ft.; Height – 6 ft.

6. To limit the number of pheasants to be purchased from any breeder on the basis of holding pen capacity at the scale of one bird to a minimum of twenty square feet of ground area.

7. To limit awards to breeders offering a minimum of 1,500 pheasants.

8. To give consideration to the cost of inspection by the State of the game farms of out-of-state breeders.

9. To limit awards to game farms whose breeding stock is disease free, including avian influenza and pullorum, and the incubation of their pheasant eggs will be done in pullorum accredited hatcheries or in the game breeders’ own incubators.

F. INSPECTION

AND

REJECTION: The State of Rhode Island reserves the right to inspect the pheasant breeding, rearing, and holding facilities of any contractor at any reasonable time. The representative of the State shall have the right during any visit to remove not over two pheasants for analysis purposes.

In the event that the results of such analysis indicate the pheasant to be free from disease, the State shall reimburse the breeder in an amount not in excess of the contract price. Should such analysis disclose the presence of disease, the cost of the pheasant shall be borne by the contractor and the State shall have the right to cancel the contract or such balance of the contract as remains undelivered.

If, in the course of inspection, the methods or equipment employed by any contractor are deemed to be unsatisfactory, the state may direct the contractor to make such changes as seem necessary or to cancel the undelivered balance or contract, in whole or in part.

All pheasants, at the time of delivery, which do not conform to specifications as indicated in section H. will be rejected at the breeding farm if produced in Rhode Island or at the point of delivery if produced out-of-state. Any pheasants, which have been rejected, will be shipped back to the owner at his own risk with transportation charges collect.

G. PENALTIES:

Failure on the part of any bidder to accept contract rendered in accordance with his bid will be deemed sufficient cause to eliminate the bidder.

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It is expressly understood and agreed that failure for any reason upon the part of any contractor to successfully fulfill all or any part of his contract within the time specified will constitute authority for the Director of Purchases to purchase pheasants in the open market to replace those rejected and/or not delivered. On all such purchases the contractor agrees, on demand, to reimburse the State for excess costs in an amount not to exceed any additional cost between the contract price for each pheasant rejected and/or not delivered.

Contractor unable to fulfill commitment or any portion of commitment for any reason shall immediately report in writing to the Dept. of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife the complete circumstances, which resulted in the inability to fulfill the contract.

H. ADULT PHEASANT SPECIFICATIONS:

1. Common varieties of adult game or ring-neck pheasants must be included in the bid. Bids that included some non-typical varieties may be accepted.

2. Adult pheasants shall be delivered live, healthy, and free from disease and any physical defects as determined by inspection of pheasants at any time. National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) certification is preferred. All birds shall be of uniform age and color.

3. Adult pheasants shall be a minimum of 16 weeks of age for delivery in October and 18 weeks of age for delivery thereafter.

4. Adult ring-necked pheasants shall be in good natural body condition and weight:

1) Not less than 3 pounds or more than 5 pounds for males.

2) Not less than 2 ¼ pounds nor more than 3 ½ pounds for females.

5. Pheasants shall be full-winged, full plumaged and capable of maintaining strong flight. Beaks shall have natural conformation at time of delivery.

6. Pheasants shall be suitable for immediate release and capable of maintaining themselves in the wild.