145.83—Terminology and classification; flocks and products.
Participating flocks, and the eggs and chicks produced from them, which have met the respective requirements specified in this section, may be designated by the following terms and the corresponding designs illustrated in § 145.10 :
(b) U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean.
A flock in which freedom from pullorum and typhoid has been demonstrated to the Official State Agency under the criteria in paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section: Provided, That a flock qualifying by means of a blood test shall be tested within the past 12 months, except that the retesting of a participating flock which is retained for more than 12 months shall be conducted a minimum of 4 weeks after the induction of molt. (See § 145.14 relating to the official blood test where applicable.)
(i)
The primary breeding flock is located in a State in which pullorum disease or fowl typhoid is not known to exist nor to have existed in hatchery supply flocks within the State during the preceding 12 months and in which it has been determined by the Service that:
(A)
All hatcheries within the State are qualified as “National Plan Hatcheries” or have met equivalent requirements for pullorum-typhoid control under official supervision;
(B)
All hatchery supply flocks within the State are qualified as U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean or have met equivalent requirements for pullorum-typhoid control under official supervision: Provided, That if other domesticated fowl, except waterfowl, are maintained on the same premises as the participating flock, freedom from pullorum-typhoid infection shall be demonstrated by an official blood test of each of these fowl;
(C)
All shipments of products other than U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean, or equivalent, into the State are prohibited;
(D)
All persons performing poultry disease diagnostic services within the State are required to report to the Official State Agency within 48 hours the source of all poultry specimens from which S. pullorum or S. gallinarum is isolated;
(E)
All reports of any disease outbreak involving a disease covered under the Plan are promptly followed by an investigation by the Official State Agency to determine the origin of the infection; Provided, That if the origin of the infection involves another State, or if there is exposure to poultry in another State from the infected flock, then officials administering the National Poultry Improvement Plan will conduct an investigation;
(F)
All flocks found to be infected with pullorum or typhoid are quarantined until marketed or destroyed under the supervision of the Official State Agency, or until subsequently blood tested following the procedure for reacting flocks as contained in § 145.14(a)(5) of this subchapter, and all birds fail to demonstrate pullorum or typhoid infection;
(G)
All poultry, including exhibition, exotic, and game birds, but excluding waterfowl, going to public exhibition shall come from U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean or equivalent flocks, or have had a negative pullorum-typhoid test within 90 days of going to public exhibition; and
(H)
Discontinuation of any of the conditions or procedures described in paragraphs (b)(2)(i)(A) through (b)(2)(i)(G) of this section, or the occurrence of repeated outbreaks of pullorum or typhoid in poultry breeding flocks within or originating within the State shall be grounds for the Service to revoke its determination that such conditions and procedures have been met or complied with. Such action shall not be taken until a thorough investigation has been made by the Service and the Official State Agency has been given an opportunity to present its views; and
(ii)
In the primary breeding flock, a sample of 300 birds from flocks of more than 300, and each bird in flocks of 300 or less, has been officially tested for pullorum-typhoid with no reactors: Provided, That a bacteriological examination monitoring program acceptable to the Official State Agency and approved by the Service may be used in lieu of blood testing.
(c) U.S. M. Gallisepticum Clean.
(1)
A flock maintained in compliance with the provisions of § 147.26 of this subchapter and in which freedom from M. gallisepticum has been demonstrated under the criteria specified in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section.
(i)
It is a flock in which all birds or a sample of at least 300 birds has been tested for M. gallisepticum as provided in § 145.14(b) of this subchapter when more than 4 months of age: Provided, That to retain this classification, a minimum of 40 birds shall be tested at intervals of not more than 28 days, and a total of at least 150 birds shall be tested within each 90-day period.
(2)
A participant handling U.S. M. Gallisepticum Clean products must handle only products of equivalent status.
(3)
U.S. M. Gallisepticum Clean chicks shall be boxed in clean boxes and delivered in trucks that have been cleaned and disinfected as described in § 147.24(a) of this subchapter.
(d) U.S. M. Synoviae Clean.
(1)
A flock maintained in compliance with the provisions of § 147.26 of this subchapter and in which freedom from M. synoviae has been demonstrated under the criteria specified in paragraph (d)(1)(i) of this section.
(i)
It is a flock in which all birds or a sample of at least 300 birds has been tested for M. synoviae as provided in § 145.14(b) of this subchapter when more than 4 months of age: Provided, That to retain this classification, a sample of at least 40 birds shall be tested at intervals of not more than 28 days, and a total of at least 150 birds shall be tested within each 90-day period.
(2)
A participant handling U.S. M. Synoviae Clean products shall handle only products of equivalent status.
(3)
U.S. M. Synoviae Clean chicks shall be boxed in clean boxes and delivered in trucks that have been cleaned and disinfected as described in § 147.24(a) of this subchapter.
(e) U.S. S. Enteritidis Clean.
This classification is intended for primary meat-type breeders wishing to assure their customers that the chicks produced are certified free of Salmonella enteritidis.
(1)
A flock and the hatching eggs and chicks produced from it shall be eligible for this classification if they meet the following requirements, as determined by the Official State Agency:
(i)
The flock originated from a U.S. S. Enteritidis Clean flock, or one of the following samples has been examined bacteriologically for S. enteritidis at an authorized laboratory and any group D Salmonella samples have been serotyped:
(A)
A 25-gram sample of meconium from the chicks in the flock collected and cultured as described in § 147.12(a)(5) of this subchapter; or
(B)
A sample of chick papers collected and cultured as described in § 147.12(c) of this subchapter; or
(A)
Pelletized feed must have a minimum moisture content of 14.5 percent and must have been heated throughout to a minimum temperature of 190 °F, or to a minimum temperature of 165 °F for at least 20 minutes, or to a minimum temperature of 184 °F under 70 lbs. pressure during the manufacturing process;
(B)
Mash feed may contain animal protein if the finished feed is treated with a salmonella control product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
(iii)
The flock is maintained in compliance with §§ 147.21, 147.24(a), and 147.26 of this subchapter.
(iv)
Environmental samples are collected from the flock by or under the supervision of an Authorized Agent, as described in § 147.12 of this subchapter, when the flock reaches 4 months of age and every 30 days thereafter. The environmental samples shall be examined bacteriologically for group D salmonella at an authorized laboratory, and cultures from group D positive samples shall be serotyped.
(v)
Blood samples from 300 birds from the flock are officially tested with pullorum antigen when the flock is at least 4 months of age. All birds with positive or inconclusive reactions, up to a maximum of 25 birds, shall be submitted to an authorized laboratory and examined for the presence of group D salmonella in accordance with §§ 147.10 and 147.11 of this subchapter. Cultures from group D positive samples shall be serotyped.
(vi)
Hatching eggs produced by the flock are collected as quickly as possible and are handled as described in § 147.22 of this subchapter.
(vii)
Hatching eggs produced by the flock are incubated in a hatchery that is in compliance with the recommendations in §§ 147.23 and 147.24(b) of this subchapter, and the hatchery must have been sanitized either by a procedure approved by the Official State Agency or by fumigation.
(2)
If Salmonella enteritidis serotype enteritidis (SE) is isolated from a specimen taken from a bird in the flock, except as provided in paragraph (e)(3) of this section, the flock shall not be eligible for this classification.
(3)
If SE is isolated from an environmental sample collected from the flock in accordance with paragraph (e)(1)(iv) of this section, 25 randomly selected live birds from the flock and/or 500 cloacal swabs collected in accordance with § 147.12(a)(2) of this subchapter must be bacteriologically examined for SE as described in § 147.11 of this subchapter. If only 1 bird from the 25-bird sample is found positive for SE, the participant may request bacteriological examination of a second 25-bird sample from the flock. If no SE is recovered from any of the specimens in the second sample, the flock will be eligible for the classification and will remain eligible for this classification if the flock is tested in accordance with paragraph (e)(1)(v) of this section each 30 days and no positive samples are found.
(4)
In order for a hatchery to sell products of this classification, all products handled by the hatchery must meet the requirements of this paragraph.
(5)
This classification may be revoked by the Official State Agency if the participant fails to follow recommended corrective measures. The Official State Agency shall not revoke the participant's classification until the participant has been given an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with rules of practice adopted by the Official State Agency.
(6)
A pedigree, experimental, or great-grandparent flock that is removed from the U.S. S. Enteritidis Clean program may be reinstated whenever the following conditions are met:
(i)
The owner attests that corrective measures have been implemented, which may include one or more of the following:
(A)
Test and slaughter infected birds based on blood tests of every bird in the flock, with either pullorum antigen or by a federally licensed Salmonella enteritidis enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test when the flock is more than 4 months of age.
(B)
Perform other corrective actions including, but not limited to, vaccination, medication, cleaning and disinfection of houses, rodent control, and movement of uninfected birds to premises that have been determined to be environmentally negative for S. enteritidis as described in § 147.12(a) of this subchapter.
(C)
One hundred percent of blood samples from the birds moved to the clean premises are tested negative for Salmonella pullorum and group D Salmonella. All birds with positive or inconclusive reactions, up to a maximum of 25 birds, shall be submitted to an authorized laboratory and examined for the presence of group D Salmonella, as described in § 147.11 of this subchapter. Cultures from positive samples shall be serotyped.
(D)
Two consecutive environmental drag swabs taken at the clean premises collected as specified in § 147.12(a) of this subchapter 4 weeks apart are negative for S. enteritidis.
(ii)
Following reinstatement, a flock will remain eligible for this classification if the flock is tested in accordance with paragraph (e)(1)(v) of this section every 30 days and no positive samples are found and the flock meets the requirements set forth in § 145.83(e).
(f) U.S. Salmonella Monitored.
This program is intended to be the basis from which the breeding-hatching industry may conduct a program for the prevention and control of salmonellosis. It is intended to reduce the incidence of Salmonella organisms in hatching eggs and chicks through an effective and practical sanitation program at the breeder farm and in the hatchery. This will afford other segments of the poultry industry an opportunity to reduce the incidence of Salmonella in their products.
(1)
A flock and the hatching eggs and chicks produced from it that have met the following requirements, as determined by the Official State Agency.
(ii)
If feed contains animal protein, the protein products must have a minimum moisture content of 14.5 percent and must have been heated throughout to a minimum temperature of 190 °F or above, or to a minimum temperature of 165 °F for at least 20 minutes, or to a minimum temperature of 184 °F under 70 lbs. pressure during the manufacturing process;
(iv)
Chicks shall be hatched in a hatchery meeting the requirements of §§ 147.23 and 147.24(b) of this subchapter and sanitized or fumigated (see § 147.25 of this subchapter).
(v)
An Authorized Agent shall take environmental samples from the hatchery every 30 days; i.e., meconium or chick papers. An authorized laboratory for Salmonella shall examine the samples bacteriologically;
(vi)
An Authorized Agent shall take environmental samples as described in § 147.12 of this subchapter from each flock at 4 months of age and every 30 days thereafter. An authorized laboratory for Salmonella shall examine the environmental samples bacteriologically;
(vii)
Owners of flocks may vaccinate with a paratyphoid vaccine: Provided, That a sample of 350 birds, which will be banded for identification, shall remain unvaccinated until the flock reaches at least 4 months of age.
(2)
The Official State Agency may use the procedures described in § 147.14 of this subchapter to monitor the effectiveness of the egg sanitation practices.
(3)
In order for a hatchery to sell products of this classification, all products handled shall meet the requirements of the classification.
(4)
This classification may be revoked by the Official State Agency if the participant fails to follow recommended corrective measures.
(g) U.S. Avian Influenza Clean.
This program is intended to be the basis from which the breeding-hatchery industry may conduct a program for the prevention and control of avian influenza. It is intended to determine the presence of avian influenza in primary breeding chickens through routine serological surveillance of each participating breeding flock. A flock and the hatching eggs and chicks produced from it will qualify for this classification when the Official State Agency determines that they have met the following requirements:
(1)
It is a primary breeding flock in which a minimum of 30 birds have been tested negative for antibodies to avian influenza when more than 4 months of age and prior to the onset of egg production. To retain this classification:
(i)
A sample of at least 30 birds must be tested negative at intervals of 90 days; Provided, that primary spent fowl be tested within 30 days prior to movement to slaughter; or
(ii)
A sample of fewer than 30 birds may be tested, and found to be negative, at any one time if all pens are equally represented and a total of 30 birds is tested within each 90-day period.