Except where the context otherwise requires, for the purposes of this subpart the following terms shall be construed, respectively, to mean:

Exhibition Poultry. Domesticated fowl which are bred for the combined purposes of meat or egg production and competitive showing.

Hobbyist poultry. Domesticated fowl which are bred for the purpose of meat and/or egg production on a small scale as determined by the Official State Agency.

Raised-for-release waterfowl. Domesticated fowl that normally swim, such as ducks and geese, grown under confinement for the primary purpose of producing eggs, chicks, started, or mature birds for release on game preserves or in the wild.

Participating flocks of hobbyist and exhibition poultry, raised-for-release waterfowl, and the eggs, chicks, started, and mature poultry produced from them shall comply with the applicable general provisions of subpart A of this part and the special provisions of this subpart. The special provisions that apply to meat-type waterfowl flocks are found in subpart I of this part. The special provisions that apply to game bird flocks are found in subpart J of this part.

(a) Started poultry shall lose their identity under Plan terminology when not maintained by Plan participants under the conditions prescribed in § 145.5(a).

(b) Hatching eggs produced by primary breeding flocks shall be fumigated or otherwise sanitized in accordance with part 147 of this subchapter.

(c) It is recommended that waterfowl flocks and gallinaceous flocks be kept separate.

(d) Subject to the approval of the Service and the Official State Agencies in the importing and exporting States, participating flocks may report poultry sales to importing States by using either VS Form 9-3, “Report of Sales of Hatching Eggs, Chicks, and Poults,” or by using a hatchery invoice form (9-3I) approved by the Official State Agency and the Service to identify poultry sales to clients. If the selling hatchery uses the 9-3I form, the following information must be included on the form:

(1) The form number “9-3I”, printed or stamped on the invoice;

(2) The hatchery name and address;

(3) The date of shipment;

(4) The hatchery invoice number;

(5) The purchaser name and address;

(6) The quantity of products sold;

(7) The NPIP hatchery approval number of the shipping hatchery;

(8) Identification of the products by bird variety or by NPIP stock code as listed in the NPIP APHIS 91-55-078 appendix; and

(9) The appropriate NPIP illustrative design in § 145.10. One of the designs in § 145.10(b) or (g) must be used. The following information must be provided in or near the NPIP design:

(i) The NPIP State number and NPIP hatchery approval number; and

(ii) The NPIP classification for which product is qualified (e.g., U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean).

(e) Any nutritive material provided to baby poultry must be free of the avian pathogens that are officially represented in the Plan disease classifications listed in § 145.10.

(f) All participating raised-for-release waterfowl flocks, regardless of whether they are breeders or non-breeders, shall be enrolled under this subpart.

Participating flocks, and the eggs, chicks, started, and mature poultry 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.

(a) [Reserved]

(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 one of the following paragraphs (b)(1) through (5) of this section (See § 145.14 relating to the official blood test where applicable.):

(1) It has been officially blood tested within the past 12 months with either no reactors or reactors that, upon further bacteriological examination conducted in accordance with part 147 of this subchapter, fail to isolate S. pullorum or S. gallinarum.

(2) It is a multiplier breeding flock, or a breeding flock composed of progeny of a primary breeding flock which is intended solely for the production of multiplier breeding flocks, and meets the following specifications as determined by the Official State Agency and the Service:

(i) The flock is located in a State where 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;

(ii) The flock is composed entirely of birds that originated from U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean breeding flocks or from flocks that met equivalent requirements under official supervision; and

(iii) The flock is located on a premises where a flock not classified as U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean was located the previous year; Provided, That an Authorized Testing Agent must blood test up to 300 birds per flock, as described in § 145.14, if the Official State Agency determines that the flock has been exposed to pullorum-typhoid. In making determinations of exposure and setting the number of birds to be blood tested, the Official State Agency shall evaluate the results of any blood tests, described in § 145.14(a)(1), that were performed on an unclassified flock located on the premises during the previous year; the origins of the unclassified flock; and the probability of contacts between the flock for which qualification is being sought and (a) infected wild birds, (b) contaminated feed or waste, or (c) birds, equipment, supplies, or personnel from flocks infected with pullorum-typhoid.

(3) It is a multiplier breeding flock that originated from U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean breeding flocks or from flocks that met equivalent requirements under official supervision, and is located in a State in which it has been determined by the Service that:

(i) All hatcheries within the State are qualified as “National Plan Hatcheries” or have met equivalent requirements for pullorum-typhoid control under official supervision;

(ii) 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;

(iii) All shipments of products other than U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean, or equivalent, into the State are prohibited;

(iv) 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;

(v) 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 the National Poultry Improvement Plan will conduct an investigation;

(vi) 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), and all birds fail to demonstrate pullorum or typhoid infection;

(vii) 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;

(viii) Discontinuation of any of the conditions or procedures described in paragraphs (b)(3)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), and (vii) 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.

(4) It is a multiplier breeding flock located in a State which has been determined by the Service to be in compliance with the provisions of paragraph (b)(3) of this section, and 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 24 months.

(5) It is a primary breeding flock located in a State determined to be in compliance with the provisions of paragraph (b)(4) of this section, and in which 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 within the past 12 months with either no reactors or reactors that, upon further bacteriological examination conducted in accordance with part 147 of this subchapter, fail to isolate S. pullorum or S. gallinarum: Provided, That a bacteriological examination monitoring program or serological examination monitoring program for game birds acceptable to the Official State Agency and approved by the Service may be used in lieu of annual blood testing: And Provided further, That when a flock is a hobbyist or exhibition poultry primary breeding flock located in a State which has been deemed to be a U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean State for the past 3 years, and during which time no isolation of pullorum or typhoid has been made that can be traced to a source in that State, a bacteriological examination monitoring program or a serological examination monitoring program acceptable to the Official State Agency and approved by the Service may be used in lieu of annual blood testing.

(c) U.S. M. Gallisepticum Clean. (1) A flock maintained in accordance with part 147 of this subchapter with respect to Mycoplasma isolation, sanitation, and management and in which freedom from M. gallisepticum has been demonstrated under the criteria specified in paragraph (c)(1)(i) or (ii) 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) when more than 4 months of age or upon reaching sexual maturity: Provided, That to retain this classification, a random sample of serum or egg yolk or a targeted bird sample of the trachea or choanal cleft using appropriate swabs from all the birds in the flock if the flock size is less than 30, but at least 30 birds, shall be tested at intervals of not more than 90 days: And provided further, That a sample comprised of less than 30 birds may be tested at any one time, with the approval of the Official State Agency and the concurrence of the Service, provided that a total of at least 30 birds, or all birds in the flock if flock size is less than 30, is tested within each 90-day period; or

(ii) It is a multiplier breeding flock which originated as U.S. M. Gallisepticum Clean baby poultry from primary breeding flocks and from which a random sample of birds has been tested for M. gallisepticum as provided in § 145.14(b) when more than 4 months of age or upon reaching sexual maturity. For flocks of more than 400 birds, 200 birds shall be tested. For flocks of 60 to 400 birds, 50 percent of the birds shall be tested. For flocks of fewer than 60 birds, all birds shall be tested up to a maximum of 30 birds: Provided, that to retain this classification, the flock shall be subjected to one of the following procedures:

(A) At intervals of not more than 90 days, a random sample of serum or egg yolk or a targeted bird sample of the trachea or choanal cleft using appropriate swabs from all the birds in the flock if flock size is less than 30, but at least 30 birds, shall be tested; or

(B) At intervals of not more than 30 days, a sample of 25 cull baby poultry produced from the flock shall be subjected to laboratory procedures acceptable to the Official State Agency and approved by the Service, for the detection and recovery of M. gallisepticum.

(2) A participant handling U.S. M. Gallisepticum Clean products shall keep these products separate from other products in a manner satisfactory to the Official State Agency: Provided, That U.S. M. Gallisepticum Clean baby poultry from primary breeding flocks shall be produced in incubators and hatchers in which only eggs from flocks qualified under paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section are set.

(3) U.S. M. Gallisepticum Clean baby poultry shall be boxed in clean boxes and delivered in trucks that have been cleaned and disinfected in accordance with part 147 of this subchapter.

(d) U.S. M. Synoviae Clean. (1) A flock maintained in accordance with part 147 of this subchapter with respect to Mycoplasma isolation, sanitation, and management and in which freedom from Mycoplasma synoviae has been demonstrated under the criteria specified in paragraph (d)(1)(i) or (d)(1)(ii) 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) when more than 4 months of age or upon reaching sexual maturity: Provided, That to retain this classification, a random sample of serum or egg yolk or a targeted bird sample of the trachea or choanal cleft using appropriate swabs (C.P. swabs) from all the birds in the flock if flock size is less than 30, but at least 30 birds, shall be tested at intervals of not more than 90 days: And provided further, That a sample comprised of less than 30 birds may be tested at any one time with the approval of the Official State Agency and the concurrence of the Service, provided that a total of at least 30 birds is tested within each 90-day period; or

(ii) It is a multiplier breeding flock that originated as U.S. M. Synoviae Clean chicks from primary breeding flocks and from which a random sample of birds has been tested for M. synoviae as provided in § 145.14(b) when more than 4 months of age or upon reaching sexual maturity. For flocks of more than 400 birds, 200 birds shall be tested. For flocks of 60 to 400 birds, 50 percent of the birds shall be tested. For flocks of fewer than 60 birds, all birds shall be tested up to a maximum of 30 birds: Provided, that to retain this classification, the flock shall be subjected to one of the following procedures:

(A) At intervals of not more than 90 days, a random sample of serum or egg yolk or a targeted bird sample of the trachea or choanal cleft using appropriate swabs from all the birds in the flock if the flock size is less than 30, but at least 30 birds shall be tested: Provided, That a sample of fewer than 30 birds may be tested at any one time with the approval of the Official State Agency and the concurrence of the Service, provided that a total of at least 30 birds, or the entire flock if flock size is less than 30, is tested each time and a total of at least 30 birds is tested within each 90-day period; or

(B) At intervals of not more than 30 days, egg yolk testing shall be conducted in accordance with part 147 of this subchapter.

(2) A participant handling U.S. M. Synoviae Clean products shall keep those products separate from other products in a manner satisfactory to the Official State Agency: Provided, That U.S. M. Synoviae Clean chicks from primary breeding flocks shall be produced in incubators and hatchers in which only eggs from flocks qualified under paragraph (d)(1)(i) or (d)(1)(ii) of this section are set.

(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 in accordance with part 147 of this subchapter.

(e) U.S. H5/H7 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 the H5 and H7 subtypes of avian influenza. It is intended to determine the presence of the H5 and H7 subtypes of avian influenza in hobbyist or exhibition waterfowl, exhibition poultry, and game bird breeding flocks through routine 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 it has met one of the following requirements:

(1) It is a primary breeding flock in which a minimum of 30 birds has been tested negative to the H5 and H7 subtypes of avian influenza as provided in § 145.14(d) when more than 4 months of age; Provided, that waterfowl flocks may test a minimum of 30 cloacal swabs for virus isolation. To retain this classification:

(i) A sample of at least 30 birds must be tested negative at intervals of 180 days; 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 are tested within each 180-day period.

(2) It is a multiplier breeding flock in which a minimum of 30 birds has been tested negative to the H5 and H7 subtypes of avian influenza as provided in § 145.14(d) when more than 4 months of age; Provided, that waterfowl flocks may test a minimum of 30 cloacal swabs for virus isolation. To retain this classification:

(i) A sample of at least 30 birds must be tested negative at intervals of 180 days; 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 are tested within each 180-day period.

(3) A sample of at least 30 birds must be tested and found negative to H5/H7 avian influenza within 21 days prior to movement to slaughter.

(f) U.S. Salmonella Monitored. The program in this paragraph (f) 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 day-old poultry through an effective and practical sanitation and testing 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. The following requirements must be met for a flock or hatchery to be eligible for the classification in this paragraph (f) as determined by the Official State Agency:

(1) Hatcheries must be kept in a sanitary condition as applicable and as outlined in § 145.6 (within the NPIP Program Standards document, Program Standard C applies to hatcheries; alternatives to the program standards may also be approved by the Administrator under § 147.53 of this subchapter).

(2) An Authorized Agent shall collect and submit to an authorized laboratory:

(i) A minimum of five samples from the hatchery at least every 30 days while in operation. These samples may include: Hatchery debris, swabs from hatchers, setters, hatchery environment, hatchery equipment, sexing tables and belts, meconium, chick box papers, hatching trays, or chick transfer devices. Samples will be examined bacteriologically at an authorized laboratory for Salmonella; and

(ii) Annual environmental samples from each pullet and breeder farm in accordance with this section (within the NPIP Program Standards document, Program Standard B applies to bacteriological examination procedures; alternatives to the program standards may also be approved by the Administrator under § 147.53 of this subchapter). Samples will be examined bacteriologically at an authorized laboratory for Salmonella.

(3) If Salmonella is identified through this testing:

(i) A qualified poultry health professional knowledgeable with the operation will be consulted and will:

(A) Review test results to evaluate the Salmonella monitoring program.

(B) Use the Salmonella monitoring program test results to develop appropriate and practical Salmonella intervention measures.

(ii) [Reserved]

(4) To claim products are of the classification in this paragraph (f), all products shall be derived from a farm or hatchery that meets the requirements of the classification.

(a) U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean State. (1) A State will be declared a U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean State when it has been determined by the Service that:

(i) The State is in compliance with the provisions contained in §§ 145.23(b)(3)(i) through (vii), 145.33(b)(3)(i) through (vii), 145.43(b)(3)(i) through (vi), 145.53(b)(3)(i) through (vii), 145.73(b)(2)(i), 145.83(b)(2)(i), 145.93(b)(3)(i) through (vii), and 145.103(b)(3)(i) through (ix).

(ii) No pullorum disease or fowl typhoid is known to exist nor to have existed in hatchery supply flocks within the State during the preceding 12 months: Provided, That pullorum disease or fowl typhoid found within the preceding 24 months in waterfowl, exhibition poultry, and game bird breeding flocks will not prevent a State, which is otherwise eligible, from qualifying.

(2) Discontinuation of any of the conditions described in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section, or repeated outbreaks of pullorum or typhoid occur in hatchery supply flocks described in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section, or if an infection spreads from the originating premises, the Service shall have grounds to revoke its determination that the State is entitled to this classification. 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 for a hearing in accordance with rules of practice adopted by the Administrator.