The Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2007

PART III CONTROL OF SALMONELLA IN GALLUS GALLUS

CHAPTER 1 Duties of an occupier

Application of Chapter 1

6.  This Chapter applies in relation to any holding on which one or more breeding flocks of at least 250 domestic fowl of the species Gallus gallus are kept, and any reference in this Chapter to an occupier is a reference to an occupier of such a holding.

Notification of arrival of breeding flocks

7.—(1) The occupier must notify the Department of the expected date of arrival at the holding of every breeding flock of at least 250 domestic fowl of the species Gallus gallus.

(2) The notification must be made at least two weeks before the expected date of arrival.

Notification of movement to laying phase etc.

8.—(1) The occupier must notify the Department of the date that he expects each breeding flock on the holding to—

(a) move to the laying phase or laying unit; and

(b) reach the end of the production cycle.

(2) The notification must be made at least two weeks before the breeding flock is expected to move to the laying phase or laying unit.

Sampling of breeding flocks

9.—(1) The occupier must take samples from each breeding flock on the holding at the following times—

(a) when the birds in the flock are chicks;

(b) when the birds in the flock are four weeks old;

(c) two weeks before the date the flock is expected to come into lay or move to the laying phase or laying unit; and

(d) every second week during the laying period.

(2) Sampling under paragraph (1)(a) to (c) must be done in accordance with Annex 2 to this Scheme and sampling under paragraph (1)(d) must be done in accordance with point 2.2.2.1 of the Annex to the Commission Regulation (routine sampling at the initiative of the operator).

Submission of samples to an approved laboratory

10.—(1) The occupier must dispatch the samples taken under Article 9 to an approved laboratory for the purposes of testing for the presence of salmonella.

(2) The occupier must dispatch the samples within—

(a) 24 hours of being taken; or

(b) 48 hours of being taken if they have been stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of between 1° and 4° C as soon as practicable on the day they are taken.

(3) The occupier must ensure that the samples are identified prior to dispatch so as to enable the approved laboratory to determine—

(a) the name of the occupier;

(b) the address of the holding on which the breeding flock from which the samples were taken are kept;

(c) the type of samples;

(d) the date on which the samples were taken;

(e) the identification of the breeding flock sampled;

(f) the age of the breeding flock sampled;

(g) whether the breeding flock from which the samples were taken is a flock of layer breeders or meat breeders; and

(h) the status in the breeding pyramid of the breeding flock from which the samples were taken.

Records of samples

11.—(1) The occupier must—

(a) keep a record of the information in Annex 3, paragraph 1, in respect of each sample taken in accordance with Article 9; and

(b) by 30th June and 31st December each year, notify the Department of that information in respect of sampling undertaken in the six months prior to notification.

(2) The occupier must keep the record in paragraph (1)(a) for two years from the date the sample was taken.

Records of movements

12.—(1) The occupier must keep a record of the information in Annex 3, paragraph 2, in respect of the movement to and from the holding of any domestic fowl of the species Gallus gallus or their chicks or eggs.

(2) The occupier must keep the record in paragraph (1) for two years from the date of the movement.

CHAPTER 2 Duties of approved laboratories

Duties of an approved laboratory

13.—(1) The person in charge of an approved laboratory must ensure that the examination of samples submitted to it under Article 10 begins within 48 hours of receipt of those samples.

(2) The person in charge must ensure that the—

(a) samples are prepared as follows—

(i) chick box liners must be prepared in accordance with Annex 4 to this Scheme,

(ii) boot swabs’ samples must be prepared in accordance with point 3.1.2 of the Annex to the Commission Regulation, and

(iii) any other samples of faeces must be prepared in accordance with point 3.1.3 of that Annex;

(b) samples are tested for salmonella in accordance with the method in point 3.2 of that Annex; and

(c) result of any test on any sample is reported in writing as soon as practicable to the occupier who submitted it.

CHAPTER 3 Use of antimicrobials and vaccines

Prohibition on the use of antimicrobials

14.  A person may not administer any antimicrobial to any bird in a breeding flock of domestic fowl of the species Gallus gallus as a specific method to control salmonella in breach of Article 2 of Commission Regulation 1177/2006 (use of antimicrobials).

Prohibition on the use of vaccines

15.  A person may not administer any live salmonella vaccine to any bird in a breeding flock of domestic fowl of the species Gallus gallus in breach of Article 3(1) of Commission Regulation 1177/2006 (use of vaccines).