The Control of Salmonella in Poultry Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2008

PART IV BREEDING OR LAYING FLOCKS OF THE SPECIES GALLUS GALLUS

CHAPTER 1 Duties of an occupier

Application of Chapter 1

7.—(1) This Part applies in relation to any holding on which one or more breeding flocks of the species Gallus gallus of at least 250 birds are kept.

(2) It applies in relation to any holding on which one or more laying flocks of the species Gallus gallus are kept unless all the eggs are—

(a) for private domestic use; or

(b) supplied in small quantities by the producer to the final consumer or to local retail shops.

(3) Any reference to an occupier is a reference to an occupier of such a holding.

(4) All references in this Schedule to birds are references to birds of the species Gallus gallus, and all references to flocks are to flocks of those birds.

Notification of arrival of breeding flocks

8.—(1) The occupier must notify the Department of the expected date of arrival at the holding of every breeding flock of at least 250 birds.

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

Notification of movement to laying phase of breeding flocks

9.  At least two weeks before a breeding flock is expected to move to the laying phase, or to a laying unit, the occupier must notify the Department of the date that the flock is expected to—

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

(b) end its production cycle.

Breeding flocks: sampling times

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

(a) when the birds are chicks;

(b) when the birds are four weeks old;

(c) two weeks before the date the flock is moved to a laying unit or (if they are not moved) the date they are expected to come into lay; and

(d) every second week during the laying period.

(2) Sampling under sub-paragraph (1) must be done in accordance with the method of sampling specified in Annex 2.

Laying flocks: sampling times

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

(a) when the birds are chicks;

(b) two weeks before the date the flock is moved to a laying unit or (if they are not moved) the date they are expected to come into lay; and

(c) every 15 weeks during the laying period, starting when the birds are between 22 and 26 weeks old.

(2) Sampling under sub-paragraph (1) must be done in accordance with the method of sampling specified in Annex 2.

Submission of samples to an approved laboratory

12.—(1) The occupier must, on the day a sample is taken under this Scheme, dispatch the sample to a laboratory approved by the Department for the purposes of testing for the presence of salmonella.

(2) The occupier must identify the samples and provide the following information—

(a) the name of the occupier;

(b) the address of the holding;

(c) the type of samples;

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

(e) the identification of the flock;

(f) the age of the flock;

(g) in the case of a breeding flock—

(i) whether the flock is a flock of layer breeders or meat breeders; and

(ii) the status in the breeding pyramid of the flock.

Records of samples

13.  The occupier must, as soon as is reasonably practicable after taking a sample, keep a record of the information in Annex 3 paragraph 1.

Records of movements

14.  When birds or eggs (other than eggs for human consumption) are moved on to or off a holding the occupier must keep a record of the information in Annex 3 paragraph 2.

CHAPTER 2 Duties on the person in charge of a laboratory

Duties on the person in charge of a laboratory

15.—(1) The person in charge of a laboratory who receives samples must ensure that the sample is refrigerated and that the examination begins within 48 hours of receipt.

(2) That person must prepare a sample from chick box liners or hatcher box liners by—

(a) taking a piece of soiled liner weighing at least one gram from each liner;

(b) bulking together all the pieces from a consignment; and

(c) placing the bulked material in Buffered Peptone Water (BPW) at the rate of not more than 1 gram of liner for every 10 ml of BPW.

(3) In the case of breeding flocks that person must—

(a) prepare boot swab samples in accordance with point 3.1.2 of the Annex to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1003/2005;

(b) prepare any other samples of faeces in accordance with point 3.1.3 of that Annex; and

(c) test the samples for salmonella in accordance with the method in point 3.2 of that Annex.

(4) For laying flocks that person must—

(a) prepare boot swabs’ samples in accordance with point 3.1.1 of the Annex to Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1168/2006;

(b) prepare any other samples of faeces or dust in accordance with 3.1.2 of that Annex; and

(c) test the samples for salmonella in accordance with the method in point 3.2 of that Annex.

(5) That person must send the results as soon as practicable to the person who submitted the sample.

CHAPTER 3 Prohibition on the use of antimicrobials and vaccines

Prohibition on the use of antimicrobials

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

Prohibition on the use of vaccines

17.  A person may not administer any live salmonella vaccine to any bird of the species Gallus gallus in breach of Article 3(1) of Commission Regulation (EC) 1177/2006 (use of vaccines).