The Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries (Registration and Testing) Order 1989

Article 5

SCHEDULE 2

PART I requirements relating to the keeping of a breeding flock

1.  A person whose name is entered in the Breeding Flocks Register in respect of any premises on which a breeding flock is kept by him (“a registered person”) shall ensure that the premises are located and constructed or adapted so as to be suitable for all operations carried out on those premises in connection with the flock and so as to enable the provisions of paragraph 2 below to be complied with on those premises.

2.  A registered person shall ensure that on the premises on which the breeding flock is kept–

(1) effective measures are taken so as to ensure that–

(a) poultry houses and buildings or parts of buildings used to store eggs are not infested by vermin; and

(b) poultry houses in which poultry are housed permanently throughout their rearing or laying periods are not accessible to any other birds at any time;

(2) domestic animals are not permitted access to poultry houses;

(3) footbaths containing an approved disinfectant are maintained outside each house and the disinfectant is renewed as necessary and, in any event, at least once every 7 days;

(4) no person enters a poultry house unless he is wearing disposable overall clothing and boots or overall clothing and boots which are capable of being cleansed and disinfected or overall clothing which is capable of being laundered and boots which are capable of being cleansed and disinfected;

(5) no person leaves a poultry house without immediately cleansing and disinfecting his boots and washing his hands;

(6) after a poultry house has been depopulated of poultry all manure is removed from it and the house is cleansed and disinfected with an approved disinfectant;

(7) eggs are collected from the flock at least twice a day or, in the case of a flock consisting of ducks or geese, at least once a day;

(8) all broken, leaking, dirty and dented eggs are collected in separate containers from other eggs;

(9) no broken, leaking, dirty or dented eggs are incubated;

(10) all eggs intended for incubation are sanitised;

(11) all eggs which have been sanitised are stored in clean, dust-free rooms to which poultry are not permitted access and which are used exclusively for this purpose and kept at a temperature of 13°–15°C (55°–60°F) and at a relative humidity of 70–80%; and

(12) all equipment used for catching or transporting poultry is cleansed and disinfected with an approved disinfectant before each occasion on which it is used.

3.  A registered person shall ensure that an inspector of the Minister is permitted, on demand at any reasonable time, to enter the premises on which the flock is kept in order to ascertain whether the requirements specified in paragraph 1 or 2 above are being complied with on the premises.

Article 5

PART II requirements relating to the use of any premises as a hatchery

1.  A person whose name is entered in the Hatcheries Register in respect of any premises used by him as a hatchery (“a registered person”) shall ensure that the premises are located and constructed or adapted so as to be suitable for all operations carried out on those premises and so as to enable the provisions of paragraph 2 below to be complied with on those premises and, in particular, a registered person shall ensure that those premises are constructed so that–

(a) a one way system for the movement of eggs and chicks is operated; and

(b) a separate ventilation system exists for each work area; or

(c) the airflow is in the same direction as the movement of eggs and chicks.

2.  A registered person shall ensure that on the premises used as a hatchery–

(1) broilers and stock intended for the production of eggs for human consumption are hatched separately from each other;

(2) pedigree, grandparent and parent stock are hatched separately from each other and from stock intended for the production of eggs for human consumption or meat;

(3) eggs of different species of birds are hatched separately from each other;

(4) eggs are sanitised before incubation;

(5) chick sexing tables and equipment are cleansed and disinfected between hatches using an approved disinfectant;

(6) all equipment which is to be returned to individual premises on which breeding flocks are kept is cleansed and disinfected with an approved disinfectant before it is returned;

(7) all vehicles used for transporting equipment, eggs or chicks are cleansed and disinfected with an approved disinfectant before each occasion on which they are used;

(8) hatchers, hatching rooms, take off rooms, sexing rooms, holding rooms and dispatch rooms are cleansed and disinfected between hatches, and that all other rooms are cleansed and disinfected with an approved disinfectant each week;

(9) all equipment used for vaccinating birds is cleansed and disinfected with an approved disinfectant, or otherwise sterilised according to the manufacturers' instructions between hatches.

3.  A registered person shall ensure that an inspector of the Minister is permitted, on demand at any reasonable time, to enter the premises used as a hatchery in order to ascertain whether the requirements specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 above are being complied with on the premises.