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

Article 3(4)

SCHEDULE 1

PART I particulars to be notified to the appropriate minister for the purposes of article 3(4)

(i) The name, address and telephone number of the applicant.

(ii) The address and telephone number of the premises on which the flock is to be kept.

(iii) The name of the person in charge of the premises on which the flock is to be kept (if not the applicant).

(iv) The species of birds in the flock.

(v) The approximate number of birds in the flock.

Article 4(4)

PART II particulars to be notified to the appropriate minister for the purposes of article 4(4)

(i) The name, address and telephone number of the applicant.

(ii) The address and telephone number of the premises which are to be used as a hatchery.

(iii) The name of the person in charge of the premises which are to be used as a hatchery (if not the applicant).

(iv) The incubator capacity of the premises which are to be used as a hatchery and the species of birds to be hatched there.

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.

Article 6(a)

SCHEDULE 3

PART I samples to be taken from breeding flocks for bacteriological testing

1.  Except as otherwise provided in paragraph 2 below, the number of samples to be taken shall be as follows–

Number of birds kept in a house or, on premises on which birds have free access to more than one house, number of birds in each group of houses on such premises	Number of samples to be taken from that house or group of houses on those premises
25–29	20
30–39	25
40–49	30
50–59	35
60–89	40
90–199	50
200–499	55
500 or more	60

2.  The samples to be taken shall comprise–

(a) one chick box liner, up to a maximum of 10, for every 500 chicks delivered from each hatchery to any rearing premises on any day, such samples to be taken on the day of the arrival of the chicks there;

(b) the carcases of all chicks, up to a maximum of 60, from each hatchery, which are dead on arrival at any rearing premises, such samples to be taken on the day of the arrival of the chicks there;

(c) the carcases of all birds, up to a maximum of 60, which die or are culled within 4 days of their arrival at any rearing premises or, in the case of birds hatched on any rearing premises, within 4 days of being hatched;

(d) the carcases of all birds, up to a maximum of 60, which die or are culled over a period of 4 consecutive days when between 3 and 5 weeks of age, which samples shall be taken over such period, except that, if the total number of such carcases taken during such period is less than the number of samples specified in the second column of the table in paragraph 1 above the difference shall be made up by–

(i) a composite faeces sample consisting of an equivalent number of individual samples, or

(ii) an equivalent number of cloacal swabs, taken at the rate of one swab from each bird;

(e) the carcases of all birds at grandparent level and above, up to a maximum of 60, which die or are culled over a period of 4 consecutive days when between 8 and 12 weeks of age, which samples shall be taken over such period, except that, if the total number of carcases taken during such period is less than the number of samples specified in the second column of the table in paragraph 1 above the difference shall be made up by–

(i) a composite faeces sample consisting of an equivalent number of individual samples, or

(ii) an equivalent number of cloacal swabs, taken at the rate of one swab from each bird;

(f) (i) the carcases of all birds, up to a maximum of 60, which die or are culled over a period of 4 consecutive days taken either 3 to 5 weeks before the surviving birds are transferred to laying accommodation, or when the birds are between the ages of 16 and 22 weeks in the case of domestic fowls, 18 and 22 weeks in the case of ducks, 26 and 30 weeks in the case of turkeys and 30 and 36 weeks in the case of geese, whichever occurs later, which samples shall be taken over such a period, except that, if the total number of carcases taken during such period is less than the number of samples specified in the second column of the table in paragraph 1 above the difference shall be made up by––a composite faeces sample consisting of an equivalent number of individual samples, or–an equivalent number of cloacal swabs, taken at the rate of one swab from each bird; and

(ii) a single composite sample of 50 grams of dust consisting of equal amounts of dust from each ventiliation outlet in the house;

(g) in the case of birds whose eggs are hatched at a hatchery with a total incubator capacity of less than 1,000 eggs or whose eggs are not being hatched–

(i) a composite faeces sample consisting of a number of individual samples calculated in accordance with the said table, or

(ii) a number of cloacal swabs, calculated in accordance with the table in paragraph 1 above and taken at the rate of one swab from each bird;

such samples being taken within 1 week of the birds attaining 26 and 30 weeks of age and at 8 week intervals thereafter;

(h) after a house has been depopulated of poultry and before it is restocked the following samples shall be taken–

(i) an individual large cotton bud swab moistened with sterile Buffered Peptone Water (BPW)(1) from each fan housing;

(ii) an individual large cotton bud swab moistened with sterile BPW from––each of the four corners of the house at floor level;–the centre of each of the four walls of the house at floor level, and–two crevices in the house;

(iii) each food weighing hopper or each food dispensing hopper within each house; and

(i) in the case of any nest boxes which have been removed from a house, before they are put back in the house swabs moistened with sterile BPW shall be taken from the interior of such boxes at the rate of one in 20.

3.  In the case of domestic fowls, the samples referred to in paragraph 2(f) above, other than the carcases of birds, shall be taken under the supervision of an officer of the Minister.

4.  Where any samples are taken over a period of 4 consecutive days such samples shall be stored in a refrigerator at between 1°C and 4°C until they are dispatched to a laboratory and, in the case of any other samples, where they cannot be dispatched to a laboratory within 24 hours of being taken they shall be stored in a refrigerator at that temperature until so dispatched.

Article 8(a)

PART II samples to be taken from hatcheries for bacteriological testing

1.  The samples to be taken shall comprise–

(a) composite samples of meconium taken from 250 chicks every 7 days, one such sample being taken from those chicks hatched from eggs supplied to the hatchery from any particular premises; or

(b) samples comprising–

(i) the carcases of all chicks which are dead in the shells of eggs supplied to the hatchery from any particular premises, and

(ii) the carcases of all chicks hatched from eggs supplied to the hatchery from any particular premises and which have been culled,

such samples being taken every 7 days, up to a maximum of 50 in total; and

(c) the carcases of all chicks hatched from eggs supplied to the hatchery from any particular premises and which have been culled, up to a maximum of 50, such samples to be taken every 28 days under the supervision of an officer of the Minister.

2.  Samples taken for the purposes of paragraph 1(a) and (b) above shall be taken, every 28 days, under the supervision of an officer of the Minister.

3.  Where any samples cannot be dispatched to a laboratory within 24 hours of being taken they shall be stored in a refrigerator at between 1°C and 4°C until so dispatched.

Article 6(c) and (d),8(c) and (d) and 9

PART III bacteriological methods for testing for salmonella

1.  Bacteriological method (Rappaports) for the detection of salmonella in chick box liners, cloacal swabs, composite faeces samples, meconium samples, carcases, dust and environmental swabs (ie: swabs taken from fan housings, walls, floors, crevices, food weighing and dispensing hoppers and nest boxes).

Samples submitted for testing for the presence of salmonella shall be examined in the following prescribed manner on consecutive days and, where a laboratory at which samples have been received for testing on any day is unable to commence such an examination on that day, the samples shall be stored in a refrigerator at between 1°C and 4°C until required for examination.

Day 1

(a) Chick box liners: a one gram portion shall be taken from a soiled area on each liner and the portions from separate liners shall be bulked together and placed in Buffered Peptone Water (BPW)(a), at the rate of 1 gram of liner in 10 ml of BPW up to a maximum of 10 grams in 100 ml of BPW.

(b) Composite faeces and meconium samples: the samples shall be thoroughly mixed and a sub-sample weighing not more than 10 grams shall be placed in BPW at the rate of 1 gm sample to 10 ml BPW to a maximum of 10 grams in 100 ml BPW.

(c) Cloacal swabs: Cloacal swabs shall be bulked together in batches and placed in BPW at the rate of 1 swab to 4 ml BPW up to a maximum of 30 swabs in 120 ml BPW.

(d) Dust samples: the composite sample shall be thoroughly mixed and a sub-sample of 10 grams shall be placed in 225 ml of BPW.

(e) Environmental swabs shall be bulked together in batches and placed in BPW at the rate of 1 swab to 10 ml BPW up to a maximum of 10 swabs in 100 ml BPW.

(f) Carcases of birds: the following organs shall be removed from the carcases of birds–

(i) from chicks – samples of the yolk sac, liver and terminal intestines (to include portions of small intestines, large intestine and caecal tonsil),

(ii) from birds (other than chicks) – samples of liver and terminal intestines (to include portions of small intestines, large intestine and caecal tonsil).

The samples of organs taken from the carcases of birds submitted shall then be bulked together and placed in BPW at the rate of 1 gram of bulked tissue in 10 ml BPW up to a maximum of 10 grams of tissue in 100 ml BPW.

The inoculated BPW shall then be incubated at 37°C for 18–24 hours.

Day 20.1 ml from the incubated BPW shall be inoculated into 10 ml of Rappaports Vassiliadis (RV) broth (b) and incubated at 42.5°C .266 0.5°C for 18–24 hours.

Day 3The RV broth shall be plated out on to two plates of Brilliant Green Agar (BGA) (d) using a 2.5 mm diameter loop. The BGA plates shall be inoculated with a droplet taken from the edge of the surface of the fluid and drawing the loop over the whole of one plate in a zigzag pattern and continuing to the second plate without recharging the loop. The space between the loop streaks shall be 0.5–1.0 cm. The plates shall be incubated at 37°C for 18–24 hours, and the RV broth reincubated at 42.5°C .266 0.5°C for a further 18–24 hours.

Day 4

(i) The plates of BGA shall be examined and a minimum of 3 colonies from the plates showing suspicion of salmonella growth shall be subcultured on to a blood agar plate and a MacConkey agar plate and into biochemical composite media or equivalent. These media shall be incubated at 37°C for 18–24 hours.

(ii) The reincubated RV broth shall be plated out, and the plates incubated, as described in Day 3.

Day 5

(i) The incubated plates and composite media or equivalent shall be examined and the findings recorded, discarding cultures which are obviously not salmonella. Slide serological tests shall be performed using salmonella polyvalent “O” (Groups A–S) and polyvalent “H” (phase 1 and 2) agglutinating sera on selected suspect colonies collected from the blood agar or MacConkey plates. If reactions occur with one or both sera, the colonies shall be typed to Group level by slide serology.

(ii) The plates of BGA prepared at Day 4 (ii) shall be examined and further action taken as described in Day 4 (i) and Day 5 (i).

2.  Bacteriological method (Selenite) for the detection of salmonella in chick box liners, cloacal swabs, composite faeces samples, meconium samples and carcases.

Samples submitted for testing for the presence of salmonella shall be examined in the following prescribed manner on consecutive days and, where a laboratory at which samples have been received for testing on any day is unable to commence such an examination on that day, the samples shall be stored in a refrigerator at between 1°C and 4°C until required for examination.

Day 1

(a) Chick box liners: a one gram portion shall be taken from a soiled area on each liner and the portions from separate liners shall be bulked together and placed in Selenite F broth (c) at the rate of 1 gram of liner to 10 ml broth up to a maximum of 10 grams of liner in 100 ml broth.

(b) Composite faeces and meconium samples: the sample shall be thoroughly mixed and a sub-sample weighing not more than 10 grams shall be placed in Selenite F broth at the rate of 1 gram of faeces to 10 ml broth up to a maximum of 10 grams of faeces in 100 ml broth.

(c) Cloacal swabs: cloacal swabs shall be bulked together in batches and placed in Selenite F broth at the rate of 1 swab to 4 ml broth up to a maximum of 30 swabs in 120 ml broth.

(d) Carcases of birds: the following organs shall be removed from the carcases of birds–

(i) from chicks – samples of the yolk sac, liver and terminal intestines (to include portions of small intestines, large intestine and caecal tonsil).

(ii) from birds (other than chicks) – samples of liver and terminal intestines (to include portions of small intestines, large intestine and caecal tonsil).

The samples of organs taken from the carcases of birds submitted shall then be bulked together and placed in Selenite F broth at the rate of 1 gram of bulked tissue in 10 ml of broth up to a maximum of 10 grams of tissue in 100 ml broth.

The inoculated Selenite F broth shall then be incubated at 37°C for 18–24 hours.

Day 2

(i) The Selenite F broth shall be plated out on to two plates of Brilliant Green Agar (BGA) (d) using a 2.5 mm diameter loop. The BGA plates shall be inoculated with a droplet taken from the edge of the surface of the fluid and drawing the loop over the whole of one plate in a zigzag pattern and continuing to the second plate without recharging the loop. The space between the loopstreaks shall be 0.5 cm–1.0 cm.. The plates shall be incubated at 37°C for 18–24 hours.

(ii) The Selenite F broth shall then be reincubated at 37°C for a further 18–24 hours.

Day 3

(i) The plates of BGA shall be examined and a minimum of 3 colonies from the plates showing suspicion of salmonella growth shall be subcultured on to a blood agar plate and a MacConkey agar plate and into biochemical composite media or equivalent.

These media shall be incubated at 37°C for 18–24 hours.

(ii) The reincubated Selenite F broth shall be plated out and incubated as described in Day 2 (i).

Day 4

(i) The incubated plates and composite media or equivalent shall be examined and the findings recorded, discarding cultures which are obviously not salmonella. Slide serological tests shall be performed using salmonella polyvalent “O” (Groups A–S) and polyvalent “H” (phase 1 and 2) agglutinating sera on selected suspect colonies collected from the blood agar or MacConkey plates. If reactions occur with one or both sera, the colonies shall be typed to Group level by slide serology.

(ii) The plates of BGS prepared at Day 3 (ii) shall be examined and further action taken as described in Day 3 (i) and Day 4 (i).

(a) Buffered Peptone Water – Edel and Kampelmacher (1973) (commercially available as Oxoid CM 509, Lab M46 or equivalent)

(b) Rappaports Vassiliadis (RV) Broth – Vassiliadis et al (1976) (commercially available as Oxoid CM 669 or equivalent).

(c) Selenite F broth – Liefson (1936) (commercially available as Oxoid CM 395 and L121, Lab M44a and 44b or equivalent)(a), (b) and (c) should be reconstituted according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

(d) Brilliant Green Agar (Modified) – Edel and Kampelmacher (1969) (commercially available as Oxoid CM 329, Lab M34 or equivalent)The agar should be reconstituted according to the manufacturer’s instructions and poured into 9 cm diameter plates.

References:

Liefson E. (1936) American Journal of Hygiene 24, 423–432.

Edel, W. & Kampelmacher, E.H. (1969) Bulletin of the World Health Organisation 41, 297–306.

Edel W. & Kampelmacher E.H. (1973) Bulletin of the World Health Organisation 48, 167–174.

Anon (1969) ISO 6579 International Organisation for Standardisation, Geneva.

Vassiliadis, P., Pateraki, E., Papaiconomou, N., Papadakis, J.A.,

and Trichopoulos, D. (1976) Annales de Microbiologie (Institut Pasteur) 127B, 195–200.

Article 7(a)

SCHEDULE 4

PART I blood samples to be taken for serological testing for salmonella pullorum

1.  Blood samples shall be taken, by or under the supervision of an officer of the Minister, from domestic fowls between 3 and 5 weeks before they are transferred to laying accommodation or when they are between 16 and 22 weeks of age, whichever occurs later.

2.  The number of birds from which blood samples shall be taken shall be as follows–

(a) in the case of birds at grandparent level and above, all birds; and

(b) in the case of birds at parent level, a number calculated in accordance with the following table–

Number of birds at parent level required to be sampled for testing for Salmonella pullorum

Number of birds kept in a house or, on premises on which birds have free access to more than one house, number of birds in each group of houses on such premises	Number of birds to be sampled in that house or in that group of houses on those premises
300 or less	All birds up to 150
301–400	160
401–4000	170
4001 or more	180

3.  The samples shall comprise 0.02 ml of blood taken from a wing vein of a bird by pricking with a suitable needle.

Article 7(b)

PART II serological method for testing for salmonella pullorum

The rapid plate whole blood test shall be used for the testing of blood samples forSalmonella pullorum which tests shall be carried out as follows–

(1) 0.02 ml of blood taken from a wing vein of a bird, after pricking with a suitable needle, shall be placed on a white ceramic tile using a loop of the appropriate size.

(2) 0.04 ml of polyvalent crystal violet stainedSalmonella pullorum antigen(2) shall be added to the blood and mixed with it.

(3) The tile shall be rocked gently for 2 minutes after which time the test shall be read.

(4) All bleeding needles and loops must be washed in a normal saline solution(3) after each bird has been sampled and tested which solution must be renewed after every 200 birds have been sampled and tested.

Article 11(a)

SCHEDULE 5

PART I records of samples taken in respect of a breeding flock or a hatchery

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 or whose name is entered in the Hatcheries Register in respect of any premises used by him as a hatchery shall keep a record of samples taken in respect of the flock or hatchery (as the case may be) containing the following information–

(i) the date on which the sample was taken;

(ii) a description of the type of sample taken; and

(iii) in the case of samples taken in respect of a breeding flock, the identity of the house or group of houses from which the samples were taken and, in the case of samples taken from a hatchery, the address of the premises from which the hatching eggs from which the samples were obtained were supplied to the hatchery.

Article 11(c)

PART II records of tests carried out on blood samples from breeding flocks

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 shall keep a record of tests carried out on any day on blood samples taken from domestic fowls in the flock which record shall contain the following information–

(i) the date of the tests;

(ii) the number of birds from which blood samples were tested on that day; and

(iii) the number of birds giving a positive reaction to tests forSalmonella pullorum carried out on that day.

Article 11(d)

PART III records of the movement of poultry,chicks and eggs onto and off any premises on which a breeding flock is kept

A person whose name is entered in the Breeding Flocks Register in respect of any premises on which a breeding flock is kept shall keep a record of the movement of any poultry, chicks and eggs onto and off such premises which record shall contain the following information–

(i) the date of the movement;

(ii) the number of poultry, chicks or eggs moved;

(iii) the identity of the house or group of houses in which any poultry, chicks or eggs moved onto the premises were placed or from which any poultry, chicks or eggs were moved off the premises;

(iv) in the case of any poultry, chicks or eggs moved onto the premises, the address from which they were brought there; and

(v) in the case of any poultry, chicks or eggs moved off the premises, the address of the premises to which they were moved.

Article 11(e)

PART IV records of the movement of eggs onto,and off and of the movement of chicks off,any premises which are used as a hatchery

A person whose name is entered in the Hatcheries Register in respect of any premises used by him as a hatchery shall keep a record of the movement of any eggs onto and off, and of the movement of any chicks off, such premises, which record shall contain the following information–

(i) the date of the movement;

(ii) in the case of the movement of any eggs onto the premises, the address of the premises from which they were moved and the number of eggs moved;

(iii) in the case of the movement of any eggs or chicks off the premises the address of the premises to which they were moved and the number of eggs or chicks moved.

(1)

Buffered Peptone Water – Edel and Kapelmacher (1973) (Commercially available as Oxoid CM 509, Lab M46 or equivalent).

(2)

S. pullorum antigen must contain standard and variant strains ofS. pullorum stained with crystal violet and standardised against international standard sera raised against the standard and variant strains (O.I.E. 1986).

(3)

Normal saline solution is prepared by dissolving saline tablets in water according to the manufacturers instructions. Reference: O.I.E. (1986) International Zoosanitary Code 5th Edition, 362–364 (updated May 1988 as International Animal Health Code, updated pages 45 to 47).