Veterinary - National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)

• The NPIP is a voluntary State–Federal cooperative testing and certification program for poultry breeding flocks, baby chicks, poults, hatching eggs, hatcheries, and dealers. The objective of the NPIP is to provide establishing standards for the evaluation (testing) of poultry breeding stock, baby chicks, poults, and hatching eggs with respect to freedom from certain diseases.
• The primary diseases covered by the NPIP are avian influenza (fowl plague) and S. pullorum (pullorum disease)/S. gallinarum (fowl typhoid) although many other disease and program options are available for commercial poultry.
• Many states and most U.S. trading partners require certain NPIP program certifications or similar disease testing for interstate/international movement. Our state and county fairs require testing similar to the NPIP U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid (P-T) Clean program for birds to be displayed, but this can be accomplished through either NPIP certification OR on-site testing available at the exhibition

U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean Certification (baseline certification)

• There is a one-time $50.00 fee to join the program, presuming yearly P-T Clean renewal and testing is maintained.  Currently* this fee is collected at time of flock qualification by your Veterinary Program Specialist.
• During qualification, one of our Veterinary Program Specialists (or more, depending on the size of your flock) will come and test your flock for Pullorum-Typhoid and Avian Influenza.
    - Your entire adult flock will be tested for P-T. The cost for this testing is ten cents per bird.  You will receive in the mail an invoice from our lab to collect this payment.
   - Thirty birds (or your entire adult flock, if thirty birds or fewer) will be tested for Avian Influenza. There is no charge for this testing.
• For annual renewal and U.S. P-T Clean surveillance, you will be charged a $10.00 renewal fee, which, for the time being*, will be collected by your Veterinary Program Specialist during their annual visit to your property.  The cost for testing will continue to be ten cents per bird with 100% of adult birds in the flock requiring testing, which will be invoiced through our lab.

* Indicates a programmatic operation shifts that may be coming soon, check back occasionally for updates

U.S. Avian Influenza Clean Certification 

• To maintain AI Clean status your flock will need to be tested for this particular disease more frequently than once a year.  Typically, testing is required at a six-month interval, but can be required quarterly based on the species of birds in your flock.
• Routine testing continues to be thirty birds (or your entire adult flock, if thirty birds or fewer) and is no charge.
• This status is recommended if you are frequently shipping chicks or hatching eggs out-of-state.  Please make note to your Veterinary Program Specialist if you frequently ship to Virginia, as this state may require quarterly testing.
   

• Email us at: vetpoultry @ncagr.gov
• Include the following information:
  1. Your physical/911 address
  2. Your mailing address (if different)
  3. Your telephone number and email
  4. An approximate number of adult birds on your premises (poultry, waterfowl and upland gamebird)
• A member of our Poultry Health Programs team will contact you within 5 business days