All firms or persons hatching or selling domesticated poultry
within the State of Texas must have a pullorum-typhoid status at least
equivalent to that specified by the National Poultry Improvement Plan
of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the United States
Department of Agriculture. A firm or persons may obtain such status
by compliance with one of the following methods.
(1) Those firms or persons currently qualified under
the National Poultry Improvement Plan are recognized as meeting the
requirement of these sections.
(2) Any firm or person presently under a program of
monitoring and testing breeder birds for pullorum and typhoid which
is equivalent to the required program may have the program approved
by the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL).
(3) A firm or person unable to obtain a pullorum typhoid
status at least equivalent to that specified by the National Poultry
Improvement Program by compliance with one of the methods outlined
in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section must submit his flock to
an official test. A flock in which all test results are negative shall
be considered to have a pullorum-typhoid status equivalent to that
specified by the National Poultry Improvement Plan. The following
testing procedures may be used to comply with this regulation.
(A) All birds in the primary breeder flocks are tested
and all birds in multiplier flocks are tested.
(B) All birds in the primary breeder flocks are tested,
and birds in the multiplier flocks are tested according to the following.
Attached Graphic
(C) All birds in the primary breeder flocks are tested.
Multiplier flocks are not required to test.
(D) At least 300 birds from the primary breeder flocks
are tested. No test is required in multiplier flocks.
(E) Under the methods described in subparagraphs (B),
(C), and (D) of this section, in lieu of blood testing, TVMDL may
determine that a primary breeding flock, a multiplier breeding flock,
game birds, and waterfowl may comply with this regulation if a bacteriologic
monitoring program and a bacteriologic examination has been made of
samples of down or fluff shed by baby poultry in the hatchery. At
least three negative cultures on samples collected on three separate
hatches are required. In making such determination, TVMDL shall consider
the origin of the flock and any history of pullorum disease or fowl
typhoid in the flock or on the premises in which the flock has been
housed, incubated, brooded, or ranged. The TVMDL may require blood
testing of flocks when there is any cause to suspect infection with
pullorum disease or fowl typhoid. Before compliance by this method
can be approved by TVMDL, the firm or person owning the flock must
agree to submit specimens to an approved laboratory when excessive
mortality in birds under four weeks of age has occurred.
(4) A dealer may qualify by purchasing hatching eggs
or the poultry only from pullorum-typhoid free flocks as established
under the Texas Pullorum-Typhoid Program or the National Poultry
Improvement Plan or an equivalent program.
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