Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1080 Checklist

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Audit Checklist for ARAC Standard for 

Certified Responsible Antibiotic Use in Poultry

This checklist is to be used as an addendum to either the Process Verified Program (PVP) or 

Quality System Assessment (QSA) Program.

1. Feed Mills

a) Are any antibiotics used in the feed? If so, which ones? 

Compare the antibiotics used against the list in the Auditor Guidance document for

unapproved antibiotics and antibiotics approved for limited, therapeutic use only. 

b) Does feed formulator have easy, written access to the name and contact information

(phone and/or email) of all veterinarians ordering medicated feeds?

c) Are medically important antibiotics (per Auditor Guidance TABLE 1) added to program 

feed? If yes, is required documentation available for auditor review?

Required documentation: 

• Veterinary diagnosis (laboratory stet results can substitute). 

• A written veterinary feed directive (VFD) (veterinarian prescription can substitute). 

d) Does the written feed directive or prescription include the required information? 

• Veterinarian’s name and contact information (telephone number or email). 

• Veterinarian’s license number and issuing state. 

• Client’s name and address. 

• Diagnosis. 

• The estimated or expected number of animals to be treated (exact count can 

substitute). 

• Date the feed directive or prescription was issued. 

• Name of the drug. 

• Level of drug (dose) in the feed. 

• Duration of treatment. 

• Any special instructions or cautionary notes. 

e) Are any TABLE 3 antibiotics used? If yes, this is a major non-conformance. 

Date:

Audit Identifier:

Company Name:

Est. Number:
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1080 Checklist

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Approved by_________JW

f) Are any TABLE 2 antibiotics used? If yes, is use documented to be in strict compliance

with label instructions? 

g) Were flushes conducted on operating lines running feed with medically important 

antibiotics prior to the running of the CRAU feed?

h) Were flushes conducted on trucks/trailers carrying feed with medically important 

antibiotics prior to loading program feed? 

2. Hatchery

a) Vaccination of chicks or in ovo is permitted, but no antibiotics in any drug list are

allowed in vaccine administration.

b) Is there in ovo injection of antibiotics pre-hatch? (this is strictly prohibited).

c) Is there spray use of antibiotics? (Must have required documentation).

d) Were any chicks or poults injected with medically important antibiotics (see Auditor 

Guidance TABLE 1)?

e) If so, is this documented on hatchery paperwork? 

• A veterinarian prescription? 

• Veterinarian’s name and contact information (telephone number or email). 

• Veterinarian’s license number and issuing state. 

• Client’s name and address. 

• Diagnosis. 

• The estimated animals treated. 

• Name of the drug. 

• Level of drug (dose). 

• Duration of treatment. 

• Any special instructions or cautionary notes. 

3. Grow Out Farm

a) Have any antibiotics been used in this flock? If yes, which antibiotics? (See

 Auditor Guide for approved and disallowed uses). 

b) Individual birds? How many?
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1080 Checklist

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Approved by_________JW

c) Entire flock? How many?

d) Were birds in adjacent barns treated in absence of disease? (This is prohibited in the 

absence of veterinary diagnosis).

e) Were not approved (TABLE 3) or therapeutic use only (TABLE 1) antibiotics used? 

f) If therapeutic use only antibiotics (TABLE 1) were given to birds, was this documented on 

a medication ticket or other similar written/computerized document? 

g) Did the medication ticket or similar documentation include all of the following?

• Company name. 

• Name or location of the premises on which the birds are being kept. 

• Name and contact information (telephone or email) of veterinarian ordering the 

antibiotic. 

• Veterinarian’s license number and issuing state. 

• Diagnosis. 

• Date prescription or feed directive is to begin. 

• Date prescription or feed directive is to end. 

• Name of the antibiotic given. 

• Dosage of the antibiotic. 

• Duration of the antibiotic. 

• Method of administration of the antibiotic. 

• Estimated or expected number of birds receiving the antibiotic prescription or feed

directive. 

• Any special instructions or precautions. 

h) Were any antibiotics administered at a dosage or duration that differs from that on the 

label of the antibiotic? If yes, is there a written prescription from the veterinarian(s) of 

record. (This is required, major NC if missing). 

i) How are medically important antibiotics at grow-out farms administered?

Via water?

j) Is all documentation of medically important antibiotics use kept for two years?

Who keeps these records? Are records readily available to auditors either on farm or from 

the owner of the birds (integrator)? 
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Approved by_________JW

k) Is the name and contact information (phone and/or email) of veterinarian(s) ordering

medicated feed written and easily accessible in each grow out barn? 

l) Is there documentation that veterinarian instructions for the administration (mixing, 

dosage, duration) of medically important antibiotics were received by the grower? 

m) The auditor shall determine and review the history of treatment for each therapeutic use 

only drug listed in Table 1. 

Is there a history of medically important antibiotic in the past year?

• If the answer is “no” or if the previous history of use is one or two times, then no 

further review is needed. 

• If there is a history of the antibiotic being used 3 times in the past year, then review to

determine if the medically important antibiotic was used sequentially on the same

flock or in the same barn. If it was not used sequentially, then no further review is

needed. 

n) If any medically important antibiotic was used for any reason for three or more 

consecutive growing cycles (growing cycle encompasses hatchery to slaughter), is there a 

written veterinary statement?

• Does the statement include a description of the problem(s), treatment(s) given,

diagnostic laboratory results, and a written plan of action to correct the problem(s)? 

• Is there evidence that this report was sent to the appropriate contact at ARAC? 

(This is required, major NC if missing. If the problem is not resolved, the site will no 

longer be CRAU approved and will be removed from the ARAC and USDA official 

listing of approved programs.) 

Note: If a successful solution to the problem(s) has been found that does not include the

continued use of medically important antibiotics, the problem has been resolved and a 

plan of action is not needed.

o) If CRAU approval has been withdrawn for specific grow out barn(s) or an entire grow out 

farm due to three or more consecutive uses of any medically important antibiotics or a 

continual pattern of consecutive use, the procedure for re-inspection and reinstatement of 

the relevant barns is as follows:

• Grower/integrator maintains records of medically important antibiotic use on birds in 

affected barns/farms (as directed in Checklist Hatchery Section 2a-e and Grow Out 

Section 3a-m).
Agricultural Quality Assessment Division QAD 1080 Checklist

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Approved by_________JW

• On next the scheduled surveillance audit or specifically requested limited scope audit, 

AMS auditor visits these farms and

o Reviews antibiotic use records. 

o Reviews and conducts interviews relevant to the written veterinary statement, the 

written corrective plan of action required in Grow Out Section 3 Item n, and all 

records related to implementation of the action plan. 

• In turkey production, if the auditor review and interviews indicate that at least 1 flock 

has been successfully raised in these barns or farms without use of medically 

important antibiotics, those barns or farms may be returned to the CRAU program. 

• In broiler chicken production, if the auditor review and interviews indicate that at 

least 2 successive flocks have been successfully raised in these barns or farms without 

use of medically important antibiotics, those barns or farms may be returned to the 

CRAU program.

• If same farm or barn falls into continual pattern of medically important antibiotic use 

(e.g. a repeated pattern of 3 flocks in the CRAU program, 1 flock out), ARAC will 

exercise its right to request different corrective action or to remove the farm 

permanently from the CRAU program.