The National Organic Program (NOP), part of USDA’s 

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), develops and 

oversees the USDA organic standards, including 

standards for organic livestock production. 

All certified organic farms and businesses are required 

to provide living conditions for poultry and livestock 

that accommodate the health and natural behavior of 

animals, including year-round access to the outdoors, 

shade, shelter, exercise areas, fresh air, clean water, 

and sunlight. 

All poultry operations can be impacted by disease if 

hazards are introduced by people, trucks, water, feed, 

poultry house exhaust, or equipment from the 

outside. Effective biosecurity measures are essential 

whether birds are raised in indoor or outdoor 

production systems. 

Protecting Organic Flocks: 

Temporary Confinement Allowance

Organic producers are required to ensure their 

animals’ health, safety and well-being is not 

jeopardized. To this end, the USDA organic 

regulations allow producers to confine their birds 

indoors for several specific and justified reasons. 

United States Department of Agriculture

USDA NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM, Agricultural Marketing Service March 2016

USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

These reasons include inclement weather; conditions 

under which the health, safety, or well-being of the 

animal could be jeopardized; and risk to soil or water 

quality. 

If birds need to be temporarily confined at any time to 

protect the health, safety, and welfare of organic flocks, 

then producers and certifiers work together to 

determine an appropriate method and duration of 

confinement, without losing organic certification. 

When appropriate due to known risks, AMS sends 

notifications to organic certifiers underscoring this 

allowance for temporary confinement and referring 

them to appropriate resources from the USDA Animal 

and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). 

(continued on back)

The NOP’s Handbook, a collection 

of standard references for certifiers, 

includes a policy memo titled: 

“The National Confinement of 

Poultry Flocks Due to Avian 

Influenza, or Other Infectious 

Diseases” (2011) 

For More On Protecting 

Organic Poultry from Disease.... 

Biosecurity in USDA Organic Poultry Operations
Biosecurity for USDA Organic Poultry Operations, continued 

USDA NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM, Agricultural Marketing Service March 2016

USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

The USDA organic regulations also allow other 

mitigation techniques, including the depopulation of 

infected flocks when necessary. 

Preventative Health Care Practices 

The USDA organic regulations also require 

preventative health care practices for organic 

livestock. Organic producers may use:

 Vaccines

 Nonlethal physical barriers (e.g., netting and/or 

electric fencing), management practices (e.g., 

guard animals and night corrals), or more active 

means, such as hunting or trapping

Many diseases, such as coccidiosis, often can be 

controlled by good husbandry practices. Keeping flocks 

stress-free with good nutrition is the first step in any 

disease-prevention program. 

For More On Outdoor Access for Livestock

The NOP’s Handbook also includes a policy memo 

titled: “Access to the Outdoors for Livestock” (2011). It 

discusses outdoor access and when confinement may 

be appropriate.

Resources from APHIS

 Visit the APHIS “Biosecurity for Birds” website to learn 

about signs of disease and steps to take to protect 

birds. 

 In collaboration with State, academia, and industry, 

APHIS has created a biosecurity producer selfassessment. Hosted by the U.S. Poultry and Egg 

Association (uspoultry.org), organic producers may 

find this a helpful resource.

Organic Producers Must Comply with FDA Laws 

Organic producers must comply with all Federal 

regulations, including those related to animal health and 

food safety. For example, organic producers must comply 

with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations 

on food safety. 

The following FDA Guidance for Industry provides 

information on preventing Salmonella Enteritidis in shell 

eggs: Questions and Answers Regarding the Final Rule, 

Prevention of Salmonella Enteritidis in Shell Eggs During 

Production, Storage, and Transportation

Other Resources

NOP has developed a series of factsheets covering a 

variety of topics related to organic production and 

certification, including:

 Introduction to Organic Practices

 What is Organic Certification?

 Technical and Financial Assistance

 for Organic Producers

 Making the Transition

 to Organic Production and Handling

 The Organic Certification Cost Share Program

These factsheets along with many others are available 

at www.ams.usda.gov/publications/Fact_Sheets. 

For more information, write us online or call us at:

www.ams.usda.gov/nop 

(202) 720-3252