HPAI Response

Restocking Criteria for a Commercial Premises (Example Form Only) 

May 17, 2022

Business/Owner/Farm: ________________________________________________________

Premises County/Number: __________________________ Date: ______________________

Premises Address: ____________________________________________________________

Premises ID: ________________

Criteria (all must be met):

1. The owner and/or grower has met all requirements of the following:

a. State Quarantine Notice or Hold Order.

Yes _____ No _____

b. USDA Flock Plan, and has completed any required mitigation measures to prevent 

future introductions.

Yes _____ No _____

2. The premises has met the requirements in the document entitled Timeline, Eligibility, and 

Approval for Restocking for

a. Timeline, for the method of disposal chosen. End date for required time period: _______.

Yes _____ No _____

b. Environmental sampling, with no recovery of viable HPAI virus.

Yes _____ No _____

3. The owner/employees will implement the following critical level biosecurity practices subject 

to audit by the State (list of practices varies by State, additional measures may be required):

Yes _____ No _____

a. Barn structure will be maintained and managed to exclude wild birds, rodents, etc.

b. Feed spills are cleaned up immediately to avoid attracting wild birds.

c. Where present, standing water on the premises has been mitigated to prevent wild 

waterfowl from gathering.

d. There is a written protocol for the critical movement and placement of vehicles, trucks, 

trailers, and other equipment onto the premises.

e. Only essential traffic (people) required for flock management will be allowed onto 

premises during the growing cycle, no unnecessary visitors. Routine maintenance 

should be done between flocks to minimize traffic.

f. There is a written protocol for cleaning and disinfecting (virus elimination) any equipment 

that enters the barn.

g. Barn specific clothing and boots will be used by employees, will be kept in the barn’s 

entryway, changed prior to entering the flock, removed and left in the entry, and not worn 

outside.

4. In consultation with the State, the owner has evaluated risk factors at the start of the 14 day 

fallow period.

Yes _____ No _____

5. The premises will complete any additional surveillance, biosecurity procedures, and test 

requirement for movement of poultry onto the premises as required by the State or APHIS 

upon and following restocking.
HPAI Response

Restocking Criteria for a Commercial Premises (Example Form Only) 

2

Birds Restocked After 14 Day Downtime – After repopulation of the premises, the repopulation 

flock must undergo at least three tests for avian influenza. Sampling for the tests must occur at 

least seven days apart. All birds sampled for testing must be at least 21 days old. The birds will be 

tested by collection of tracheal swabs and submission of the samples to approved laboratory for 

PCR testing for evidence of avian influenza.

Post-Quarantine Avian Influenza Poultry Surveillance – Besides normal NPIP surveillance, all 

post-quarantine abnormal mortality within 180 days of quarantine release should be reported, 

investigated, and tested for avian influenza by State and/or VS personnel. Abnormal mortality is 

defined as follows*:

• Commercial broiler turkeys: mortality in excess of 2 birds/1,000 per day;

• Commercial breeder turkeys: mortality in excess of 2 birds/1,000 per day; OR a 

decrease in egg production of 15 percent occurring over a 2-day period;

• Commercial broilers: mortality exceeding 3.5 birds/1,000 per day.

• Commercial layers: 3 times normal mortality per day (normal is 0.13 per 1,000 per day 

for layers from 2–50 weeks and 0.43 birds per 1,000 per day for layers over 50 weeks); 

OR 5 percent drop in egg production over 3 days;

• Broiler breeders: mortality exceeding 2 birds/1,000 per day;

• Layer breeders: mortality exceeding 3 times the normal daily mortality per day (normal is 

0.2 birds/1,000 per day up to 50 weeks and 0.37 birds/1,000 per day after 50 weeks);

• Small-volume, high-value commercial poultry and backyard flocks: any sudden and 

significant mortality event or sudden drop in egg production should be investigated.

*These mortality thresholds are from the USDA APHIS H5/H7 avian influenza case definition; more stringent criteria may 

be used per the discretion of State or APHIS officials for a given incident.

Approved for restocking date: __________________________________________________

_______________________________________________ ________________

Owner/Grower Date

_______________________________________________ ________________

State Premises Representative Date

State and APHIS officials agree in writing that the premises can be restocked from flocks 

that test negative for AI: samples are collected within 24 hours of movement and tested at an 

approved laboratory. 

A previously infected premises having met all the requirements outlined above will be eligible to 

restock. If the restocked premises subsequently becomes reinfected, it will be eligible for indemnity 

if the flock is in compliance with both the premises’ biosecurity plan and additional requirements as 

part of this restocking agreement, and as APHIS funds are available.

_______________________________________________ ________________

APHIS Representative Date

_______________________________________________ ________________

State Representative Date