Let’s Keep Our Poultry Healthy Together Webinar Transcript

NOVEMBER 28, 2018

ANDY SCHNEIDER: Hello, everyone, and thank you for 

joining the webinar. We are excited to introduce expanded 

biosecurity resources to help defend your flock from the spread of 

disease. I'm Andy Schneider, known to most as the Chicken 

Whisperer. Today I'm joined by Doctor Jo Anna Quinn, Dr. 

Denise Heard, and Doctor Megin Nichols.

Before we get started, we want to let you know that closed 

captions are available for this program. For anyone who wishes 

to view realtime streaming captions, type the URL that you see on 

this slide into your browser. You can use this link at any time 

during the program.

Now, we will take a few minutes to introduce ourselves. I'm 

Andy Schneider, editor in chief of Chicken Whisperer Magazine, 

national spokesperson for the USDA APHIS, Avian Health 

Program, author of the Host of the Backyard Poultry with the

Chicken Whisperer Wed radio show and Podcast. Doctor Quinn, 

please tell us a little bit about yourself.

DR. JO ANNA QUINN: Thank you, Andy. I'm a 

veterinarian medical officer working with USDA. I work in District 

One, which is located in the eastern United States. My 

educational background is in poultry and avian medicine. In my 
position, I serve as a resource on poultry health issues working 

with state agriculture departments, the commercial poultry 

industry, and with small flock owners. My focus is on avian 

influenza and disease prevention through biosecurity. I'm happy 

to be with you today.

ANDY SCHNEIDER: Thank you, Doctor Quinn. Doctor 

Heard, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Dr. DENISE HEARD: Thank you, Andy. I'm the senior 

coordinator for National Poultry Improvement Plan, or NPIP, 

which is a cooperative federal, state, and industry program of the 

United States Department of Agriculture that works to control 

certain poultry diseases. We will talk in greater detail about the 

NPIP during today's webinar. I'm a veterinary medical officer 

with the USDA, trained at the University of Georgia, and I work 

with growers and breeders all over the country to provide support 

and coordinate oversight for the NPIP certified facilities, and to 

educate all growers on how we can use the NPIP biosecurity 

principles to keep all of our flocks healthy and safe.

ANDY SCHNEIDER: Thank you, Doctor Heard. Doctor 

Nichols? Will you tell us a little bit about yourself?

DR. MEGIN NICHOLS: Hello. My name is Megin Nichols, 

and I'm a public health veterinarian in the division of foodborne, 

waterborne, and environmental diseases at the Center for 

Disease Control and prevention. I currently work on multi-state 
outbreaks of Salmonella and E coli resulting in exposure to 

animals and pet products. Every year, CDC investigates 

outbreaks of Salmonella illnesses in people linked to backyard 

poultry. I’m happy to be here today to represent the CDC and to 

participate in the webinar. Back over to you, Andy.

ANDY SCHNEIDER: Thank you, Doctor Nichols. My goal 

today is to provide information about keeping birds healthy for all 

flock owners. From individuals who raise chickens and other 

breeds in their backyards to bird lovers who participate in shows 

and fairs to commercial enterprises that raise the poultry and 

eggs that we consume. We will cover practicing biosecurity and 

the spread of disease; an overview of the NPIP resources, as well 

as new resources from the USDA. And finally, we will conclude 

with important information about protecting both human and avian 

health. If you have questions, please feel free to submit them by 

clicking the Q&A button located at the bottom of your screen after 

the webinar. 

After webinar, APHIS and CDC veterinarians will answer all 

questions, and they will be posted along with a recording of this 

webinar on the APHIS website. Be sure to follow the come pain 

on FaceBook and Twitter to find out when the recording is 

available. We will share those on-line destinations at the end of 

the webinar.

First, let's turn our attention to an update on biosecurity.
Disease outbreaks among poultry are devastating. 

Protecting the health and safe of our nation's poultry must be a 

top priority for all flock owners. The US poultry industry is one of 

the largest in the world and an important sector of our agricultural 

economy. If US poultry are exposed to highly contagious 

diseases like highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPAI, and 

virulent Newcastle Disease, vND, the impact on our economy can 

be severe and international trade could be impacted.

It's important to know the ways disease can spread, so you 

can take the proper steps to prevent it: Adding infected or 

diseased birds to a flock; adding birds that carry diseases or 

germs to a flock, even when they appear healthy; exposure to 

wild animals, pet birds, and wild birds; contact with contaminated 

hair, shoes, and clothing; contact with contaminated objects, 

items that carry germs; improper disposal of dead birds and 

impure water, such as surface or drainage water. 

Some additional ways that disease can spread includes 

exposure to rodents and insects; the use of contaminated 

materials, such as feed, feed bags, egg flats, crates, coops, trays, 

and water troughs; using contaminated vehicles, such as trucks, 

motorcycles, wheelbarrows; through contaminated soil, feathers, 

old litter, and debris; and through contaminated equipment such 

as scales, knives, or counter tops.

That's why practicing biosecurity is crucial. Doctor Quinn, 
can you talk more about the importance of biosecurity practice?

DR. JO ANNA QUINN: Absolutely. Biosecurity essentially 

means protecting or safeguarding life. It involves using common 

sense practices to protect your poultry and birds from all types of 

disease agents, viruses, bacteria, funguses or parasites, doing 

everything possible to protect your birds from infectious diseases 

like Virulent Newcastle disease and avian influenza, prevent 

disease-causing germs from entering your premises, preventing 

disease-causing germs from leaving your premises and spreading 

to your neighbors. We saw how quickly disease spread and the 

impact it had on backyard and commercial poultry with the avian 

influenza outbreak in 2014 and 2015 and with the current Virulent 

Newcastle disease outbreak in California. 

Implementing stronger biosecurity practices encompasses 

three main areas of focus: First, creating structural barriers and 

maintaining them, for example, keeping your chickens and coop 

within a fenced run. Second, instituting operating procedures 

and policies that reinforce good biosecurity. And third, ensuring 

that biosecurity is an every day, every time effort.

These are the fundamentals of biosecurity practice. What 

we have referred to in the past as the six simple steps: One, 

keeping your distance. Two, keeping it clean. Three, not 

hauling disease home. Four, not borrowing disease from your 

neighbor. Five, knowing the signs of disease. And six, reporting 
sick birds. 

Now, we are expanding these simple steps to include more 

detailed guidance and training to ensure that all flocks, whether 

industry, backyard, or exhibition, are practicing with a common set 

of standards. The National Poultry Improvement Plan, known as 

the NPIP, has done this successfully for decades and offers 

important lessons that we all can use. 

Now I will turn the presentation over to Doctor Heard who 

will tell you more about the NPIP.

DR. DENISE HEARD: Thank you, Doctor Quinn. The 

National Poultry Improvement Plan, known as NPIP, is a 

voluntary, cooperative federal-state- industry program established 

over 83 years ago aimed at improving poultry health throughout 

the country. The NPIP was originally established to eradicate a 

disease called Salmonella pullorum, which was causing 

80 percent mortality in baby chicks. Today we have essentially 

eradicated Salmonella pullorum in the industry. With such 

success in eradicating the disease, the NPIP was extended to 

include testing, monitoring and surveillance for additional poultry 

diseases that cause illness in poultry such as Avian 

Mycoplasmas, Avian Influenza, and other types of Salmonellas.

The NPIP has three main objectives: First, the cooperation 

of the industry, state, and federal government is essential to 

improve poultry and poultry products throughout the country by 
promoting new diagnostic technology. Second, NPIP certification 

programs examine the health status of the industry, such as 

broiler, turkeys, and egg laying birds, by monitoring their primary 

multiplying breeding stock. And finely, the NPIP establishes the 

standard operating procedures for sample collection, diagnostic 

testing performed, and the laboratory protocols for conducting 

tests under the National Poultry Improvement Plan.

The NPIP is extremely proud to be supported by so many 

poultry organizations and associations. You can see some of 

them listed here in this slide. The NPIP works with and 

represents all sectors of the poultry industry. No one is left out.

Participation in the NPIP is voluntary; however, we currently 

have all 50 United States voluntarily participating in the NPIP as 

well as one US territory, Puerto Rico.

Within the states, we have different types of participants 

such as the primary poultry breeders, commercial companies, 

independent flock owners, and backyard bird owners, hatcheries, 

slaughter plants, game bird operations, poultry dealers, and 100 

NPIP approved laboratories that perform the testing for the NPIP 

program.

The NPIP offers numerous benefits. Some of the most 

significant advantages to becoming a NPIP participant include 

being proactive in the protecting the health of your flock through 

voluntary monitoring testing; preventing vertical transmissions of 
diseases from hen to chick, knowing that you have purchased 

your bird from NPIP certified flocks that have met very specific 

prevention condition; enjoying the ability to move your flock 

across state lines without additional Salmonella and AI testing; 

minimizing the risk of bringing Salmonella contaminated eggs to 

your home; having access to your best management practices; 

and a big benefit is that you can receive up to 100 percent 

indemnification if your birds are destroyed due to avian influenza. 

A new addition that I would like to highlight is the NPIP 

Biosecurity Principles Program. This program contains the best 

management practices and principles that are designed to 

prevent the introduction and spread of any type of infectious 

disease. Large and small poultry operations can take these 

biosecurity principles and apply them by developing a site specific 

plan for their operation. The 14th biosecurity principle includes 

an auditing tool for the large operation to ensure that their plans 

are designed appropriately to prevent the introduction and 

transmission of disease.

And remember, what one owner does with their flocks can 

affect all flocks, even those at a distance. 

Doctor Quinn, can you take us through what this means for 

the future of biosecurity practices?

DR. JO ANNA QUINN: Thank, Doctor Heard. USDA has 

begun the full rollout of communicating the NPIP principles to all 
growers, beginning with guidance on three of the 14 principles: 

First, actions related to personnel, meaning anyone who comes in 

contact with your flocks; second, biosecurity practices related to 

preventing disease resulting from contact with wild birds, rodents, 

and insects; and the third point USDA is providing guidance on for 

all growers relates to preventing the spread of disease through 

the use of vehicles. USDA will continue to provide guidance on 

additional principles through the year 2020. 

For commercial facilities, the NPIP principles require that 

your biosecurity program must include provisions and procedures 

for personal protective equipment, both for site dedicated and 

non-farm personnel. Your practice should include documented 

procedures for all personnel who have had contact with your 

poultry.

Andy, can you describe how this applies for backyard and 

exhibition growers?

ANDY SCHNEIDER: Thanks, Doctor Quinn. It's important 

that you only allow people who are trained to care for your poultry 

to come in contact with your birds. This helps reduce the risk of 

disease transmission. Visitors should wear protective outer 

garments or disposable coveralls, boots, and hair nets when 

handling birds and shower and or change clothes when leaving 

the facility. If using a foot bath, be sure to remove all droppings, 

mud, and debris from boots and shoes using a long handled 
scrub brush before stepping into the disinfectant foot baths. You 

could also spread germs such as Salmonella that could impact 

human health. Wash with soap and water, which is always your 

first choice. If using a hand sanitizer, again, remove manure, 

feathers, and other materials because disinfectants will not 

penetrate organic matter or caked-on dirt. 

Back to you, Doctor Quinn.

DR. JO ANNA QUINN: Thanks, Andy. The next NPIP 

principle that USDA is providing expanded guidance on relates to 

pests as disease carriers, specifically wild birds, rodents, and 

insects. For commercial growers, this principle requires having 

control measures in place to prevent contact with, and to protect 

poultry from wild birds, including feces and feathers. Your 

procedures should be reviewed during periods of heightened 

risker of disease transmission. As with every practice, all 

controlled programs should be documented. 

Andy, tell us how this alliance with practices for backyard 

growers.

ANDY SCHNEIDER: It's important for backyard and 

exhibition growers to keep your poultry away from wild birds, 

including their feces and feathers. Do not touch dead birds you 

see in the wild. Keep the area clean and controlled from rodents 

and pests. Be aware when there are periods of higher risk and 

be extra vigilant. 
Doctor Quinn, back to you for the final principle.

DR. JO ANNA QUINN: Thanks, Andy. For commercial 

facilities, the biosecurity plan should include provisions for 

procedures for cleaning and disinfection of vehicles, as well as 

the restriction of equipment sharing. Commercial facilities should 

also define in their plans what the traffic pattern for vehicles will 

be as they move into and out of the facility. 

Andy, back to you.

ANDY SCHNEIDER: Germs make great hitchhikers. If 

you have been near other birds or bird owners or even to the feed 

store, clean and disinfect car and truck tires, poultry cages, and 

other equipment before going home. Again, make sure you hose 

off mud from tires and wheel wells before going home. Make 

sure you clean waterers, drinkers and feeders regularly and clean 

tools and equipment with disinfectant. 

Borrowing tools could lead to borrowing disease, so avoid 

sharing lawn and garden equipment and tools with your 

neighbors. If you bring these items home, clean and disinfect 

them before they reach your property, and once used, be a good

neighbor and clean and digs infect them before returning them. 

Some things such as wood pallets and cardboard egg cartons 

cannot be disinfect. The best advice is to never share wood or 

paper products.

Now, let's look at some new resources to aid new your 
biosecurity practices. APHIS has launched an expanded Defend 

the Flock education program to provide the tools and resources 

you need to make sure you are doing everything possible to keep 

your birds healthy and reduce the risk that infectious disease will 

spread from your property to other flocks. Defend the Flock 

resources reflect the knowledge, insights and experience of 

USDA veterinarian, professional growers and scientists and other 

experts about the practice of good biosecurity.

Through the Defend the Flock program, APHIS is preparing 

all poultry owners including backyard growers to implement 

diligent biosecurity practices. This new outreach campaign 

updates the two previous education programs, and brings into a 

single site and knowledge center for all the best practices for 

preventing the spread of infectious poultry diseases in both 

commercial and backyard poultry. The goal of the Defend the 

Flock effort is to reach everyone who works with and owns poultry 

to join together to protect the health of our nation's poultry flocks.

Here you see some of the new materials that have been 

created, including helpful checklists. The program offers 

checklists and other tools, videos, webinars, and educational 

resources to help you keep your flocks safe and healthy. All 

materials are available online 24/7 at the Defend the Flock 

resource center.

We encourage you to follow and share Defend the Flock 
graphics and messages on FaceBook and Twitter, where you will 

continue to find up to date and up-to-the-minute news and 

information. 

I would like to turn the presentation now over to Doctor 

Nichols to take us through some of the new resources created by 

the CDC and talk about human and bird health. 

DR. MEGIN NICHOLS: Owning backyard poultry can be a 

great opportunity to learn more about where our food, such as 

eggs and meet comes from. It's important to keep both your 

backyard flock and your family healthy if you own poultry.

Next we are going to talk a little bit about Salmonella. 

Salmonella is a germ that poultry can carry in their gut and still 

appear healthy and clean. However, this germ can cause people 

to get sick. CDC estimates that over one million people get sick 

with Salmonella each year.

Live poultry can have Salmonella germs in their adoption 

and on their bodies - feathers, feet, beaks - even when they 

appear healthy and clean. The germs can get on cages, coops, 

feed, water dishes, hay, plants, and soil in the area where the 

birds live and roam. Germs can also get on the hands and shoes 

and clothes of people who handle or care for birds. People who 

have contact with items like coops or water dishes can get sick 

without actually touching the birds, and at CDC we call this 

indirect contact.
Children younger than five years old, adults over the age of 

65, and people with weakened immune systems like pregnant 

women may be more likely to develop serious illness from 

Salmonella infections. Since 2000, there have been 70 

Salmonella outbreaks, which accounts for over 4,000 illnesses, 

over 800 hospitalizations and seven deaths. We always 

recommend taking precautions, which includes always washing 

your hands with soap and water right after touching live poultry.

Adults should also supervisor hand washing by young children. 

And use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available. 

But we recommend washing your hands.

Another important thing to remember is that we don't want to 

let live poultry live inside the house, especially in areas where 

food or drink is served, stored, or even prepared. It's important 

to set aside a pair of shoes to wear while taking care of poultry 

and keep these shoes outside of the house. Stay outdoors when 

you are cleaning any equipment or materials that's used to raise 

or care for live poultry such as cages or feed or water containers. 

And don't eat or drink in the area where birds live and roam. 

Another thing to remember is don't kiss your birds or snuggle 

with them and then touch your face or mouth. Households with 

young children, older adults, or people with weakened immune 

systems need to carefully consider risk of Salmonella infection 

before purchasing live poultry. 
It's important to choose the right animal for your family.

Many people enjoy owning backyard poultry for fresh eggs. It's 

important to remember the five C's. Keep the coop clean, 

cleaning the coop floor, nests, and perches on a regular basis will 

help to keep any eggs clean. Next, collect the eggs often. Eggs 

that spend a significant amount of time in the nest can become 

dirty or break, and any cracked eggs should be thrown away. 

You could clean eggs with fine sand paper, a brush or cloth. You 

don't want to wash the eggs, colder water can pull bacteria into 

the inside of the egg. 

Cool eggs by refrigerating after collection, and cook the eggs 

thoroughly, raw and under cooked eggs contain Salmonella 

bacteria that can make you sick. If you are interested in more 

information about owning backyard poultry, there is more 

information on the CDC website.

ANDY SCHNEIDER: You can find the new home for the 

USDA APHIS Defend the Flock public education program at 

APHIS.USDA.GOV/animalhealth/defendtheFlock. Be sure to 

check out more information on our social channels. 

If you are an educator involved with youth organizations or 

programs, or you are looking for training materials, we would love 

to share our campaign with you. This presentation along with 

answers to your questions will be available for download from the 

Defend the Flock website in the next week or so. Be sure to 
follow Defend the Flock on FaceBook and Twitter, and to be 

notified when the presentation is available.

There are lots of resources available to make sure you 

practice good biosecurity every time, every day. Here are the 

publications where you can find more information about the things 

we discussed today. You can also find organizations in your 

state and community that help you keep your birds, your farm, 

and your bird loving family safe and healthy.

And before we go, we would like to thank USDA APHIS and 

the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for hosting this 

webinar. On behalf of my co-hosts, Doctor Jo Anna Quinn and 

Doctor Denise Heard of USDA APHIS and Doctor Megin Nichols 

from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and from me, 

Andy Schneider, the Chicken Whisperer, thank you for joining us. 

And let's keep our poultry healthy together!