Texas Administrative Code › Title 4 - AGRICULTURE › Part 9 - TEXAS A&M VETERINARY MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORY › Chapter 162 - PULLORUM DISEASE AND FOWL TYPHOID PROGRAM › Section 162.3 - Methods of Compliance

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12,
				2024
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.