9 C.F.R. Subpart C—Sanitation Procedures
Title 9 - Animals and Animal Products
To aid in the maintenance of healthy flocks, the following procedures should be practiced: (a) Baby poultry should be started in a clean brooder house and maintained in constant isolation from older birds and other animals. Personnel that are in contact with older birds and other animals should take precautions, including disinfection of footwear and change of outer clothing, to prevent the introduction of infection through droppings that may adhere to the shoes, clothing, or hands. (See §147.24(a).) (b) Range used for growing young stock should not have been used for poultry the preceding year. Where broods of different ages must be kept on the same farm, there should be complete depopulation of brooder houses and other premises following infection of such premises by any contagious disease. (c) Poultry houses should be screened and proofed against free-flying birds. An active rodent eradication campaign is an essential part of the general sanitation program. The area adjacent to the poultry house should be kept free from accumulated manure, rubbish, and unnecessary equipment. Dogs, cats, sheep, cattle, horses, and swine should never have access to poultry operations. Visitors should not be admitted to poultry areas, and authorized personnel should take the necessary precautions to prevent the introduction of disease. (d) Poultry houses and equipment should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to use for a new lot of birds. (See §147.24(a).) Feed and water containers should be situated where they cannot be contaminated by droppings and should be frequently cleaned and disinfected. Dropping boards or pits should be constructed so birds do not have access to the droppings. (e) Replacement breeders shall be housed at the proper density consistent with the type of building and locality and which will allow the litter to be maintained in a dry condition. Frequent stirring of the litter may be necessary to reduce excess moisture and prevent surface accumulation of droppings. Slat or wire floors should be constructed so as to permit free passage of droppings and to prevent the birds from coming in contact with the droppings. Nesting areas should be kept clean and, where appropriate, filled with clean nesting material. (f) When an outbreak of disease occurs in a flock, dead or sick birds should be taken, by private carrier, to a diagnostic laboratory for complete examination. All Salmonella cultures isolated should be typed serologically, and complete records maintained by the laboratory as to types recovered from each flock within an area. Records on isolations and serological types should be made available to Official State Agencies or other animal disease control regulatory agencies in the respective States for followup of foci of infection. Such information is necessary for the development of an effective Salmonella control program. (g) Introduction of started or mature birds should be avoided to reduce the possible hazard of introducing infectious diseases. If birds are to be introduced, the health status of both the flock and introduced birds should be evaluated. (h) In rearing broiler or replacement stock, a sound and adequate immunization program should be adopted. Since different geographic areas may require certain specific recommendations, the program recommended by the State experiment station or other State agencies should be followed. (i) Feed, pelleted by heat process, should be fed to all age groups. Proper feed pelleting procedures can destroy many disease producing organisms contaminating feedstuffs. [36 FR 23121, Dec. 3, 1971, as amended at 41 FR 14257, Apr. 2, 1976; 41 FR 48726, Nov. 5, 1976. Redesignated at 44 FR 61586, Oct. 26, 1979, and amended at 50 FR 19900, May 13, 1985; 59 FR 12805, Mar. 18, 1994] Hatching eggs should be collected from the nests at frequent intervals and, to aid in the prevention of contamination with disease-causing organisms, the following practices should be observed: (a) Cleaned and disinfected containers, such as egg flats, should be used in collecting the nest eggs for hatching. Egg handlers should thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water prior to and after egg collection. Clean outer garments should be worn. (b) Dirty eggs should not be used for hatching purposes and should be collected in a separate container from the nest eggs. Slightly soiled nest eggs may be gently dry cleaned by hand. (c) Hatching eggs should be stored in a designated egg room under conditions that will minimize egg sweating. The egg room walls, ceiling, floor, door, heater, and humidifier should be cleaned and disinfected after every egg pickup. Cleaning and disinfection procedures should be as outlined in §147.24. (d) The egg processing area should be cleaned and disinfected daily. (e) Effective rodent and insect control programs should be implemented. (f) The egg processing building or area should be designed, located, and constructed of such materials as to assure that proper egg sanitation procedures can be carried out, and that the building itself can be easily, effectively, and routinely sanitized. (g) All vehicles used for transporting eggs or chicks/poults should be cleaned and disinfected after use. Cleaning and disinfection procedures should be as outlined in §147.24. [67 FR 8474, Feb. 25, 2002] An effective program for the prevention and control of Salmonella and other infections should include the following measures: (a) An effective hatchery sanitation program should be designed and implemented. (b) The hatchery building should be arranged so that separate rooms are provided for each of the four operations: Egg receiving, incubation and hatching, chick/poult processing, and egg tray and hatching basket washing. Traffic and airflow patterns in the hatchery should be from clean areas to dirty areas (i.e., from egg room to chick/poult processing rooms) and should avoid tracking from dirty areas back into clean areas. (c) The hatchery rooms, and tables, racks, and other equipment in them should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected frequently. All hatchery wastes and offal should be burned or otherwise properly disposed of, and the containers used to remove such materials should be cleaned and sanitized after each use. (d) The hatching compartments of incubators, including the hatching trays, should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each hatch. (e) Only clean eggs should be used for hatching purposes. (f) Only new or cleaned and disinfected egg cases should be used for transportation of hatching eggs. Soiled egg case fillers should be destroyed. (g) Day-old chicks, poults, or other newly hatched poultry should be distributed in clean, new boxes and new chick papers. All crates and vehicles used for transporting birds should be cleaned and disinfected after each use. [67 FR 8474, Feb. 25, 2002] The following procedures are recommended: (a) In the poultry houses: (1) Remove all live “escaped” and dead birds from the building. Blow dust from equipment and other exposed surfaces. Empty the residual feed from the feed system and feed pans and remove it from the building. Disassemble feeding equipment and dump and scrape as needed to remove any and all feed cake and residue. Clean up spilled feed around the tank and clean out the tank. Rinse down and wash out the inside of the feed tank to decontaminate the surfaces and allow to dry. (2) Remove all litter and droppings to an isolated area where there is no opportunity for dissemination of any infectious disease organisms that may be present. Housing where poultry infected with a mycoplasmal disease were kept should remain closed for 7 days before removal of the litter. (3) Wash down the entire inside surfaces of the building and all the installed equipment such as curtains, ventilation ducts and openings, fans, fan housings and shutters, feeding equipment, watering equipment, etc. Use high pressure and high volume water spray (for example 200 pounds per square inch and 10 gallons per minute or more) to soak into and remove the dirt to decontaminate the building. Scrub the walls, floors, and equipment with a hot soapy water solution. Rinse to remove soap. (4) Spray with a disinfectant which is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency as germicidal, fungicidal, pseudomonocidal, and tuberculocidal, in accordance with the specifications for use, as shown on the label of such disinfectant. (b) In the hatchers and hatchery rooms: (1) Use cleaning agents and sanitizers that are registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as germicidal, fungicidal, pseudomonocidal, and tuberculocidal. Use manufacturer's recommended dilution. Remove loose organic debris by sweeping, scraping, vacuuming, brushing, or scrubbing, or by hosing surface with high pressure water (for example 200 pounds per square inch and 10 gallons per minute or more). Remove trays and all controls and fans for separate cleaning. Use hot water (minimum water temperature of 140 °F) for cleaning hatching trays and chick separator equipment. Thoroughly wet the ceiling, walls, and floors with a stream of water, then scrub with a hard bristle brush. Use a cleaner/sanitizer that can penetrate protein and fatty deposits. Allow the chemical to cling to treated surfaces at least 10 minutes before rinsing off. Manually scrub any remaining deposits of organic material until they are removed. Rinse until there is no longer any deposit on the walls, particularly near the fan opening, and apply disinfectant. Use a clean and sanitized squeegee to remove excess water, working down from ceilings to walls to floors and being careful not to recontaminate cleaned areas. (2) Replace the cleaned fans and controls. Replace the trays, preferably still wet from cleaning, and bring the incubator to normal operating temperature. (3) The hatcher should be fumigated (see §147.25) or otherwise disinfected prior to the transfer of the eggs. (4) If the same machine is used for incubating and hatching, the entire machine should be cleaned after each hatch. A vacuum cleaner should be used to remove dust and down from the egg trays; then the entire machine should be vacuumed, mopped, and fumigated (see §147.25) or otherwise sanitized. (c) The egg and chick/poult delivery truck drivers and helpers should use the following good biosecurity practices while picking up eggs or delivering chicks/poults: (1) Spray truck tires thoroughly with disinfectant before leaving the main road and entering the farm driveway. (2) Put on sturdy, disposable plastic boots or clean rubber boots before getting out of the truck cab. Put on a clean smock or coveralls and a hairnet before entering the poultry house. (3) After loading eggs or unloading chicks/poults, remove the dirty smock/coveralls and place into plastic garbage bag before loading in the truck. Be sure to keep clean coveralls separate from dirty ones. (4) Reenter the cab of the truck and remove boots before placing feet onto floorboards. Remove hairnet and leave with disposable boots on farm. (5) Sanitize hands using appropriate hand sanitizer. (6) Return to the hatchery or go to the next farm and repeat the process. [36 FR 23121, Dec. 3, 1971. Redesignated at 44 FR 61586, Oct. 26, 1979, and amended at 49 FR 19806, May 10, 1984; 57 FR 57343, Dec. 4, 1992; 63 FR 3, Jan. 2, 1998; 67 FR 8474, Feb. 25, 2002] Fumigation may be used for sanitizing eggs and hatchery equipment or rooms as a part of a sanitation program. APHIS disclaims any liability in the use of formaldehyde for failure on the part of the user to adhere to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for formaldehyde fumigation, published in the Dec. 4, 1987, [36 FR 23121, Dec. 3, 1971, as amended at 41 FR 14257, Apr. 2, 1976. Redesignated at 44 FR 61586, Oct. 26, 1979, and amended at 49 FR 19807, May 10, 1984; 54 FR 23958, June 5, 1989; 57 FR 57343, Dec. 4, 1992; 67 FR 8475, Feb. 25, 2002] (a) The following procedures are required for participation under the U.S. Sanitation Monitored, U.S. M. Gallisepticum Clean, U.S. M. Synoviae Clean, U.S. S. Enteritidis Monitored, and U.S. S. Enteritidis Clean classifications: (1) Allow no visitors except under controlled conditions to minimize the introduction of Salmonella and Mycoplasma. Such conditions must be approved by the Official State Agency and the Service; (2) Maintain breeder flocks on farms free from market birds and other domesticated fowl. Follow proper isolation procedures as approved by the Official State Agency; (3) Dispose of all dead birds by locally approved methods. (b) Recommended procedures: (1) Avoid the introduction of Salmonella, Mycoplasma gallisepticum, or Mycoplasma synoviae infected poultry; (2) Prevent indirect transmission from outside sources through contaminated equipment, footwear, clothing, vehicles, or other mechanical means; (3) Provide adequate isolation of breeder flocks to avoid airborne transmission from infected flocks; (4) Minimize contact of breeder flocks with free-flying birds; (5) Establish a rodent control program to keep the rodent population and other pests under control; (6) Tailor vaccination programs to needs of farm and area; (7) Clean and disinfect equipment after each use; (8) Provide clean footwear and provide an adequate security program; (9) Clean and disinfect houses before introducing a new flock; (10) Use clean, dry litter free of mold; (11) Keep accurate records of death losses; (12) Seek services of veterinary diagnostician if unaccountable mortality or signs of disease occur; (13) Adopt and maintain a clean-egg program. (14) Use only crates and vehicles that have been cleaned and disinfected in accordance with the provisions of §147.24(a) to haul live poultry to and from the premises. [36 FR 23121, Dec. 3, 1971, as amended at 40 FR 1504, Jan. 8, 1975; 41 FR 48727, Nov. 5, 1976. Redesignated at 44 FR 61586, Oct. 26, 1979; 47 FR 746, Jan. 7, 1982; 47 FR 21996, May 20, 1982; 48 FR 57473, Dec. 30, 1983; 61 FR 11525, Mar. 21, 1996; 67 FR 8475, Feb. 25, 2002] (a) The vehicle transporting the insemination crew should be left as far as practical from the turkey pens. (b) The personnel of the insemination crew should observe personal cleanliness, including the following sanitary procedures: (1) Outer clothing should be changed between visits to different premises so that clean clothing is worn upon entering each premises. The used apparel should be kept separate until laundered. This also applies to gloves worn while handling turkeys; (2) Boots or footwear should be cleaned and disinfected between visits to different premises; (3) Disposable caps should be provided and discarded after use on each premises. (c) The use of individual straw or similar technique is highly recommended. Insemination equipment which is to be reused should be cleaned and disinfected before reusing. Equipment used for the convenience of the workers should not be moved from premises to premises. (d) No obviously diseased flock should be inseminated. If evidence of active disease is noted after insemination is begun, operations should be stopped and the hatchery notified. (e) Care should be taken during the collection of semen to prevent fecal contamination. If fecal material is present, it should be removed before the semen is collected. Likewise, care should be taken not to introduce fecal material into the oviduct of the hen.
Title 9: Animals and Animal Products
PART 147—AUXILIARY PROVISIONS ON NATIONAL POULTRY IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Subpart C—Sanitation Procedures
§ 147.21 Flock sanitation.
§ 147.22 Hatching egg sanitation.
§ 147.23 Hatchery sanitation.
§ 147.24 Cleaning and disinfecting.
§ 147.25 Fumigation.
§ 147.26 Procedures for establishing isolation and maintaining sanitation and good management practices for the control of Salmonella and Mycoplasma infections.
§ 147.27 Procedures recommended to prevent the spread of disease by artificial insemination of turkeys.
