Poultry Working Group

Bird Industry Identifcation Working Group: 

Bird Industry Identifcation Working Group Update and Recommendations

Working Group Member Organizations: 

Working Group Member Organizations United Egg Producers National Turkey Federation National Chicken Council Primary Breeders Duckling Council American Poultry Association North American Game Bird Association American Emu Association National Goose Council Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities Indiana, Ohio, Iowa Poultry Associations

Goals of the Poultry ID Working Group: 

Goals of the Poultry ID Working Group Come to consensus regarding Bird Identification Standards for Poultry Produce Poultry Identification Subchapter of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) Implement bird identification to fulfill NAIS

Poultry ID Working Group Accomplishments to date: 

Poultry ID Working Group Accomplishments to date Held 2 meetings (one face to face andamp; one by Conference call) Decided on Two Chairs for the Working Group Commercial (Alice Johnson andamp; Michael Rybolt) Noncommercial (Gary Fuchs and Murray McMurray) Formed Two Subcommittees Group/lot Identification Subcommittee Noncommercial Bird Subcommittee

Commercial Birds: 

Commercial Birds Table-Egg Layers 285 million laying hens (6,000 flocks Supportive of bird ID (group lot ID) Premises ID is appropriate (all-in/all-out operations) Turkeys 300 million meat-type turkeys 50 slaughter plants Supports Bird ID (group lot ID) and premises identification

Commercial Birds: 

Commercial Birds Broilers 8.3 billion meat-type chickens 200 slaughter plants Supports Bird ID (group lot ID) and premises identification Lot ID can be maintained up to the processing plant

Commercial Birds: 

Commercial Birds Primary Breeders Individual bird ID using wing bands with bar codes help keep track of bird pedigrees Lot ID is used for eggs moving to hatcheries Ratites Largely raised for meat and oil Currently use microchip for ID (e.g. in TX) Neck chains and leg bans are also used with individual ID

Commercial Birds: 

Commercial Birds Game Fowl $5 billion industry Represents one of the problem areas for bird ID Most registration is through the state wildlife departments Some are processed for meat Would like to be referred to as upland birds (pheasant, partridge, quail, and wild turkeys, geese and ducks) Raised for release for hunting for food GA and TX have own processing plants

Commercial Birds: 

Commercial Birds Commercial Duck operations 22 million ducks in the US Have same ID needs as the broiler group Flocks are maintained by lot ID (tracks from hatching to the chiller) Use individual ID internally for pedigree breeder ducks

Commercial Birds: 

Commercial Birds Commercial Goose operations 95 % raised in 2 states (North and South Dakota and Montana) Breeders are individually bar coded Lot ID is used for the meat birds

Non-Commercial Birds: 

Non-Commercial Birds American Poultry Association mainly exhibition birds Hobbyists, not a profit venture mostly Leg and wing bands are being used for ID This group agrees with the concept Must be cost effective Poultry Antiquities Represent poultry species of which some may be heirloom breeds Members own breeders, hobby birds, exhibition birds or may have small income producing operations Some breeds are very old About 50% of these birds do not leave the farm

Poultry ID Working Group Issues : 

Poultry ID Working Group Issues Replacement of older males during breeding ('spiking') How ID will affect bottom line Birds from two different hatcheries (that received ID at the hatcheries) but come together at a farm Accommodation during 'backfilling' of laying houses Identification of chicks being sold via mail order Birds going to the veterinary clinics Insensitivity of government officials to bird owners

Poultry ID Working Group Issues (cont.) : 

Poultry ID Working Group Issues (cont.) Most birds are presently not identified Poultry Antiquities No need for NAIS reinventing the wheel NAIS to look at data already maintained at state and company levels Confidentiality Would like NAIS to solicit congressional action to protect database from FOIA Difficult to maintain ID through the distribution system Small hatcheries do not use ID

Poultry ID Working Group Issues (cont.) : 

Poultry ID Working Group Issues (cont.) Issues with Ratites: 500 out of 5000 farms are currently registered with NPIP Ownership is diverse Microchips are expensive ($7 per chip) Migration of microchip within the subcutis Illegal movement from Canada and Mexico

Poultry ID Working Group Issues (cont.) Live Bird Marketing System : 

Poultry ID Working Group Issues (cont.) Live Bird Marketing System Multiple species Multiple ages Trace backs Tracking

Poultry ID Working Group Tentative Recommendation: 

Poultry ID Working Group Tentative Recommendation Individual Animal Identification Mainly for Non-commercial Poultry Country Code (3 numeric) 840 = USA 12 digit animal number Example: 840 002 134 567 892 First 3 characters are unique country code Last 12 characters are unique animal number

Animal Identification: 

Animal Identification Individual animal identification is needed for tracking animals that are destined to be commingled with animals outside of their production system

Poultry ID Working Group Tentative Recommendation (cont.): 

Poultry ID Working Group Tentative Recommendation (cont.) Group/Lot Identification Mainly for Commercial Poultry Premises ID number Date the group was created Example: National Premises ID Number A23T567 103002 Date the group/lot was established

Poultry Identification Devices: 

Poultry Identification Devices A variety of methods are used Must be permanent and contain the needed information to implement the plan. Methods include Seamless leg bands Wing bands Tamper-proof crimp-on leg bands. T-tags Glued tags

Breeding Poultry: 

Breeding Poultry Breeding poultry that remain in one production system should not be required to have individual identification. Identification for management purposes is not a requirement of NAIS. Breeding poultry that is removed from the breeding farm should be considered in two ways: 1) those that are marketed as a group into a processing program and no need for individual identification there should be recorded data for the disposition of the group that leave 2) those that are sold live and introduced into a live market arrangement that involves the commingling of poultry Will require individual identification and necessary recording of information a prescribed by this program. All premises involved in this type of production system will be identified and registered

Poultry Produced for Meat: 

Poultry Produced for Meat Poultry produced specifically for meat production and remain in a single production unit have no need for individual identification. Poultry destined for live markets where poultry will be commingled will be required to be individually identified in accordance with the guidelines established by this program. The data associated with the marketing of the identified bird will be recorded as determined by this program.

Day old poultry from individuals or marketing organizations: 

Day old poultry from individuals or marketing organizations Those involved in this marketing system should receive poultry with some type of identification document. Poultry received from NPIP participating hatcheries should not be commingled with poultry from other sources or with adult poultry. Such commingling would create the need for individual identification. Maintain sales records indication the physical address that the non-identified poultry was sold to All premises involved in the day-old poultry marketing system will be identified and registered.

Private farms where there is no commingling of poultry: 

Private farms where there is no commingling of poultry No individual ID needed All premises will be identified and registered

Production units where commingling occurs external to the unit: 

Production units where commingling occurs external to the unit Individual poultry from production system exposed to poultry outside of their system will be individually identified using the method to be determined Shows, fairs, exhibitions, auctions or other marketing events, and any other occurrence where poultry from more than one source are commingles. All premises involved in this type of production system will be identified and registered. This premises information should include all of the types of events where the poultry are commingled

Game Birds: 

Game Birds Game birds produced and 'marketed' within one production system should have no need for individual identification within this program. Question raised: What about the dispersion of birds into the wild and the impact on this program?

Chain of responsibility: 

Chain of responsibility Seller will ensure all identification requirements are met on the poultry presented for sale. Persons or organizations presenting poultry for exhibition or similar situation must present to the management of the exhibition poultry that have been identified in accordance with the NAIS standards for poultry. It will be the responsibility of the show, fair, auction etc. to report to the national database. The incorporation of all necessary NAIS components will be added as we determine the items necessary for proper individual identification of poultry

Reporting System: 

Reporting System Use as many existing recording and reporting options as possible that meet the needs of the NAIS rather than creating new ones. Continue to monitor the progress of reporting methods required Evaluate methods used by other species to participate in the development of a uniform system

Financial Support: 

Financial Support Significant costs will be incurred by poultry producers for the implementation of this program Financial support to producers as well as some supporting infrastructure will be necessary

Poultry Identification Study Underway: 

Poultry Identification Study Underway Evaluate ID systems and make recommendations Fastack tag and a glue tag Address labor, cost, and record keeping Determine when premises, lot, and individual bird ID is preferable Evaluate how ID can assist in tracing infected birds within the LBMS Observe tagged birds in the LBMs and documenting durability and readability Determine applicability and cost effectiveness of RFID technology to an avian tagging system

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Summary: 

Summary What the Poultry Producers Can Gain from an Identification System : Control outbreaks of contagious foreign diseases Protect animal and human health (Zoonotic diseases) Address bio-terrorism treat A system for tracking diseases to minimize risks of transmission Provide a 48 hour traceability Insure free intrastate and interstate movement A system that international community will recognize as safe and secure Promote international trade Lots of work for the working group to do Continue to work together to seek answers The non-commercial and commercial industry must decide its own plan