national poultry improvement plan
Open Gate Poultry are members of the National Poultry Improvement Plan: It’s a nationwide collaboration between state and federal departments of agriculture. Its purpose is to monitor member flocks and hatcheries and certify them as being free of the following serious infectious diseases:
• Avian influenza — a potentially serious viral infection of chickens that can also infect humans
• Chronic respiratory disease — and other infections caused by pathogenic species of mycoplasma bacteria
• Fowl typhoid — an egg-transmitted bacterial disease that kills both baby chicks and mature chickens
• Pullorum — an egg-transmitted bacterial disease that kills baby chicks, as well as hatchlings of many other poultry species
• Salmonella enterica — an egg-transmitted bacterial disease of poultry that can affect humans who eat contaminated eggs
NPIP IN THE UNITED STATES
The National Poultry Improvement Plan began in the early 1930s. Its initial purpose was to eliminate pullorum disease caused by Salmonella pullorum. At the time this disease was rampant in poultry flocks, causing as much as 80% mortality in chicks. The Plan now includes other devastating poultry diseases.
NPIP defines poultry as domestic fowl, including chickens, turkeys, ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries, waterfowl, and game birds (except doves and pigeons) that mainly produce eggs and meat. The Plan involves three types of participants — independent flocks, hatcheries, and dealers — and includes commercial poultry, exhibition poultry, and backyard poultry.
Membership is voluntary and encompasses several individual programs. For example, the “U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean” program allows shipments into those states that require all entering poultry to be free of pullorum-typhoid.
Open Gate Poultry
In addition to P/T Clean - we maintain an H5/H7 AI-Clean status with the state of Massachusetts - which requires additional flock testing during the year - but allows for nationwide shipping of hatching eggs, buyer confidence, sales, shows, biosecurity-focused programs. (Without the H5/H7 AI-Clean status - OG wouldn’t be able to ship to all states nationwide.) We also only bring in new genetics from ONE farm/breeder - a year - which is important to note. We value getting to know the birds we have - generation after generation - and consider temperament/type/egg color.
How NPIP Works
Poultry flocks enrolled in NPIP are tested and recertified annually, at the owner’s expense (varies by state). The exact tests involved depend on both bird species and which program(s) the member enrolls in. The grounds are also inspected to ensure they are clean and conducive to maintaining healthy birds.
NPIP also involves a periodic biosecurity audit. The NPIP member must create a written report of all the specific management practices employed to protect flock health. The report must also explain how these practices are implemented and enforced.
NPIP certification is usually conducted by each state’s department of agriculture - or someone certified. Check out National Poultry Members by State. When you purchase poultry or hatching eggs from Open Gate you can be sure they are NPIP certified.