ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 14, 2011) \u2013 With summer officially in progress, a growing number of Marylanders are expected to use the warmer, longer days to begin raising backyard chickens. The best way to ensure a positive experience is to start by purchasing healthy chicks from certified, approved sources and registering flocks with the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA).<\/p>\n
\u201cPoultry is Maryland\u2019s number one agricultural commodity accounting for $640 million (40 percent) of farm income in 2009 and directly supports approximately 8,000 jobs on Maryland\u2019s Eastern Shore,\u201d said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. \u201cMDA\u2019s registration program is designed to protect all the poultry and bird industries in the state \u2013 from commercial flocks to fairs and show flocks to backyard flocks. In the event of any poultry disease outbreak, a rapid response is essential to prevent the spread of disease and the loss of family income.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s much easier to raise and maintain a healthy flock if you start with a healthy flock,\u201d said Dr. N. Jo Chapman, assistant chief of Animal Health, and a veterinarian, at the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA). \u201cIf a new bird harboring a disease is brought into a flock, the whole flock could become infected and be lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
National Poultry Improvement Plan Certification
\nDr. Chapman urges citizens to purchase chickens only from hatcheries that are certified by the USDA\u2019s National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) and permitted by MDA. NPIP hatcheries follow strict biosecurity practices, maintain detailed records of where their chicks come from, and have had their sites and chickens tested for particularly debilitating diseases. The standards incorporated in the NPIP are developed by industry, state and federal officials, working together to ensure the safety of poultry and related products for both import and export across state lines and around the globe. <\/p>\n
Anyone who sells or distributes eggs or live poultry in Maryland must meet NPIP standards and hold a permit from MDA; however, many chicks are sold online and delivered through the mail by uncertified and unapproved hatcheries. The practice is not only illegal but can be deadly to your flock. Healthy flocks can be ravaged by one sick chick brought in from an unapproved source. <\/p>\n
Poultry Premise Registration
\nBackyard flock owners, who generally keep birds as pets or for private use of their eggs, are not required to meet the stringent NPIP standards; however, they are required to register their location with MDA. The purpose of the registry is to enable MDA to contact flock owners immediately when a potential disease is identified to quickly and safely contain the disease and prevent it from spreading to other flocks.<\/p>\n
The Maryland General Assembly created the mandatory poultry registration program in response to the 2004 avian influenza outbreak on Delmarva to identify and locate poultry populations, such as backyard flocks, not registered with industry groups or the state. <\/p>\n
In the event of an outbreak, MDA will contact all flock owners who might be infected and provide them with information and instructions about the specific precautions they need to take to keep their birds and families healthy. Flock owners not on the registry may never know a disease is rampant until their flock dies. Likewise, if a registered flock owner has birds that develop an illness, MDA will work with the owner to contain the disease. Flock owners who are not registered put their neighbors\u2019 flocks \u2013 and maybe even the state\u2019s poultry industry \u2013 at risk. <\/p>\n
There are currently more than 3,200 flocks registered in Maryland, including more than 200 in Baltimore City. The registry is confidential, free and easy. To register, visit:
\nwww.mda.state.md.us\/animal_health\/poultryreg\/index.php <\/p>\n
\u201cRaising flocks of chickens, like raising any other pet, requires a certain amount of effort and vigilance if the animals and their owners are to stay healthy,\u201d said Dr. Chapman. \u201cPeople who get a dog want to start with a healthy dog, but they also know they have to take other steps to keep that dog healthy \u2013 like annual shots. It\u2019s the same with chickens. There are bio-security measures that flock owners need to practice from day one to ensure their birds and families stay healthy.\u201d <\/p>\n
What if Your Chicken Gets Sick or Dies?
\nDespite the best efforts of some flock owners, chickens sometimes do get sick and die unexpectedly. MDA urges flock owners to report sick birds to the agency if more than one bird in a flock is ill since that could be the start of a devastating outbreak. MDA may direct flock owners whose birds die of unknown causes to send the bird to one of the state\u2019s two animal health laboratories for testing. There is no charge for that service. Those labs will determine whether the bird died of a serious or contagious disease or some other cause. Call MDA Animal Health Program at 410-841-5810 to report an unusual disease in a flock. <\/p>\n
Veterinarians who treat pets do not usually treat poultry or livestock, but there are avian vets in Maryland who can be contacted if your flock is sick. To find an avian veterinarian, go to the Association of Avian Veterinarians website at www.aav.org\/search\/. Also, ask the hatchery you plan to buy from if they are NPIP certified or find an NPIP hatchery through the USDA NPIP Directory of Participants at www.aphis.usda.gov\/animal_health\/animal_dis_spec\/poultry\/search-dir.shtml. Or call the MDA Animal Health Program at 410-841-5810. <\/p>\n
Unusual symptoms that may indicate your chicken is sick and should be reported include: <\/p>\n
Sneezing, gasping for air, coughing and nasal discharge
\nWatery and green discharge
\nLack of energy and poor appetite
\nDrop in egg production, soft or thin shells, misshapen eggs
\nSwelling around the eyes, neck and head
\nPurple discoloration of wattles, combs and legs
\nTremors, drooping wings, circling, twisting of the head and neck or lack of movement.
\nTo ensure healthy flocks, visit the USDA\u2019s Animal Health website for more information: www.aphis.usda.gov\/animal_health\/birdbiosecurity\/. To learn more about protecting yourself and your children from diseases carried by poultry, see the Center for Disease Control\u2019s (CDC) website, \u201cHealthy Pets, Healthy People\u201d at www.cdc.gov\/healthypets\/.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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