Veterinary Division
Poultry Programs
Our mission is to protect the health of NC poultry through regulatory animal health programs/disease testing. We provide oversight and assistance to the general public, private poultry owners, and corporate poultry owners with poultry health and regulatory questions. Responsibilities include the surveillance for, monitoring of, control of, and eradication of diseases; regulation of animal movements; inspections and testing on National Poultry Improvement Plan certified farms, markets, sales, fairs, and shows; and conducting regulatory disease testing to facilitate interstate and export movement of poultry.
The links below will direct you to some of the programs, services, and information we provide. Please read the guidance information and if you have any questions please contact us.
National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)
North Carolina Poultry Resource and Educational Program (NCPREP)
Resources Designed for Backyard/Independent Poultry Flocks
Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), Health Certificates, NC Entry Permits
License for Selling Chicks, Chickens, Quail, etc.
Poultry & Swine Composter Approval Guidelines
Poultry Complaints: What We Regulate/How Do You File
Reportable Avian/Poultry Disease Information
- General NC Quarantine Information
- Avian Influenza (AI)
- Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT)
- Mycoplasmas (MG/MS)
- Virulent Newcastle Disease(VND)
- Salmonella
Sick Bird Information/NC Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System
Public Health Information – Selling and Handling Young Poultry
NC Commercial Poultry Agricultural Facts and Statistics
National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)
The NPIP is a voluntary State–Federal cooperative testing and certification program for poultry breeding flocks, baby chicks, poults, hatching eggs, hatcheries, and dealers. The objective of the NPIP is to provide establishing standards for the evaluation (testing) of poultry breeding stock, baby chicks, poults, and hatching eggs with respect to freedom from certain diseases.
The primary diseases covered by the NPIP are avian influenza (fowl plague) and S. pullorum (pullorum disease)/S. gallinarum (fowl typhoid) although many other disease and program options are available for commercial poultry.
Many states and most U.S. trading partners require NPIP or similar disease testing for interstate/international movement. Our state and county fairs require this testing as well for birds to be displayed.
Please click here for more NPIP information and answers to frequently asked questions. If you have further questions or want to set up an NPIP appointment please click here to contact us.
North Carolina Poultry Resource and Educational Program (NCPREP)
Resources Designed for Backyard/Independent Poultry Flocks
Click here to go to our North Carolina Poultry Resources and Education Program (NCPREP) website
Click here for information on Bringing Home a Baby Bird (coming soon)
Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), Health Certificates, NC Entry Permits
Follow this link for some helpful information about moving birds into North Carolina. We strongly recommend you start the process at least 2 weeks prior to departure.
Poultry Complaints: What We Regulate/How Do You File
Reportable Avian/Poultry Disease Information
General NC Quarantine Information
Avian Influenza Information (AI)
Avian influenza (AI), also known as bird flu or fowl plague, is a disease caused by avian influenza A virus.
Click here to go to our Avian Influenza webpage
Infectious Laryngotracheitis Information (ILT)
Mycoplasmas (MG/MS)
Virulent Newcastle Disease (VND)
Click here to go to our Virulent Newcastle Disease educational sheet at our North Carolina Poultry Resources and Education Program (NCPREP) website
Salmonella
(coming soon)
Sick Bird Information/NC Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System
Public Health Information – Selling and Handling Young Poultry
We encourage stores that sell or display young poultry to take precautions to protect public health. Every year, the N.C. Division of Public Health and N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services ask stores that sell or display chicks, ducklings, and other young poultry to help us to educate their employees and customers about health risks associated with handling these birds.
Chicks and other young poultry may have Salmonella (bacteria that can cause illness in humans) even if they appear healthy and clean. Salmonella can be on the outside of the bird, in the droppings, and in the cages, coops, feeders/waterers, hay, plants and soil in the area where the poultry are housed.
This disease can cause serious illness, particularly in young children. Therefore, it is highly recommended to supervise young children when handling poultry and wash your hands thoroughly immediately after handling.
Below are links to information to educate the public on risks and risk reduction. We encourage stores that sell young poultry to display this information to help educate their employees and the public.
Store Posters
- Young Poultry and Handwashing
- Young Poultry and Handwashing (Spanish)
- Healthy Families and Flocks
- Don’t Play Chicken with Your Health
- Don’t Play Chicken with Your Health (Spanish)
Links
NC Commercial Poultry Agricultural Facts and Statistics
Information from the North Carolina Poultry Federation on NC Commercial Poultry
Poultry is the#1 Agricultural Industryin North Carolina. The poultry industry's economic impact for NC is approximately $39.76 billion annually. Over 5,700 Farm Families produce Poultry & Eggs in North Carolina. The Poultry Industry creates over148,350 Jobs for North Carolinians.
Here are some statistics from the 2020 Ag Statistics Book.
- North Carolina is the #1 state in the nation for all poultry cash receipts generating approximately $4.74 billion/year.
- Poultry makes up 44.2% of North Carolina's total agricultural farm income.
- We are the 2nd state in turkey production with approximately 31 million birds/year.
- We are the 4th state in broiler production with approximately 916.1 million birds/year.
- We are the 6th state in egg production value generating approximately $451.5 million/year.
Contact Information
We highly recommend that you contact us by email, so we can more easily provide you the information you are requesting. You can also contact us by phone. Calls will be returned within 2 business days.
Email: vetpoultry@ncagr.gov
Phone: (919)-707-3250 Press 2 for poultry
(919)-707-3365
Address Attn:
Veterinary Division, Poultry Health Programs
1030 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1030
