NPIP & Biosecurity

General guidance — not veterinary advice. Confirm requirements with your state animal-health official, your NPIP program, and a poultry veterinarian.

Avian influenza has reshaped the poultry world. For a gamebird producer or preserve, biosecurity is the difference between a season and a total loss.

What NPIP is, and why buyers ask for it

The National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) is a voluntary federal–state–industry program that certifies flocks as free of specific diseases through routine testing and inspection.

• NPIP is administered through your state's animal-health agency.
• Certification typically requires periodic pullorum-typhoid testing and enrollment in H5/H7 avian-influenza monitoring.
• NPIP status is a searchable field in the member directory.

Start with your state program. South Carolina reference: Clemson NPIP.

Core biosecurity practices

• Never mix ages or species.
• Don't introduce outside birds.
• Work young to old, never the reverse.
• Dedicated footwear and clothing per phase.
• Footbaths and hand sanitation at every house entry.
• Control wildlife and pests.
• Clean and disinfect between every flock.
• Dispose of dead birds immediately.
• Use an approved coccidiostat in feed.

Avian-influenza precautions

• Keep a no-poultry-contact rule for visitors (often 48–72 hours).
• Wash and disinfect vehicles that come onto the property.
• Minimize contact between your flock and wild waterfowl.
• Enroll in your state's AI monitoring program.
• If you suspect an outbreak, submit birds to your state Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory immediately.

Current H5N1 research is on the H5N1 / Avian Influenza page.

Where to get help

See directory advisers. For NPIP enrollment, contact your state's Official State Agency.