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What is the Poultry Health Program (PHP)
A monitoring program designed to protect all commercial poultry breeding stock in Alberta from federally reportable diseases Pullorum disease and fowl typhoid caused by Salmonella Pullorum (SP) and Salmonella Gallinarum (SG), respectively.
Monitoring is focused on two critical points in the supply chain: the hatchery and the breeder farm, which includes breeding stock for broilers, egg layers, turkeys, pheasants and water fowl.
What is the program’s purpose?
Though Alberta was declared a Pullorum-Typhoid free area in 1983, monitoring for these diseases must continue to retain this status for international trade purposes.
PHP participation is mandatory under the provincial Hatchery Supply Flock Approval Regulation and the federal Health of Animals Regulations.
To sell day-old chicks and hatching eggs across the country, all federally registered hatcheries must register their hatching egg supply flocks with the Government of Alberta. Both hatcheries and owners of hatchery supply flocks must comply with the Hatchery Supply Flock Approval Regulations and all elements of the PHP.
How does the program work?
The program has two key elements:
1. Replacement breeder flock registration: the hatchery must submit the Hatchery Supply Flock Registration.
2. Microbiological monitoring: Includes sample collection at the hatchery and on the farm and testing those samples for SP and SG.
What are the samples and how will they be processed?
The samples include replacement chicks, chick pads/liners, early mortalities, first hatch culls, fluff and litter. They are collected by hatchery personnel, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) staff or producers on farm. Agriculture and Forestry’s Animal Health and Assurance Branch will provide the instructions on how to collect the samples and package them for shipment to Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Agri-Food Laboratories.
To whom will the results be communicated?
Testing results of farm samples will be communicated to the producer, the CFIA and the hatchery. Hatchery sample results will be communicated to the CFIA and the hatchery.
For more information about the Poultry Health Program please contact Dr. Chunu Mainali. |
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