5.9 Birds, poultry and hatching eggs

Authorization

Veterinarians authorized to certify poultry and hatching eggs to the United States (U.S.) are also authorized to certify any avian species to the U.S. where our export certificate requires signature by an accredited veterinarian.

Warning

Poultry or birds certified with the HA1943, 1945 and 3216 certificates must have been maintained in the region from which they are offered for exportation for at least 90 days prior to shipment or since hatching, except for show poultry or birds where they have been maintained in the region of exportation and/or the U.S. for the 90 days preceding exportation. This 90-day period may include any post import quarantine period of up to 30 days, such that birds will then have been maintained in the region of exportation, without restriction (in other words, out of quarantine), for at least 60 days prior to shipment.

If an exporter wishes to export animals before the residency period has been completed, an import permit must be requested to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The import permit will contain the required conditions, which may include a quarantine period in the U.S. If the only condition not met is the residency period, the appropriate usual health certificate will be used and the residency statement will be struck out and initialed. Contact your district office for more information.

Interpretation

Bird

all members of the class Aves other than poultry and ratites

Poultry

means domestic fowl, including any bird in captivity: chickens, ducks, geese, grouse, guinea fowl, partridges, pea fowl, pheasants, quail, swans and turkeys (and their eggs for hatching)

Columbiformes

means domestic doves and pigeons

Export of day-old poultry and hatching eggs (HA1942)
Health certification

Export certificate HA1942 Export of Day-Old Poultry/Hatching Eggs to the United States of America must be used to certify day-old poultry and/or hatching eggs.

The flocks of origin and hatchery must have been inspected within 30 days of export and found to be free of any evidence of communicable diseases of poultry and, as far as it is possible to determine, must not have been exposed to any such disease in the 90-day^Footnote 1 period preceding the date of export.

The flock of origin must have participated in a pullorum eradication program recognized by Canadian veterinary officials.

The flock of origin of the day-old chicks or hatching eggs must have been maintained in the region from which they are being exported for at least 90 days immediately preceding the date of export.

For hatching eggs only, the addresses of all flocks of origin must be indicated on the export certificate.

Newcastle disease or fowl plague has not occurred on the premises of origin or on any adjoining premises during the 90-day^Footnote 1 period preceding exportation.

The area where the premises of origin are located has not been under quarantine for avian diseases during the preceding 90 days^Footnote 1.

Chicks or eggs are shipped in new, clean containers in new, clean containers or appropriately sanitized packaging materials.

The exporter is responsible for determining and complying with any specific state or show requirements.

Export of poultry (except day-old chicks, hatching eggs) (HA1943)
Health certification

Export certificate HA1943 Export of Poultry to the United States of America must be used to certify poultry.

The birds must have been inspected within 30 days of export and found to be free of any evidence of communicable diseases of poultry and, as far as is possible to determine, have not been exposed to any such disease during the 90 days^Footnote 1 preceding the date of export.

The flock of origin must participate in a pullorum eradication program recognized by the veterinary officials of Canada or the flock of origin must have had its pullorum status confirmed using of other sampling methods such as environmental/fluff samples within the 90 days preceding export.

Samples must have been taken by the accredited veterinarian and submitted to provincial laboratories or to the Ontario Guelph laboratory.

The poultry must have been maintained in the region from which they are being exported for at least 90 days immediately preceding the date of export or since hatching, except in the case of show poultry, where poultry must have been maintained in the region of exportation and/or the U.S. for the 90-day period preceding exportation.

Newcastle disease or fowl plague has not occurred on the premises of origin or on any adjoining premises during the 90-day^Footnote 1 period preceding exportation.

The area in which the premises of origin are located must not have been under quarantine for avian diseases during the 90 days^Footnote 1 before export.

The exporter is responsible for determining and complying with any specific state or show requirements.

Export of birds (HA1945)
Health certification

Export certificate HA1945 Export of Birds to the United States of America must be used to certify birds, including raptors.

• shipments of 5 or fewer birds will be considered as pet birds, unless the birds are intended for resale
  • such shipments of 5 or fewer birds do not need health certification unless there are restrictions due to Avian Influenza or Newcastle in place (See HA 2874 under "Other export certificates" below)
• for raptors allowed to hunt / fly free, an import permit is no longer required. However, an addendum to the HA 1945 must be completed
  • a copy of the addendum is available from your local CFIA district office

The birds must have been inspected in the 30 days prior to export and found to be free of any evidence of communicable disease of poultry

• following inspection, the birds were not commingled with birds or poultry of a lesser health status than specified on this certificate until the time of export

The birds must not have been vaccinated with any vaccine for the H5 or H7 subtype of avian influenza.

The birds are either:

• not vaccinated against Newcastle disease

  or

• have been vaccinated for avian paramyxovirus at least 21 days prior to export using vaccines that do not contain any velogenic strains of Newcastle disease virus

Newcastle disease must not have occurred on the premises of origin or on any adjoining premises during the 90 days immediately before export.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) must not have occurred on the premises of origin or on any adjoining premises during the 28 days immediately before export.

The birds have not been under quarantine for avian diseases during the preceding 90 days^Footnote 1.

Birds need only to be identified by the species and a physical description. Individual wingbands, legbands or microchips are no longer required.

The birds do not originate from and have not transited through a control zone established by the CFIA due to outbreaks of Newcastle disease or HPAI and are not currently under quarantine nor have any restrictions to their movement.

The birds must be maintained in the region of export until movement of the shipment for export and the birds must be placed in new, clean containers or appropriately sanitized packaging materials prior to movement from the premises of origin.

The exporter is responsible for determining and complying with any specific state or show requirements.

Export of columbiformes (HA3216)
Health certification

During the 90 days prior to export, the birds have been continuously maintained in the region of export. Any bird that was imported from a country other than the U.S. must also have met Canadian domestic residency requirements (that is, fulfilled all applicable post import quarantine and testing and been in Canada at least a further 60 days).

Time spent in post import quarantine may be counted towards the 90 days held in the region.

or

The birds have been imported from a country other than the U.S., have met all Canadian permanent entry conditions but have been in the region of export for less than 90 days. The shipment will be accompanied by a health certificate from each country in which the birds have resided during the 90 days prior to entry into the U.S.

The birds were inspected on the premises of origin within the 30 days preceding the date of export and the birds were found to be clinically free of signs of communicable diseases of poultry.

In so far as can be determined, the birds were not suspected to have any communicable disease of poultry during the 90 days prior to the inspection date.

The birds were not vaccinated for any H5 or H7 subtype of avian influenza.

The birds were either:

• not vaccinated against Newcastle disease

  or

• vaccinated against Newcastle disease (avian paramyxovirus) at least 21 days prior to export, using vaccines that do not contain any velogenic strains of Newcastle disease virus

The birds do not originate from and have not transited through a control zone established by the CFIA due to outbreaks of Newcastle disease or HPAI and are not currently under quarantine nor have any restrictions to their movement.

Note that the statement:

"do not originate from but will transit a control zone established by the CFIA due to outbreaks of Newcastle disease or HPAI and arrangements have been made for quarantine after importation. There must be no commingling of the shipment with any of other avian animals after leaving the premises of origin."

is crossed off the HA3216 until further notice.

The birds must be maintained in the region of export until movement of the shipment for export and the birds must be placed in new, clean containers or appropriately sanitized packaging materials prior to movement from the premises of origin.

Note on Canadian columbiformes returning to Canada

Columbiformes that will be returning to Canada on their Canadian export certificate (HA 3216) must be vaccinated prior to export to the U.S. for avian paramyxovirus (APMV-1).

Licensed vaccines for use specifically in columbiformes against pigeon PMV-1 are currently not available in Canada, but an alternative protocol using "off label" APMV-1 vaccines for use in poultry has been deemed acceptable for the purposes of return to Canada.

Contact your local CFIA district office for complete details and guidance on vaccination of Canadian columbiformes prior to certifying Columbiformes for export to the U.S..

Export of ratites and their hatching eggs (HA1774)

The HA1774 certificate now covers the export of ratites for both direct slaughter and non slaughter end uses, as well as hatching eggs.

The land border ports that may be able to accept imports of ratites are:

• Idaho: Eastport
• Maine: Houlton
• Michigan: Detroit and Port Huron
• Montana: Raymond and Sweetgrass
• New York: Alexandria Bay and Niagara Falls
• North Dakota: Dunseith, Pembina and Portal
• Vermont: Highgate Springs
• Washington: Sumas

The USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) requires USDA import permits for shipments of avian species entering the U.S. via a land border port between Canada and Alaska.

The importer must call the port ahead of time to ensure there is someone available to meet the shipment and perform import inspection. If the ratites enter the U.S. through an air or sea port, an import permit is required.

Live ratites exported to the U.S. for purposes other than for immediate slaughter must be individually identified by means of a microchip either at 1 day of age (if produced on farm) or when they arrive on the farm from another premises.

In the case of hatching eggs, all eggs must be marked with indelible ink with the date of production and the official premises ID number assigned by the provincial authority

For farms to be eligible to export ratites or hatching eggs to the U.S., an annual inventory must be conducted by the accredited veterinarian that documents the identification numbers of all ratites on the premises.

• the annual inventory is to be documented on clinic letter head and signed and dated by the accredited veterinarian
• a copy of the inventory is provided to the CFIA district office along with the certificate at the time of endorsement

The flock of origin did not introduce any new ratites during the production season prior to presenting for export.

• any ratites introduced outside the production season, but within 12 months preceding the export were either born in Canada or legally imported into Canada

Ratites/the flock of origin of the ratite hatching eggs must:

• must have been resident in Canada since hatching

  or

• have originated in a country other than the U.S., met all Canadian permanent entry conditions including post-import quarantine for a minimum of 28 days and remained in Canada for an additional 60 days following the completion of quarantine, prior to export of the ratites/collection of the ratite hatching eggs for export
• do not originate from and have not transited through a control zone established by the CFIA due to outbreaks of Newcastle disease or HPAI and are not currently under quarantine nor have any restrictions to their movement
• were not exposed to HPAI on the premises where they were kept or on adjoining premises, during the 28 days immediately preceding export
• were not exposed to Newcastle disease on the premises where they were kept or on adjoining premises, during the 90 days immediately preceding export

The birds were inspected on the premises of origin within the 30 days preceding the date of export and the birds were found to be clinically free of signs of communicable diseases of poultry.

In so far as can be determined, the birds showed no evidence of poultry communicable disease during the 90 days prior to the inspection date.

The birds were not vaccinated for any H5 or H7 subtype of avian influenza or for Newcastle Disease.

Live ratites exported for purposes other than direct slaughter must be treated with an ectoparasiticide agent between 3 and 14 days of export.

• after treatment, ratites must be prevented from any direct or indirect contact with animals not part of the shipment (that is, animals that are not treated)

For ratites exported for direct slaughter:

• the conveyance must be suitable to be sealed at the port of entry by USDA-APHIS officials
• the birds must not be treated for ectoparasites within 3 to 14 days preceding export

How to complete Canadian health certificates

The accredited veterinarian must use the most recent version of the export certificate and should consult the CFIA district veterinarian to obtain copies.

The accredited veterinarian must complete the export health certificate by entering all required information according to the directions provided.

The "Reference number" is assigned by the CFIA district office.

The completed and signed health certificate will be submitted to a CFIA veterinary inspector to review and, if all requirements are met, endorse.

Any incomplete export certificates will be returned to the accredited veterinarian for completion.

A fee is charged for CFIA endorsement.

The health certificate is valid for a period of 30 days from the date of the examination, unless specified otherwise on the certificate. For example, the certificate for export of live ratites for purposes other than slaughter is only valid for 14 days after ectoparasite treatment.

Other export certificates

The following export certificates have been developed for specific birds and situations. These certificates should be used when appropriate.

HA2449 – Export of wild caught birds and hatching eggs to the United States of America for release (for specific use in a capture and repopulate program)

The area/control zone for HPAI and Newcastle disease refers to a 10 km radius from any known infected premises.

Sealing of the shipment may be done with any tamper evident device.

HA2874 – Export of pet birds to the United States of America

Please note that this certificate is only required when there are restrictions in place related to an avian influenza detection in domestic birds in Canada. Birds that originate from or will transit through a Control Zone for HPAI will require a USDA import permit and also be subject to post import quarantine. See the current list of active and revoked control zones.

Depending on the port of entry (for example, Land versus Air/Sea, Alaska versus Lower 48 States), a USDA import permit may or may not be required.

Refer to the USDA-APHIS Bring Five or Fewer Pet Birds into the United States for more details.

Upon successful eradication of the disease and subsequent return to disease freedom status, certification for pet birds to the U.S. is not required.

An official CFIA seal is not required

HA3060 – Export of conservation bird hatching eggs to the United States of America

HA3061 – Export of zoo birds to the United States of America

References

Copies of export health certificates are available at your local CFIA district office.