What is NPIP and do you need it?

The National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) is a program in the United States designed to improve poultry health and genetics. It aims to control and eradicate poultry diseases, such as Avian Influenza and Salmonella pullorum, by certifying that flocks meet specific health and biosecurity standards. The program is designed to verify that poultry and eggs are disease-free, which is critical for both consumer health and the commercial poultry industry.

Is it worth my time and money to get NPIP certified?

The decision to get NPIP certified depends on your goals and the type of poultry operation you have. Here are some factors to consider:

Reasons to get NPIP certified:

1. Disease Prevention: Certification helps demonstrate that your birds are free from common diseases, which may give reassurance to potential customers.
2. Market Access: If you plan to sell eggs, chicks, or poultry, NPIP certification can make it easier to sell to markets that require health guarantees, like hatcheries, farmers’ markets, some restaurants, and shipping outside of your own state.
3. Reputation: NPIP certification can boost your credibility in the poultry industry as it shows that you are committed to demonstrating that you maintain high standards of animal health and biosecurity.
4. Biosecurity and Management: The process encourages better management practices and biosecurity measures, which can reduce the risk of disease outbreaks.

Reasons it might not be worth it:

1. Cost and Financial Burden: Getting NPIP certified involves both an initial cost (for testing and paperwork) and annual maintenance costs, which might be cost prohibitive if you’re a small-scale or hobby farmer, or do not intend to ship outside your own state. Each year, you’ll face ongoing costs for retesting, paperwork, and possibly more inspections. Depending on the size of your flock, these expenses can be substantial, especially for small-scale or hobby poultry owners.
2. Time-Consuming: The process of certification and maintaining it annually can be time-consuming. If you only have a small flock or don’t plan to sell eggs or birds commercially or across state lines, the time and effort may not be worth it. Additionally, no matter the size of your flock, the process of certification is extremely time-consuming and for those that lead very busy lives with a range of commitments, it may demand more time than any benefits it creates. Each year, you’ll need to schedule inspections and tests for your flock. Depending on your location and flock size, this can take a considerable amount of time. If you have a small operation and don’t have employees, the burden of managing this process can take away from your actual farm work or enjoyment.
3. Regulatory Compliance: Some may find the regulations and inspections required to maintain certification cumbersome. While they can help ensure the health of your birds, some people view them as unnecessary red tape.
4. Limited Financial Return: If you’re not selling eggs or poultry to larger commercial markets or hatcheries, the benefits of certification may be minimal. While NPIP certification might be a requirement for certain markets, many small or local markets don’t demand it. If you’re selling at a farmers’ market or directly to neighbors, for example, you likely won’t see a significant return on the investment.
   For individuals running small backyard operations with no plans to expand into larger commercial sales, the certification and testing costs rarely bring in a return that justifies the investment.
5. Paperwork and Compliance: Maintaining NPIP certification means dealing with paperwork, record-keeping, and keeping up with all the biosecurity standards. These administrative duties can be time-consuming and may detract from other tasks on your farm.
6. Logistical Hurdles: Depending on where you live, finding a willing state veterinarian or private for-profit business to conduct testing and inspections can be a logistical challenge, especially for hobbyists or people with limited resources in rural areas.

Not Required for Every Market

1. Local Sales Don’t Always Require Certification: If you’re selling eggs, poultry, or chicks locally (at farmers’ markets, to neighbors, or through personal networks), there’s no universal requirement to be NPIP-certified. Many small buyers, including those in rural areas, may not care about NPIP certification, as long as the birds appear healthy.
2. Alternative Health and Safety Practices: Many backyard poultry keepers manage their flocks effectively through good biosecurity practices, health monitoring, and regular vet visits without needing formal NPIP certification. If you maintain disease control and good flock management, you can offer safe and healthy birds without the added expense and paperwork.

Limited ROI for Small-Scale or Hobbyists

1. Low Return on Investment: For a hobbyist or small farmer, the money spent on NPIP certification and annual maintenance fees might not translate into increased income. The certification is valuable in specific markets but may be irrelevant if your primary focus is non-commercial, such as for personal egg consumption or small-scale selling within a close community.
2. Focus on Health, Not Profit: Many small flock owners are more concerned with the health and enjoyment of their birds rather than meeting industry standards. If you’re more focused on breeding rare breeds or keeping a few chickens as pets, the benefits of certification won’t outweigh the financial and time investment.

Alternatives to Certification

1. Health Testing Without NPIP: You can choose to test your birds for diseases independently of NPIP certification, often at a lower cost. There are various poultry health testing services available without committing to the full NPIP process.
2. Self-Regulated Biosecurity: With proper management practices, such as limiting flock exposure to outside birds, maintaining a clean environment, and practicing good hygiene, many small flock owners can manage disease risks without needing formal certification.

Not Always a Necessity for Poultry Health

1. Disease Control is Not Just About Certification: While NPIP can help with the protocol for disease prevention, there are other ways to maintain healthy poultry. Many small flock owners rely on natural health practices, careful breeding, and avoiding risky environments to keep their birds disease-free.
2. Minimal Disease Risks in Small Flocks: Smaller, more controlled flocks (especially in rural or isolated areas) are less likely to face major disease outbreaks that would necessitate the level of oversight NPIP offers. Backyard poultry owners who aren’t bringing in birds from outside sources are at less risk for some of the diseases that NPIP aims to control.

Can Feel Overly Bureaucratic

1. “Big Business” Approach: The NPIP was initially developed to help manage disease in large commercial poultry operations, and it can feel like an over-complicated and impersonal system for smaller-scale owners. Hobby farmers or small business owners might feel alienated by the level of regulation and the formal structure of the program.
2. Regulatory Red Tape: Some people feel that the strict regulations are more suited to large poultry producers, and small flock owners might find themselves bogged down by rules that seem unnecessary for their situation. For instance, specific guidelines on flock size, housing, or movement might not align with more flexible, natural farming methods preferred by hobbyists.

What is involved each year in getting re-certified?

There is no such thing as temporary NPIP certification. Everyone is certified annually or every six months depending on which testing they perform. Annual re-certification typically involves:

1. Testing: Your flock will need to undergo regular testing for diseases like Salmonella pullorum and Avian Influenza. The specific tests required can vary depending on your location and the type of birds you raise.
2. Record Keeping: You’ll need to maintain accurate records on your flock’s health, vaccination history, and biosecurity practices.
3. Inspection: You may need an annual inspection by a state or federal poultry veterinarian to verify that your operation complies with NPIP standards.
4. Updating Paperwork: You’ll also need to update your paperwork and submit the necessary forms, paying fees as required.

Is NPIP an elitist poultry club?

While the program has specific rules and requires certain levels of management, it’s not necessarily an elitist club. The NPIP was designed to support the poultry industry’s overall health and ensure safety, but some smaller poultry owners or hobbyists may view it as an obstacle due to the testing, inspections, and costs involved. The program’s goals align with larger commercial interests, but it’s also open to anyone, from small producers to large commercial operations because it is a federal program run through each state veterinarian’s department. Some small backyard operations are known to create private clubs where only those who have gained NPIP certification through their for-profit business testers are invited to enter for the purpose of trading NPIP certified birds. The invitations are arbitrary and not guaranteed. These groups may be of benefit to those with NPIP certified flocks seeking to increase their flocks.

Is NPIP certification truly necessary?

While it has its advantages, the program is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and for many people, the costs and commitments can outweigh the benefits. However, purchasing from large hatcheries or breeders outside your state, it is essential to purchase from NPIP certified flocks.

Conclusion: Is NPIP Worth It for Most People?

For many small flock owners, hobbyists, or those just selling locally, NPIP certification is likely not worth the cost, time, and effort. The financial burden, time commitment, and bureaucratic processes involved in maintaining certification often outweigh any potential benefits, especially when you’re not in the business of large-scale poultry production or shipping out of state. Instead of focusing on NPIP, small flock owners can often manage disease risk with good biosecurity practices, educating themselves in good poultry care, and selective breeding.

For those planning to scale their operation, sell to commercial markets, or expand their reach, certification can be valuable, but it’s not necessary for everyone. It all comes down to your business goals, the size and scale of your operation, and where you plan to sell your birds or eggs.

Many state NPIP programs run classes for those wanting to learn how to conduct the testing. When testing your own birds, it’s typically a requirement to have a third party involved so they can verify the testing was done according to the protocols set forth. This is a great way to get your flock tested without exposing yourself and your birds to competitor for-profit businesses or people who may act unethically toward you and your flock.

It’s important to consider that any private person or business selling their services to other farms to conduct NPIP testing which is a for-profit business is in direct competition with you and may have ulterior motives in selling those services. Their privilege to your birds is covered under ethical business guidelines yet cannot be guaranteed to be followed. Should there be a false-positive or false-negative test, which can happen due to the field tests having very broad parameters, the protocol is for the state veterinarian’s office to take over the case and re-test your entire flock. If the private for-profit tester does not know that protocol at the time they are conducting the testing, then they are unprofessional and inexperienced.

Once the state veterinarian’s office takes over the situation, the private for-profit business which has conducted the original testing is no longer employed by you and their privilege ends. Should the state veterinarian’s office share information with that private for-profit business from that time they have breached their ethical obligations to you and so has the person in the for-profit business receiving the information.

Should the for-profit business representative use any information about you and your birds from their time spent testing your flock, whether accurate or inaccurate, to publicly or privately discuss your situation, they have broken their ethical bounds and could be liable for legal proceedings against them, particularly if they or their colleagues make accusations about you on social media chicken groups or through direct contact with others. Therefore, it’s best practice, when contracting with private for-profit businesses, to insist they sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). You can create your own or find standard versions online and fill in the information. This doesn’t guarantee ethical practices, but it does help to mitigate them.

In summary, NPIP certification is a valuable program for those seeking to verify poultry health and meet market demands, but it may not be necessary for everyone. It’s best suited for those who want to sell their poultry in larger markets or who want extra peace of mind about their flock’s health. If you’re a hobbyist or small-scale farmer not focused on selling poultry commercially or across state lines, the costs and requirements may outweigh the benefits. Don’t be bullied into going through the NPIP process if it’s not going to bring you more benefits than it costs in time and money.

— Villina Greenwell Nickelbeak Hollow