Poultry and Ratite Import Requirements
(Including internet sales)
Poultry includes: chicken, turkey, quail, pheasant, peafowl, partridge, grouse, guineas, domesticated ducks & geese, ratites (ostrich, emu, rhea, cassowary), pigeons and doves.
All poultry must be Officially Identified and have an Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI), unless exempted as stated below.
Check Emergency Notices for any additional requirements.
Requirements for Chickens, Turkey, Quail, Pheasant, Peafowl, Partridge, Grouse, Guineas, domesticated Ducks & Geese:
- Newly hatched babies or hatching eggs:
- From NPIP Pullorum-Typhoid Clean breeder flock.
- Movement Form -- NPIP VS Form 9-3 "Report of Sales of Hatching Eggs, Chicks, and Poults".
- Official ID -- Exemption -- no Official ID is required, if the person receiving the babies/hatching eggs maintains a record of the supplier for 2 years.
- Birds that have been fed and/or watered (to live or show in SC):
- NPIP Pullorum-Typhoid Clean status or individually tested negative within 30 days of entry.
- Movement Document:
- NPIP VS Form 9-3 "Report of Sales of Hatching Eggs, Chicks, and Poults" if NPIP Pullorum Clean -or-
- Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) stating the date of negative Pullorum-Typhoid test -or-
- Other approved movement document (such as a permit or other alternate movement document) stating NPIP Pullorum-Typhoid Clean status with NPIP certification number or accompanied with a copy of the official NPIP Pullorum-Typhoid Testing Record.
- Official Identification:
- State/Federal Identification bands (e.g. NPIP bands).
- Group/lot identification, such as unique Flock ID numbers, may be used in commercial flocks.
- All band/flock numbers are recorded on the NPIP 9-3 Form, ICVI, or other approved movement document.
- Given no live vaccine within the last 30 days.
Requirements for Pigeons and Doves:
- Movement Document (to live, show or race in SC):
- Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) -or-
- Other approved movement documentation (such as a permit or other alternate movement document).
- Statement on ICVI or other approved movement document: "Birds are not showing signs of infectious, contagious or communicable diseases and have not been exposed to infectious or contagious diseases including velogenic Newcastle disease for 30 days prior to entry."
- Racing Clubs - all individual owner/loft contact information and all the ID leg bands of all the birds participating must be listed on the document.
- Official Identification:
- Official State/Federal ID leg bands, -or-
- Specific Club ID leg bands with unique individual bird numbers, -or-
- Personalized ID leg bands that contain owner's information with unique individual bird numbers.
- All band numbers of all the birds included in the shipment are recorded on the ICVI or other approved movement document.
Requirements for Ratites (Ostrich, Emu, Rhea, Cassowary):
- NPIP Pullorum-Typhoid Clean status or individually tested negative within 30 days of entry.
- Movement Document (to live or show in SC):
- NPIP VS Form 9-3 "Report of Sales of Hatching Eggs, Chicks, and Poults" if NPIP Pullorum Clean -or-
- Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) stating the date of negative Pullorum-Typhoid test -or-
- Other approved movement document (such as a permit or other alternate movement document) stating NPIP Pullorum-Typhoid Clean status with NPIP certification number or accompanied with a copy of the official NPIP Pullorum-Typhoid Testing Record.
- Official Identification:
- Official State/Federal ID bands, -or-
- Personalized ID bands that contain owner's information with unique individual bird numbers, -or-
- Permanent ID number (e.g. microchip)
- All band/microchip numbers are recorded on the ICVI or other approved movement document.