(a) Birds other than ratites and hatching eggs of ratites. Each lot of pet birds, except as provided for in §93.101(c) of this part; research birds; and commercial birds and zoological birds, except ratites and hatching eggs of ratites, imported into the United States shall be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days, and for such longer period as may be required by the Administrator, in any specific case, on an “all-in, all-out” basis, at a Customs port of entry, at a USDA quarantine facility when arrangements have been made in advance by the importer and approval is granted in the permit described in §93.103, or in facilities that meet the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section. At a USDA quarantine facility each psittacine bird shall be individually identified by the Department within 7 days of the entry of the bird into the bird quarantine facility with a serially numbered legband which has been coded to the quarantine facility or by other suitable means of identification. The identification device must be approved by the Administrator, before it shall be used to identify birds under this section. Such means of identification shall be supplied by the Department at cost to the importer. The Department shall make an identification record at the time such bird is so identified containing the species of the bird, including the common and scientific name, and the number of the identification device placed on the bird. The daily log and the identification record shall be maintained for 12 months following the date of the release of the bird from quarantine. Prior to use of a privately owned quarantine facility, a Cooperative and Trust Fund Agreement as set forth in paragraph (c)(5) of this section shall be executed by the importer and the Department and appropriate funds shall be deposited with the Administrator pursuant to the Cooperative and Trust Fund Agreement. If the birds are found free of evidence of communicable diseases of poultry during quarantine, then the port veterinarian shall issue an agriculture release for entry through U.S. Customs. If the birds are found during port of entry inspection or during quarantine, to be infected with or exposed to a communicable disease of poultry, such birds shall be refused entry or shall be held for an additional period in quarantine until determined to be free of evidence of any communicable disease, or shall be otherwise disposed of as directed by the Administrator. See also paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(E) of this section.

(b) Ratites and hatching eggs of ratites.

(1) Each lot of ratites imported from any part of the world except as provided in §93.107, shall be quarantined upon arrival for a minimum of 30 days, and for such longer period as may be required by the Administrator to determine the ratites' freedom from ectoparasites and communicable diseases. Quarantine shall be on an “all-in, all-out” basis, as described in paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(A) of this section, at the New York Animal Import Center at Newburgh, NY, when the port of entry is either New York, NY, or Stewart Airport, Newburgh, NY; or at the Miami Animal Import Center, Miami, FL, when the port of entry is Miami, FL. Reservations for space in these quarantine facilities must be made in advance of arrival and in accordance with §93.103 of this part.

(2) Each lot of hatching eggs of ratites imported from any part of the world except as provided in §93.107, shall be quarantined upon arrival, incubated for the full incubation period (approximately 42 days), and held in quarantine for a minimum of 30 days following the hatch of the last chick in the lot, and for such longer period as may be required by the Administrator to determine the ratites' freedom from communicable diseases. Quarantine shall be conducted at a facility that meets the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section, and in the manner prescribed by paragraph (c) of this section.

(3) During the quarantine period, the ratites, including chicks hatched in quarantine, shall be tested for viral diseases of poultry, including highly pathogenic avian influenza and Newcastle disease. If any of the ratites exhibit evidence of other communicable diseases, they will be subjected to such additional tests as may be required by the Administrator to determine their freedom from communicable diseases. Ratites other than those imported as hatching eggs also shall be treated for ectoparasites10 by an inspector until the inspector determines that the ratites are free of ectoparasites.

(4) If the ratites, including chicks hatched during quarantine, are determined to be free of communicable diseases, the port veterinarian shall issue an agricultural release for entry through U.S. Customs. If the port veterinarian finds evidence of communicable disease, or exposure to communicable disease, during port of entry inspection or quarantine of the ratites, the ratites shall be refused entry, or shall be held in quarantine until they are determined to be free of communicable disease, or shall be otherwise disposed of as directed by the Administrator.

(c) Standards for privately owned bird quarantine facilities and handling procedures for importation of birds. Before the Administrator will issue an import permit for a lot of birds, the Administrator must determine that the privately owned bird quarantine facility to be used to quarantine birds imported into the United States (the facility) and its maintenance and operation meet the minimum requirements of paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(5) of this section, that adequate APHIS personnel are available to provide services required by the facility, and that a Cooperative and Trust Fund Agreement between the importer and the Department has been executed, and the required funds have been deposited, in accordance with that agreement. The cost of the facility and all costs associated with its maintenance and operation must be borne by the importer, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (e) of this section.

(1) Supervision of the facility. The facility shall be maintained under the supervision of the port veterinarian at the Customs port of entry.

(2) Physical plant requirements. The facility shall comply with the following requirements:

(i) Location. Each privately owned bird quarantine facility shall be located:

(A) Within the immediate metropolitan area of the port of entry to prevent the imported birds, while in transit to the quarantine facility, from introducing or disseminating disease to domestic poultry or livestock.

(B) At least one-half mile from any concentration of avian species, such as, but not limited to, poultry processing plants, poultry or bird farms, pigeon lofts, or other bird quarantine facilities. Factors such as prevailing winds, the efficiency of the air filtration system of the quarantine facility, possible exposure to poultry or birds moving in local traffic, etc., shall be taken into consideration.

(ii) Construction. Each quarantine facility shall consist of a single, self-contained building, which shall:

(A) Be constructed only with material that can withstand continued cleaning and disinfection. All solid walls, floors, and ceilings must be constructed of impervious material. All openings to the outside must be double-screened, with an interior screen of metal or nylon mesh that is impervious to biting insects such as gnats or mosquitos, and an exterior metal screen that is rodent-proof and is made of wire, such as rabbit wire, hardware cloth, or smooth welded wire, with mesh size no larger than 1 inch × 1.5 inches (2.54 cm × 3.81 cm). The interior and exterior screens must be separated by at least 3 inches (7.62 cm);

(B) Have a bird holding area of sufficient size to prevent overcrowding of the birds in quarantine. (All access into this holding area shall be from within the building and each entryway into such area shall be equipped with self-closing, double doors: Provided, That emergency exits to the outside may exist in the bird holding area if required by local fire ordinances. Such emergency exits shall be constructed so as to permit their opening from the inside of the facility only.);

(C) Have a ventilation capacity sufficient to control moisture and odor at levels that are not injurious to the health of the birds in quarantine;

(D) Have a vermin-proof feed storage area;

(E) Have office space for recordkeeping;

(F) Have a separate necropsy room which shall have refrigerated storage space for carcasses retained for laboratory examination and facilities adequate for specimen preparation and carcass disposal;

(G) Have a separate area for washing facility equipment;

(H) Have a shower at the entrance into the area comprised of the bird holding and necropsy rooms and a clothes storage and change area at each end of the shower area;

(I) Have a storage area for equipment necessary for quarantine operations;

(J) Have equipment necessary to maintain the facility in clean and sanitary condition, including insect and pest control equipment;

(K) Have a receptacle for soiled and contaminated clothing in the clothes change area located nearest the entrance to the bird holding area;

(L) All construction must be completed before any permit application is submitted in accordance with §93.103.

(M) An APHIS representative shall inspect the facility to determine whether the facility complies with the standards set forth in this section before any permit is issued in accordance with §93.103. Inspections shall take place at least once each year.

(N) In addition, a facility for hatching eggs of ratites, in which the hatching eggs of one lot may be quarantined at the same time as the hatched chicks from the previously quarantined lot, shall:

(1) Have a wall or a wall with a lockable door separating the incubator/hatcher area from the bird (chick) holding area, and this wall or wall-with-door shall provide an airtight seal between the two areas, shall be impervious to water, and shall be able to withstand continued cleaning and disinfection;

(2) Have a necropsy or sample collection area in both the incubator/hatcher area and the bird (chick) holding area; and

(3) Have separate entrances, showers, toilets, and dressing room facilities for the exclusive use of personnel working in the incubator/hatcher area and the bird (chick) holding area.

(O) The bird (chick) holding area in any facility for hatching eggs of ratites shall be of a size large enough to accommodate 75 percent of the incubator capacity, with a minimum of 10 square feet per egg.

(P) If a facility for hatching eggs of ratites has a sun room, the sun room shall be connected to the chick holding area by a wall with a lockable door. This wall; the other walls, if any; and the flooring, must be impervious to water and able to withstand continued cleaning and disinfection. All walls of the sun room must be at least 8 feet high.

(1) Any of the exterior walls may be replaced by a double-screened wall set in a concrete or concrete-block curb. The double screening shall be of wire mesh or wire mesh and nylon mesh, as provided in paragraph (c)(2)(ii)(A) of this section, with the interior and exterior screens of the sun room wall separated by at least 3 inches (7.62 cm); the concrete or concrete block curb must be at least 12 inches high, impermeable to water, and able to prevent the escape of water, manure, and debris.

(2) The sun room shall have a roof, such as a double-mesh-screened roof or a glass roof, that is both impervious to free-flying birds and biting insects (such as gnats or mosquitoes) and capable of preventing contact between chicks and free-flying birds.

(3) Be attended by personnel working in the bird (chick) holding area whenever chicks are in the sun room.

(iii) Sanitation and security. Arrangements shall exist for:

(A) A supply of water adequate to meet all watering and cleaning needs.

(B) Disposal of wastes by incineration or a public sewer system which meets all applicable environmental quality control standards;

(C) Control of surface drainage onto or from the facility to prevent any disease agent from entering or escaping;

(D) Protective clothing and footwear adequate to insure that workers at the facility have clean clothing and footwear at the start of each workday and at any time such articles become soiled or contaminated;

(E) Power cleaning and disinfecting equipment with adequate capacity to disinfect the facility and equipment;

(F) Sufficient stocks of a disinfectant authorized in §71.10(a)(5) of this chapter;

(G) A security system which prevents contact of birds in quarantine with persons not authorized entry to the facility and with other birds and animals. Such a system shall include a daily log to record the entry and exit of all persons entering the facility and controls at all doorways and other openings to the facility to prevent escape or accidental entry of birds.

(3) Operational procedures. The following procedures shall be observed at the facility at all times.

(i) Personnel. Access to the facility shall be granted only to persons working at the facility or to persons specifically granted such access by the port veterinarian.

(A) All personnel granted access to the bird holding area or the incubator/hatcher area shall:

(1) Wear clean protective clothing and footwear upon entering the bird holding area or the incubator/hatcher area;

(2) Change protective clothing and footwear when they become soiled or contaminated;

(3) Shower when entering and leaving any bird holding area, any incubator/hatcher area, and any necropsy area. Showering when moving between the incubator/hatcher area and the bird holding area is not required when the eggs in the hatching area and the chicks in the holding area are part of the same lot;

(4) Work exclusively with one lot of birds until the lot's release from quarantine, and have no contact with other birds or poultry until the release date.

(B) The importer shall handle soiled clothing worn within the quarantine unit in a manner approved by the port veterinarian as adequate to preclude transmission of a poultry disease agent from the facility.

(ii) Handling of the birds in quarantine. The birds shall be kept in the quarantine facility for a minimum of 30 days and while in quarantine shall be handled in compliance with the following requirements:

(A) Each lot of birds to be quarantined shall be placed in the facility on an “all-in, all-out” basis. No birds shall be taken out of the lot while it is in quarantine except for diagnostic purposes and if additional birds are added to a lot, the total quarantine period for that lot shall be extended so that all birds will have completed at least 30 consecutive days of quarantine before release for entry into the commerce of the United States. The quarantine period may be extended as provided in paragraph (a) of this section.

(1) Hatching eggs of ratites comprising a single lot may be added to the facility in stages, provided the entire lot has been placed in the facility no later than 15 days after the arrival of the first shipment.

(2) If hatching eggs of ratites begin to hatch in the incubator/hatcher area while ratite chicks from the previously quarantined lot remain in the bird (chick) holding area, then the separate lots assume the status of a single lot, and will be released from quarantine in accordance with paragraph (c)(3)(ii)(A) of this section.

(B) The birds may be vaccinated during quarantine only with a vaccine that has been approved by the Administrator, and is administered by a licensed veterinarian under the direct supervision of a veterinarian employed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The Administrator will approve a vaccine if:

(1) The vaccine is licensed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in accordance with §102.5 of this chapter; and

(2) The vaccine is not one that is used to prevent Newcastle disease, avian influenza, or any other hemagglutinating virus of poultry.11

(C) Birds of the psittacine family shall receive a balanced, medicated feed ration treatment containing not less than 1% CTC with not more than 0.7% calcium for the entire quarantine period as a precautionary measure against chlamydiosis (psittacosis).

(D) The importer shall immediately collect all birds which die in quarantine and hold them under refrigeration, within the facility, shall account for all birds in the shipment, and shall not dispose of any carcass or parts thereof unless authorized to do so by a Veterinary Medical Officer of APHIS of the Department. Birds that die enroute to the United States or while in quarantine shall be made available at the port of entry for necropsy by a Department poultry disease diagnostician who may submit specimens from such birds for laboratory examination.

(E) During the period of quarantine, the birds shall be subjected to such tests and procedures as are required in specific cases by the port veterinarian, to determine whether the birds are free from communicable diseases of poultry and it shall be the responsibility of the importer to identify individually each psittacine bird within 7 days of the entry of the bird into the quarantine facility with a serially numbered legband which has been coded to the quarantine facility or by other suitable means of identification. Any identification device must be approved by the Administrator, upon written request to him, before it shall be used to identify birds under this section. Such means of identification shall be supplied by the importer, and the importer shall insure that each bird is so identified at the time the bird is released from the facility. If Newcastle disease or highly pathogenic avian influenza is found or detected among any birds in quarantine, all birds in the facility shall be destroyed or refused entry and the entire facility shall be thoroughly cleaned and then disinfected as directed under the supervision of an inspector.

(F) The quarantine facility from which a lot of birds has been released shall be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with a disinfectant authorized in §71.10(a)(5) of this chapter, under supervision of an inspector before a new lot is placed in the facility.

(iii) Records. It shall be the responsibility of the importer to maintain a current daily log for each lot of birds, recording such information as the general condition of the birds each day, source of origin of the birds in the lot, total number of birds in the lot when imported, number of dead birds when lot arrived, date lot was placed into the facility, number of deaths each day in the lot during the quarantine period, necropsy results, and laboratory findings on birds that died during the quarantine date of prescribed tests and results, Department import permit numbers of each lot, date lot was removed from the facility, and any other observations pertinent to the general health of the birds in the lot. The importer shall also make an identification record, at the time each psittacine bird is identified, containing the species of the bird, including the common and scientific name and the number of the identification device placed on each psittacine bird. The daily log and the identification record shall be maintained for 12 months following the date of release of the bird from quarantine and shall be made available to APHIS personnel upon request.

(4) Additional requirements as to location, security, physical plant and facilities, sanitation, and other items may be imposed by the Administrator, in each specific case in order to assure that the quarantine of the birds in such facility will be adequate to enable determination of their health status, prevent spread of disease among birds in quarantine, and prevent escape of poultry disease agents from the facility.

(5) Cooperative and Trust Fund Agreement for services required by importer at a privately owned bird quarantine facility.

(i) When the Administrator determines that a privately owned bird quarantine facility meets the requirements set forth in paragraph (c) of this section, the Department and the importer shall execute a Cooperative and Trust Fund Agreement, as specified in paragraph (c)(5)(iii) of this section. In conjunction with the Cooperative and Trust Fund Agreement, the importer shall deposit with the Administrator a money order or cashier's check in an amount determined by the Administrator to cover all costs incurred by the Department in providing services in accordance with the provisions of the Cooperative and Trust Fund Agreement. Any unobligated funds will, upon request, be returned to the importer, after the birds' release from quarantine.

(ii) The Administrator may provide services required by the importer at a privately owned quarantine facility for the importation of birds on a first come, first served basis, if adequate APHIS personnel are available to provide those services, upon determining that the importer has executed a Cooperative and Trust Fund Agreement, and has deposited funds in an amount determined by the Administrator to be sufficient to cover all costs incurred by the Department in providing services in accordance with that agreement, as specified in paragraph (c)(5)(iii) of this section.

(iii) Cooperative and Trust Fund Agreement.

(d) Charges for services. The charges to be borne by the importer for services provided for quarantine facilities approved in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section shall be:

(1) The appropriate GS hourly rate (including appropriate premium pay in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 5541-5549) of the employee who actually performs the service, including his or her travel time and his or her travel expenses: Provided, however, Such time and travel expense shall not exceed the time and travel expense to and from his or her official duty station;

(2) All applicable user fees, as listed in part 130 of this chapter; and

(3) A surcharge for overhead based on the most current historical data available showing the percentage of APHIS funds expended for administrative support.

(e) Requirements of other Federal laws and regulations, such as the Department's Animal Welfare Regulations in subchapter A of this chapter shall also apply as applicable to the quarantine facilities.

[55 FR 31495, Aug. 2, 1990. Redesignated at 62 FR 56012, Oct. 28, 1997]