2.1 Introduction

One of the most daunting undertakings in any complex industry associated with live animal production is to understand or, at the very least, to develop a familiarity with laws and regulations in order to ensure a more successful venture. No responsible business owner wants to incur fines or penalties from ignorance or negligence. The gamebird industry is no exception. Familiarity with laws and regulations is an arduous task because it takes time and energy, while demonstrating and documenting necessary steps to comply is an even greater time commitment, sometimes without immediate or even long‐term tangible returns or incentive other than potential mitigated risk. Operations investing great amounts of time and money to produce a quality product or experience, and their owners, workers, and affiliates, must recognize the importance of knowing the limits within which facilities may legally operate. Not only can reputations be at stake, but violations of any laws at best may come with a verbal reprimand, fine, or other type of punishment, or at worst, with criminal consequences and/or a dissolution of the business itself.

Currently no central body governs gamebird operations in the United States of America. This reality can be viewed as both desirable and undesirable. It is good in that producers may operate with relative freedom, within reason, and most of the regulatory programs available are voluntary, and will be the major focus of this chapter. However, it may not be ideal in that consistency is not necessarily achievable on a national scale because different states have the ability and authority to manage their gamebird operations as they determine necessary, primarily either through the Department of Natural Resources or the Department of Agriculture or both.

Another consideration when discussing laws and regulatory aspects for the gamebird industry is that the intended purpose of the birds may lead producers down different paths for ensuring compliance with regulations. For instance, raised‐for‐release operations that primarily cater to hunters will have a different set of objectives and hence, potentially, a different set of regulations, from niche markets raising specialty birds for the purpose of meat or egg consumption. In this example, a gamebird meat processing plant will want to consider the benefits of having a facility that is inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA‐FSIS). This entity keeps a directory of meat, poultry, and egg inspection locations, with establishment number, location, phone and date granted (www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/establishments/meat-poultry-and-egg-product-inspection-directory). Similarly, producers raising shell eggs for human consumption may need to familiarize themselves with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Egg Safety Rule, if they raise over a certain number of birds (www.fda.gov/food/eggs-guidance-documents-regulatory-information/egg-safety-final-rule).

While these entities are worthy of investigation for producers using their birds for the purpose of either meat or egg production, they will be of little value for the hunting preserve enthusiast, whose business focus is on hatching, breeding, and/or dealing with the terminal purpose of releasing birds. In the raise‐for‐release category, a gamebird producer may need to become more familiar with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines on establishing an erosion prevention and sediment control plan. Some states may require additional measures related to land usage, such that facilities that have animals which produce manure or apply manure to crop fields and pastures are required to have a written manure management plan.

Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned when engaging in the discussion of regulatory practices common in the gamebird industry is that laws, regulations, and ordinances vary widely by state and by region. Aside from the intended bird purpose governing which regulatory body may need to be consulted, the producer must take responsibility to contact his or her state and local authorities within the particular region where the business and birds are located in order to be successful in compliance. Additionally, because regulations are fluid and subject to change, the ongoing work of not only mastering an understanding of current applicable regulation but also staying up to date with any changes is part of the responsible gamebird owner’s job. Several resources, however, such as the North American Gamebird Association, may be able to offer assistance in navigating the realm of rules. This organization may be a great place to consider starting in order to obtain pertinent information with appropriate contacts.

The remainder of the chapter will focus on another tremendous resource for the gamebird industry, which is the USDA National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) and its voluntary programs. This organization is the one exception to the aforementioned lack of a central body governing gamebird operations in the United States. The NPIP is not truly a regulatory or governing body but its very essence is cooperative in nature, with a variety of groups and their collaborative efforts ensuring that it has been and continues to be a highly successful and extremely valuable program for the purposes of trade and movement of birds and bird products.

2.2 The National Poultry Improvement Plan

The National Poultry Improvement Plan, established in 1935, is a cooperative industry, state and Federal program for controlling certain poultry diseases. Its mission is to provide a cooperative program through which new diagnostic technology can be effectively applied for the improvement of poultry and poultry products throughout the country. The plan traces its roots to the early 1900s as it was responsible for the successful eradication of pullorum disease, a serious poultry disease caused by the organism Salmonella pullorum

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