Powers and Duties; Inspection and Vaccination of Poultry Flocks and Hatcheries

Del. Code tit. 3, ch. 63

in effect

Del. Code tit. 3, § 6301 Powers and duties of Department.

The Department may execute contracts for the preparation, publication and dissemination of information for the promotion of the poultry industry in the State. The Department may also undertake studies on disease control, regulatory activities and various types of experimental and extension activities which may in its opinion be deemed beneficial to the poultry industry. All money expended for experimental and extension activities shall be in cooperation with the Agricultural Experimental Station and Extension Service of the University of Delaware. The Department may expend any share of the funds appropriated to its use for advertising, education and other mediums for the promotion of state poultry and poultry products, with the understanding that during periods of overproduction, decreased consumer-demand and other conditions resulting in poultry markets unfavorable to the grower, the moneys at its disposal should be used largely, if not entirely, for advertising and other sales promotional activities in the interest of state poultry and state poultry products.

Del. Code tit. 3, § 6302 Inspection and certification of poultry flocks and hatcheries; rules and regulations.

For the encouragement of the breeding of better poultry in this State and for the improvement in the quality of chicks from the hatcheries of the State, the Department of Agriculture may have inspections made of poultry flocks and chick hatcheries in the State upon application of the owners thereof and may make rules for such inspections. When the state inspection shows freedom from disease and the meeting of standards for poultry flocks and chick hatcheries, which standards the Department of Agriculture may establish, the Department may issue certificates to the owners showing that the standards have been met. The Department may make rules and regulations for the management and care of flocks. When hatcheries in this State use for hatching purposes eggs from flocks of poultry which have been certified, such hatcheries, upon compliance with all rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture, shall be issued certificates setting forth the classification of their hatcheries. The Department may make rules and regulations for the movement, sale, labeling and advertising of all chicks, eggs and poultry produced by flocks and hatcheries under state supervision as aforesaid.

Del. Code tit. 3, § 6303 Revocation of certification.

The Department of Agriculture may revoke certificates issued in accordance with § 6302 of this title when the rules, regulations and requirements made for flocks of poultry and hatcheries are not complied with by the owners of such flocks and hatcheries.

Del. Code tit. 3, § 6304 Violations of certification; penalties; jurisdiction.

(a) Whoever sells, or advertises for sale, chicks, eggs or poultry of the kind specified in § 6302 of this title, or advertises in any way that such person’s flock or hatchery is under state supervision without the authority of the Department of Agriculture, shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $500, together with costs of suit. (b) Justices of the peace shall have jurisdiction of offenses under this section.

Del. Code tit. 3, § 6305 Cooperation with United States Department of Agriculture.

The Department of Agriculture may cooperate with the United States Department of Agriculture in the administration of the National Poultry Improvement Plan or the National Turkey Improvement Plan.

Del. Code tit. 3, § 6306 Vaccination personnel; sanitary requirements.

(a) No person engaged in performing vaccination work on poultry shall enter into or upon any poultry yard, poultry house or poultry premises to vaccinate any poultry for the diseases commonly called New Castle, chicken pox or laryngotracheitis, unless such person shall wear outer footwear and outer garments and shall use equipment which have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected as prescribed in this section before entry is made into or upon any such premises. (b) The outer footwear shall be overshoes or boots of rubber or other material which can be readily cleaned and disinfected, and the outer garments shall be aprons, coveralls, long coats or bibbed overalls and jackets made of rubber or rubberized material which can be readily cleaned and disinfected, or made of a pervious fabric which can be readily laundered. All outer footwear and apparel of rubber or water repellant material must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with a suitable disinfectant before entry is made into or upon any such poultry premises; and if the apparel is of a pervious fabric, a freshly laundered outer garment must be worn upon entering any such poultry premises. (c) All equipment used by any such person for catching or confining poultry or in performing any such vaccination work shall be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with a suitable disinfectant before any such equipment is brought into or upon the poultry premises. (d) After completing any vaccination work, all outer footwear, outer garments and equipment shall be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before the same are removed from the premises.

Del. Code tit. 3, § 6307 Rules and regulations pertaining to vaccination of poultry.

The Department of Agriculture shall establish rules and regulations respecting the vaccination of poultry which are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

Del. Code tit. 3, § 6308 Violation of vaccination requirements; penalties.

Whoever violates § 6306 of this title, or any of the regulations established by the Department of Agriculture under § 6307 of this title, shall, for each offense, be fined not less than $10 nor more than $100, or imprisoned not less than 5 nor more than 30 days, or both.

Source: DE Code (Official Site)URL: https://delcode.delaware.gov/title3/c063/index.htmlFetched: 10/4/2026