Imported poultry; operation of live bird market; requirements.
MCL 287.740a
in effect287.740a. Imported poultry; operation of live bird market; requirements.
Sec. 40a.
(1) This section applies to poultry imported to and housed at a live bird market.
(2) A transporter bringing poultry to a live bird market shall comply with this act and 1937 PA 284, MCL 287.121 to 287.131.
(3) A person operating a live bird market shall do all of the following:
(a) House live poultry in rooms that can be cleaned and disinfected.
(b) House waterfowl and game birds separately from chickens.
(c) Remove poultry from transport crates no later than 8 hours after arrival at the facility.
(d) Store transport crates in a separate area, and clean and disinfect transport crates before reuse.
(e) When poultry are housed in cages, do all of the following:
(i) Use cages constructed of a material that can be cleaned and disinfected.
(ii) Provide birds with room to stand up, lie down, turn around, and groom without touching other birds or a surface of the cage.
(iii) Refrain from stacking cages, unless there are provisions to allow manure to be removed and to prevent manure, feed, and water from soiling other cages or birds in other cages.
(f) Provide water to birds up to the time of slaughter.
(g) Provide nutritionally adequate food to birds up to at least 12 hours before slaughter.
(h) Ensure that there is at least one 24-hour period each week during which there are no birds in the facility and areas where birds as housed and any cages or pens holding birds are cleaned and disinfected.
(i) Ensure that slaughter is performed using 1 of the following methods:
(i) A method in which the bird is rendered insensible to pain by mechanical, electrical, chemical, or other means that is rapid and effective before the bird is shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut.
(ii) A method in accordance with the ritual requirements of a religious faith in which the bird suffers loss of consciousness by anemia of the brain caused by the simultaneous and instantaneous severance of the carotid arteries with a sharp instrument.
(4) As used in this section, "live bird market" means a facility that sells live poultry for slaughter and is licensed by the department under the food law, 2000 PA 92, MCL 289.1101 to 289.8111.
Add. 2019, Act 132, Eff. Feb. 19, 2020
Source: Michigan Legislature (legislature.mi.gov)URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-287-740aFetched: 10/20/2026