Mail-order hatcheries should provide health-related information to owners and potential purchasers before they buy any birds (see example below). This should include information about preventing Salmonella infections from contact with live poultry.

A flier Cdc-pdf [PDF – 1 page] describing the risk of human Salmonella infections from contact with live poultry and prevention recommendations is available.

Mail-order hatcheries should put interventions in place to help prevent contamination and infection of poultry with Salmonella:

Mail-order hatcheries should participate in the USDA-NPIP U.S. Salmonella Monitored Program Cdc-pdf [PDF – 17 pages]External , in which voluntary participation by mail-order hatcheries will certify their flocks are monitored for Salmonella bacteria that may cause illness in humans. The intent of this program is to reduce the incidence of Salmonella in day-old poultry in the hatchery and give the poultry industry a better opportunity to reduce the incidence of Salmonella in their products.