When you purchase poultry online or locally, verifiable trust is everything. I don't just tell you my birds are healthy; I prove it through rigorous, physically demanding, and continuous State and Federal testing protocols. Participation in these programs is completely voluntary for boutique farms like mine. I choose to take on this massive operational and financial commitment because I believe in providing you with the safest, highest-quality birds possible.
The NPIP: A Legacy of Protection
I am proudly certified by the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP Approval #115). The NPIP was established back in 1935 as an emergency response to Pullorum Disease, a devastating bacterial infection that was causing an 80% mortality rate in baby poultry across the country. Because this disease is passed directly from the mother hen into the egg before the shell even forms, standard sanitation simply wasn't enough.
The NPIP established strict blood testing protocols that eradicated the widespread threat in commercial flocks. However, these pathogens still exist in the wild and in unregulated backyard flocks. My continuous NPIP testing ensures my breeding stock remains completely free of these historical threats.
The Physical Reality of RI DEM Testing
Maintaining this certification is not just a matter of filling out paperwork—it is an intensely physical, annual process managed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM).
Every year, state veterinarians and authorized testing agents conduct comprehensive, unannounced site inspections at my farm. They evaluate my overarching biosecurity infrastructure, sanitation practices, traffic control, and pest management to ensure wild birds and rodents cannot introduce diseases to my primary flock.
But it doesn't stop at observation. State agents and I must physically capture, tag, swab, and draw blood from every single piece of poultry on the property over the age of four months. It is a labor-intensive and sometimes chaotic process that involves handling flighty ducks, strong Muscovy males, large-spurred roosters, and aggressive male turkeys.
If even a single test comes back non-negative, my entire farm is immediately placed under strict state quarantine. If a bird tests positive, the state mandates confiscation to determine the exact strain. My clean status is hard-earned and fiercely protected.
Official Health Documentation (VS Form 9-3)
The VS 9-3 (Report of Sales of Hatching Eggs, Chicks, and Poults) is the official federal form used by the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP). It serves as my official health certificate, proving that my flock has met all strict federal and state testing requirements. This document verifies my approval number and is used to guarantee that my birds are coming from a clean, monitored source.
View My Official VS 9-3 Form (PDF)My Pathogen Surveillance Focus
When you buy from Koops Coops, you are protected against the heartbreak of bringing diseased birds into your backyard. Here is exactly what my flock is actively monitored and tested for:
Salmonella pullorum
Pullorum Disease: I verify my flock is completely free from this vertically (egg) transmitted bacteria, preventing catastrophic early-life mortality.
Salmonella gallinarum
Fowl Typhoid: I confirm the absolute absence of this highly infectious systemic disease, which causes rapid death in adult birds.
Avian Influenza (AI)
Bird Flu: I maintain continuous, active surveillance for AI. This rapidly mutating virus is often introduced by asymptomatic migratory waterfowl passing overhead.
Mycoplasma gallisepticum
Chronic Respiratory Disease: I ensure freedom from stealth pathogens that cause lifelong respiratory distress, coughing, and reduced egg production.
Mycoplasma synoviae
Infectious Synovitis: I monitor for the pathogen responsible for severe joint inflammation, lameness, and chronic lethargy.