|
POULTRY Living Conditions:
1. Management of the environment of the poultry (housing, hedges, etc.)
must take into account the behavioural needs of the poultry and provide
for:
a. sufficient free movement,
b. sufficient fresh air and natural daylight according to the needs of the
poultry,
c. protection against excessive sunlight, temperatures, rain and wind
according to the needs of the poultry,
d. enough lying or resting area will be provided, adequate bedding must be
provided when
housed, and
e. ample access to fresh water and feed according to the needs of the
poultry.
2. When the natural daylight is prolonged by artificial lighting this must
not lead to a day length which is longer than 16 hours unless it endangers
the well-being of the poultry.
2. Feed:
1. Slaughter poultry must be fed certified organically grown feed.
2. Plastic roughage, urea, intentional manure refeeding, and similar
practices are prohibited.
3. In certain critical years where crops for feed are unavailable or in
short supply due to extreme weather conditions, the certification
committee can allow a farmer to purchase non certified organic feed. These
inputs must be sufficiently documented and pre-approved by the
certification committee.
4. In all circumstances, the grower will ensure that all feed materials
made available to poultry are not grown, produced, or manufactured from
products made from organisms that have been modified by genetic
engineering techniques (as defined in the Materials List).
3. Supplements:
1. Any source of feed salt is acceptable.
2. Acceptable feed supplements include Calcium phosphate materials such as
marl or calcium carbonate materials such as limestone, dolomite, etc.
3. Magnesium oxide, greensand, seaweed, natural minerals, and other free
choice trace elements.
4. Selenium of whatever form (ingested or injected at recommended doses).
5. Vitamins should be provided from sprouted grains, fish liver oils,
brewer's yeast or other natural sources when possible. Synthetic or
manufactured vitamins, minerals and other nutritional supplements may be
permitted in cases of long winters, mountainous zones, poor feed due to
bad weather or for nutritional needs of the poultry that cannot be met
otherwise. These nutritional supplements cannot contain medications nor be
formulated as protein supplements. At no time should vitamins be derived
from or manufactured from products made from organisms that have been
modified by genetic engineering techniques (as defined in the Materials
List).
6. The following feed ingredients group shall not generally be allowed
from synthesized or unnatural sources. These include:
a. concentrated vitamins
b. trace element supplements
Exceptions may be made by certification committees in case of specific
farm or feed deficiencies.
7. Synthetic growth promoters (including antibiotics, hormones and trace
elements used to stimulate growth) implanted, injected, or ingested are
prohibited.
8. Supplements using, manufactured using, or derived from products made
from organisms that have been modified by genetic engineering techniques
(as defined in the Materials List) are prohibited.
4. Purchased Poultry:
1. Slaughter poultry must be raised on the farm in accordance with NSOGA
standards or purchased from Certified organic poultry producers.
2. Breeding poultry may be bought from whatever source, but may only be
sold as certified organic if raised in compliance with NSOGA standards for
one year following purchase.
3. Breeding poultry brought into the operation from conventional sources,
must not exceed 10% of the certified adult poultry population (general
type) on an annual basis. Certification committees may allow exceptions,
with specific time limits in the following cases:
a. unforeseen severe natural or man made events,
b. considerable enlargement of the farm,
c. establishing a new type of poultry production on the farm,
d. for small farms.
4. Day old poultry may be bought from any source until Organic Source
exists.
5. All purchased poultry must be free from contamination by products made
from organisms that have been modified by genetic engineering techniques
(as defined in the Materials List). This includes breeding material,
medication, metabolical and biological regulators, all feed, and any
supplements. It is the members' obligation to ensure that all purchased
poultry are free of such contaminants.
5. Flock Health:
1. Good management is the key to keeping healthy live poultry. Organic
production systems shall be designed and maintained to provide compatible
housing, proper nutrition, adequate clean water and proper ventilation,
including techniques which are organically acceptable.
2. Cleaning agents and disinfectants should be chosen from among soaps,
biodegradable detergents, iodine 5%, 1% potassium permanganate solutions,
lye, alkali carbonates, caustic potash, lime (hydrated), and bleach.
3. Areas to be disinfected should be empty of live poultry, and manure
should be physically removed as much as possible.
4. Biotherapies such as plant concoctions and homeopathic remedies.
5. Vaccinations (including vaccination to stimulate production of maternal
antibodies) probiotics, and similar preventive techniques are permitted
when diseases are known to exist in the farm environment and cannot be
controlled by other techniques. Legally required vaccinations are allowed.
6. When recourse to prohibited materials is deemed necessary slaughter
poultry may not be sold as certified organic.
7. Materials used in Flock health maintenance may not contain, be derived
from, or manufactured using products made from organisms that have been
modified by genetic engineering techniques (as defined in the Materials
List).
6. Breeding:
1. Natural service is the ideal.
2. Since breeding methods have minimal effect on the quality of meat
produced, various other methods are tolerated, provided they do not unduly
restrict the gene pool.
3. Embryo transfer techniques are not allowed.
7. Slaughter:
1. Poultry must be treated humanely during loading, unloading, shipping,
holding and slaughter.
2. Slaughter must be effected under sanitary conditions, government
approved slaughterhouses when required by law.
3. Poultry must be clearly identified in such manner as to preclude
confusion with non-certified meat. Ideally, certified meat should be
slaughtered as a separate batch or hung apart from non-certified meat.
8. Physical Alterations:
Practices that may be considered physical alterations are not allowed by
unless the practice is to the poultry ultimate benefit. These practices
shall not cause suffering or be used where other less invasive practices
are available, nor be used to circumvent a deficiency in poultry
husbandry.
The following practices are not allowed:
a. debeaking
b. wing burning.
9. Audit Trail:
1. An audit trail must be maintained which will permit tracing the sources
and amounts of all feeds, supplements, medication, etc.
2. If poultry is not individually identified by numbered tags, each
individual that is treated with an active material must be clearly
identified with a tag specifying the material and date of treatment.
3. Each poultry unit must be traced from birth to slaughter.
10. Egg Production:
1. Pullets must be fed 100% certified organic feed for at least four
months before eggs are certifiable.
2. When pullets are purchased, they must be treated in accordance with
these standards for at least four months before their eggs are certified.
3 Hens(adult birds) must have at least two square feet per bird floor
space in the hen house.
4. Hens must have outdoor access when seasonally appropriate.
5. If access to pasture in not feasible, flocks must be fed a balanced
diet to ensure that all of their nutritional requirements are met on a
daily basis.
6. Use of petroleum-based oil as a shell coating after washing is
prohibited.
7. Feather clipping is allowed only on an individual basis (to prevent
escape.)
|
