Decision No. 1504/QD-BNN-KHCN Issuing Good Animal Husbandry Practices for Safe Poultry Farming

Pursuant to …;

Issuing Good Animal Husbandry Practices for Safe Poultry Farming

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THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Pursuant to Decree No. 01/2008/NĐ-CP dated January 3, 2008 of the Government detailing the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

Pursuant to Decree No. 163/2004/NĐ-CP dated September 7, 2004 of the Government detailing the implementation of certain provisions of the Food Safety Law;

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Science, Technology and Environment,

Pursuant to …;:

Article 1. This Decision hereby promulgates the Good Animal Husbandry Practices for Safe Poultry Farming attached hereto.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect from the date of signature.

Article 3. The Heads of the Ministry's Office, Directors of the Department of Science, Technology and Environment, heads of units under the Ministry, Directors of Provincial Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, and relevant organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Decision./.

 

 

 

PROCEDURE

Good Animal Husbandry Practices for Safe Poultry Farming in Vietnam (VietGAHP)
(issued together with Decision No. 1504/QĐ-BNN-KHCN dated May 15, 2008 of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development)

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Chapter 1.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

This Circular applies to units under the Ministry of Education and Training; departments of education and training, education and training divisions; preschool education institutions, general education institutions, regular education institutions, teacher training colleges, college of education, universities, universities, academies, other educational institutions, and related organizations and individuals (hereinafter referred to collectively as agencies and units).

1.1. Scope of Application: This regulation encourages the application of safe poultry farming practices to prevent and limit risks from contamination hazards that affect the safety, quality of poultry products, the environment, health, labor safety, and social welfare of workers.

1.2. Applicability: This procedure applies to organizations and individuals both within and outside the country involved in producing, trading, inspecting, and certifying poultry farming on the territory of Vietnam with the aim of:

1.2.1. Ensuring the production of meat and poultry products meets food hygiene and safety standards: No residues of harmful substances and microorganisms exceeding permissible levels.

1.2.2. Enhancing the responsibility of organizations and individuals in food safety production and management.

1.2.3. Creating conditions for poultry farms to implement production and obtain GAHP certification.

1.2.4. Ensuring transparency and traceability of product origin.

1.2.5. Improving the quality and efficiency of poultry farming in Vietnam.

2. Explanation of terms

2.1. Good Animal Husbandry Practices (referred to as VietGAHP: Vietnamese Good Animal Husbandry Practices) are principles, procedures, and processes guiding organizations and individuals in production to ensure that poultry is raised to meet requirements for quality, food hygiene and safety, social welfare, health of producers and consumers, environmental protection, and product traceability.

2.2. Biological Safety in Poultry Farming are technical measures aimed at preventing and limiting the spread of biological agents naturally occurring or created by humans that harm humans, livestock, and ecosystems.

2.3. Waste in Poultry Farming includes solid waste, liquid waste, and gas waste. Solid waste consists of manure, spilled feed during farming, carcasses of dead animals, animal parts such as organs, skin, feathers, hooves, feed packaging, unprocessed animal product packaging, veterinary drug packaging, syringes, and injection tubes. Liquid waste includes manure water, farm building cleaning water, equipment washing water, transportation vehicle washing water, liquid veterinary drug waste, liquid chemicals, and solutions used to treat farm buildings. Gas waste includes barn odor and various gases produced during the farming process.

Chapter 2.

CONTENT OF GOOD ANIMAL HUSBANDRY PRACTICES FOR SAFE POULTRY FARMING IN VIETNAM NUMBER: 16/2025/TT-BVHTTDL

1. Place

1.1. Site Selection: The location of the farm buildings must be consistent with the overall planning of the area and locality.

1.1.1. Located away from traffic routes, residential areas, industrial zones, offices, schools, processing areas for livestock products, hospitals, other livestock farms, and far from the regional drainage system according to current regulations.

1.1.2. Located downstream and far from sources of drinking water, with clean water supply sufficient for farming. Ensure adequate land area and conditions for waste and wastewater treatment as prescribed.

1.2. Layout Planning must ensure the scale of farming and other auxiliary areas (administrative, isolation, and environmental treatment areas...).

1.3. Layout of Livestock Housing:

1.3.1. Orient livestock housing towards the wind direction. Provide a changing room and laundry facilities for workers before entering the livestock housing.

1.3.2. Isolation areas for new arrivals, quarantine areas, sick and dead animal handling areas, and manure storage tanks should be located downwind and isolated from the main livestock housing.

1.3.3. The area for selling poultry should be located in the outer ring of the farm, with a separate path ensuring disease safety.

1.3.4. Manure storage tanks should be placed outside the livestock housing fence, near the waste treatment area.

1.4. Layout of Administrative Areas: Administrative facilities including offices, workspaces, sanitary facilities, and accommodation for staff (if any) must be located outside the livestock housing fence.

1.5. Layout of Workshops and Supporting Facilities for Poultry Farming: Feed storage, veterinary drug storage, disinfectant storage, livestock equipment storage, and mechanical repair workshops must be separately located from the livestock housing and administrative areas.

2. Design of Livestock Housing, Warehouses, and Farming Equipment

2.1. Design of Livestock Housing

2.1.1. Type of Housing: Open Housing: Naturally ventilated, with poultry raised on litter or floor. Closed Housing: Equipped with ventilation and temperature/humidity control systems (raised on litter or floor).

2.1.2. Floor of the poultry house: Not slippery, easy to drain water, sturdy, dry, and easy to clean and disinfect.

2.1.3. Roof of the poultry house: Constructed with either a single or double roof (overlapping tiles) or three-layered roofing sheets. Must not leak, be damaged, and must ensure protection from rain and sun for the poultry.

2.1.4. Walls of the poultry house: Brooding houses for young poultry should be built high with ceilings to ensure heat retention during winter. Houses for growing, replacement, and breeding poultry need to be well-ventilated, allowing sunlight to enter for bacterial elimination, drying bedding material, and improving air circulation, which helps increase calcium absorption and stimulate growth in poultry.

2.2. Design of the livestock rearing area

2.2.1. Main rearing area: The area for young poultry should be located at the windward end, followed by areas for growing, replacement, and breeding poultry. There should be fences separating each rearing area.

2.2.2. New arrival housing area: Isolated from the main rearing area. Poultry received from other places must be quarantined to monitor health conditions before being admitted to the farm.

2.2.3. Diseased poultry isolation area: Located at a lower position or at the leeward end compared to healthy poultry housing and feed storage areas.

2.2.4. Waste management area: Located at the lowest point of the farm. Drainage systems should be installed following the layout of the poultry houses. The composting shed should have a raised floor and operate on biological thermal principles.

2.2.5. Dead poultry disposal, burial, and incineration area: Located at the leeward end of the farm, far from the rearing areas. Modern or simple incinerators should be available depending on the scale of the farm.

2.2.6. Workshops and ancillary facilities (feed storage, veterinary drug storage, disinfectant storage, livestock equipment storage, mechanical repair workshop, quarantine area, waste management area) must be separately located from the poultry houses.

2.3. Design of sanitation and disinfection system: Depending on the existing livestock rearing system of the farm, design a suitable sanitation and disinfection system to minimize the spread of pathogens.

2.4. Design of warehouses

2.4.1. Feed and raw material storage warehouse: Must ensure good ventilation, a good ventilation system, and not leak or be affected by rain to prevent mold. The warehouse must have platforms for storing feed and raw materials off the ground. Feed/raw materials should be stacked in columns with appropriate heights for fire prevention and ease of handling.

2.4.2. Veterinary drug and disinfectant storage warehouse: Must ensure good ventilation, a good ventilation system, and not leak or be affected by rain. Refrigerators and cold storage units should be provided to store vaccines and certain antibiotics that require refrigeration. A layout diagram of the warehouse and records of drug entry and exit should be maintained to avoid expired batches.

2.4.3. Chemicals such as engine oil, rodenticides, disinfectants... must not be stored in the feed storage warehouse.

2.4.4. Storage of other items and mechanical workshops: Unused livestock equipment should be stored in clean warehouses to prevent contamination before use. Depending on the scale of the farm, there should be a mechanical workshop for repairing and installing poultry houses and equipment.

2.5. Livestock equipment

2.5.1. Equipment and containers for feed and water: Feed and water containers must be made of inert plastic, non-toxic materials; metal or alloys that are resistant to corrosion and do not contain lead or arsenic.

2.5.2. Personal protective equipment: Separate personal protective equipment should be provided for farm workers and visitors. Protective gear must be disinfected and stored in dry locations.

2.5.3 Other equipment including lighting or heating devices must have covers, fans for ventilation should be placed in positions where air flows from clean to dirty areas.

3. Breeding stock and breeding management

3.1. Origin of breeding stock: Breeding stock must have clear origins and be authorized for production by competent state agencies.

3.2. Quality of breeding stock: The quality of breeding stock must comply with current regulations.

3.3. Breeding stock management: Breeding stock management must follow current technical procedures.

4. Management of raw materials/feed, drinking water, and cleaning water

4.1. Feed:

4.1.1. Raw materials and finished feed upon entering the warehouse for storage must meet the moisture content requirements specified in current regulations.

4.1.2. Regular fumigation of raw material and finished product warehouses using air disinfectants to ensure disease safety, prevent damage from pests, molds, etc.

4.1.3. Regular or sudden checks for prohibited substances and antibiotics in purchased feed to avoid harmful chemical residues in livestock products.

4.1.4. When entering and exiting raw materials and feed, all information about quantity, name, origin, date of manufacture, expiration date, sensory evaluation, taste, etc., must be fully recorded. Upon entering the warehouse for storage, they must be placed in designated positions. Ensure the principle of first-in-first-out.

4.1.5. Raw materials and feed must be kept as samples until the product is used without any incidents.

4.1.6. Check information when receiving and delivering mixed raw materials and feed to ensure the quality of the raw materials used.

4.1.7. Mixed feed, self-blended feed, and medicated feed must be blended according to instructions, stored in cool and ventilated areas, and documented.

4.2. Drinking Water:

4.2.1 Water sources and drinking water must meet the standards set out in Vietnamese Technical Standards (TCVN).

4.2.2. Regularly check the water supply system including water tanks, pipes, drinkers, and nipples to ensure the system is not leaking, not contaminated by dust, dirt, etc. Water tanks should have roofs to prevent water from becoming hot due to solar radiation.

4.3. Cleaning Water: Cleaning water may be sourced from tap water, drilled wells, or open wells; it is not allowed to use water from infected ponds or wastewater.

5. Management of poultry flocks

5.1. Introducing poultry

5.1.1. Poultry introduced into the farm must have clear origins, animal quarantine certificates, and vaccination records. It is best to introduce from farms certified as disease-free.

5.1.2. Newly introduced poultry must be placed in a quarantine area for acclimatization. Record all signs of illness during the acclimatization period.

5.1.3. After introducing poultry, a vaccination plan for the flock should be established.

5.2. Exporting poultry

5.2.1. The area for selling poultry must be located at the end of the farm and have a separate pathway to limit infection throughout the farm.

5.2.2. Strict adherence to the drug withdrawal period before selling is required to ensure that poultry does not contain antibiotic residues when slaughtered.

5.2.3. All types of poultry sold must be accompanied by documentation (origin, treatment history, record...).

5.3. Transportation of Poultry: Use appropriate means and density of transportation to minimize stress on the poultry.

6. Disease Management

6.1. Disease Surveillance: Develop vaccination plans, monitor disease conditions, collect serum samples for testing... to implement appropriate measures.

6.2. Vaccinate poultry according to the prescribed schedule.

6.3. When treating diseases, fully record information about the disease, drug name, dosage, reason for use, duration of use, weight of the poultry, person administering the drug, and drug withdrawal period. Do not sell poultry during the treatment period and drug withdrawal period.

6.4. Steps to take if a disease outbreak occurs:

6.4.1. For common treatable diseases: Immediately isolate the affected area. Increase disinfection spraying, clean the barns and surrounding areas.

6.4.2. If it is determined to be a dangerous disease transmissible to humans: Report immediately to relevant authorities and follow direct guidance from authorized veterinary agencies. Adhere strictly to isolation protocols and do not move poultry out of the affected area without permission. Staff working in the affected area must comply with national regulations regarding epidemic zones.

6.5. Upon discovering dead poultry, report to technical staff for appropriate handling.

7. Storage and Use of Veterinary Drugs

7.1. Vaccines and certain antibiotics must be stored cold according to instructions, and only removed when needed.

7.2. Each type of drug must be stored separately and not mixed, especially those with antagonistic properties.

7.3. Record the entry and exit of each type of drug, species, and expiration date to ensure proper usage within the validity period and avoid waste.

7.4. Specific plans for vaccine and veterinary drug usage for the farm must be established, and a drug usage plan must be created.

8. Waste Management and Environmental Protection

8.1. Solid waste must be collected daily and transported to centralized locations for processing to prevent odor and fly infestations. Regularly change bedding materials. If following a "same-in-same-out" process, completely replace bedding material at the end of each flock cycle.

8.2. Liquid waste must be directly discharged into designated waste treatment areas, not allowed to flow through other livestock areas or directly into the environment. Treated wastewater must meet current standards.

8.3. Install systems to separate solid and liquid waste for easier and more effective processing. A drainage system must be constructed to separate rainwater from livestock wastewater.

8.4. Minimize the use of water for cleaning pens, provide balanced nutrition, and supplement with microbial products to reduce odors and minimize environmental pollution.

8.5. Dead poultry due to disease or unknown causes must not be sold and must not be disposed of in the surrounding environment.

9. Insect, Rodent, and Other Animal Control

9.1. Use lime powder or disinfectants to control insects in the farm area.

9.2. Detailed rodent control program guidelines for the farm. The farm's rodent control guide must be printed and provided to responsible personnel. Detailed diagrams of bait and trap placements must be recorded, and the number of rodents killed must be documented and regularly checked.

9.3. No birds, dogs, cats, or other animals may be kept in the poultry farming area.

10. Personnel Management

10.1. Occupational Safety

10.1.1. Individuals assigned to manage and use chemicals must have knowledge and skills related to chemicals and record-keeping.

10.1.2. Production organizations must provide equipment for workers. In case of chemical-related workplace accidents, necessary first aid measures must be taken and the injured must be sent to the nearest hospital.

10.1.3. First aid procedures must be documented and posted in chemical storage areas.

10.2. Working Conditions

10.2.1. Workspaces must be well-ventilated and have a reasonable worker density.

10.2.2. Working conditions must be suitable and conducive to the health of workers.

10.2.3. Workers must be provided with protective clothing.

10.2.4. Equipment, tools, and machinery must be regularly inspected and maintained to prevent accidents.

10.2.5. Safe operating procedures must be established to minimize risks associated with moving or lifting heavy objects.

10.3. Social Welfare of Workers

10.3.1. Worker age must comply with Vietnamese labor laws.

10.3.2. Housing for workers must be suitable for living conditions and equipped with basic facilities and services.

10.3.3. Wages and compensation for workers must be reasonable and comply with Vietnamese labor laws.

10.4. Training and Instruction:

10.4.1. Before starting work, workers must be informed of health and safety risks.

10.4.2. Workers must understand and adhere to farm regulations and be trained in livestock management skills, hygiene and safety rules, and new directives. Training programs must be documented and recorded.

11. Record Keeping, Traceability, and Product Recall

11.1. Organizations and individuals engaged in poultry farming must maintain complete production logs, records of chemicals, feed ingredients, feeding, and product sales.

11.2. The record-keeping system of the farm must reflect: the number of poultry sold and received; breeding productivity; daily health checks on the flock's condition, diseases, and causes; all testing and laboratory examination results; certificates of origin for incoming poultry; purchase locations; vaccine usage and disease treatment medication usage.

11.3. Record books must be retained for at least one year from the date the flock is sold or transferred elsewhere, or longer if required by customers or regulatory authorities.

11.4. Organizations and individuals producing under GAHP must conduct self-inspections or hire internal auditors to check whether production, recording, and file storage meet requirements. If not, corrective measures must be taken and documented in the files.

11.5. Products produced under GAHP must be clearly marked with the pen number. The location and pen number must be recorded and stored to facilitate traceability.

11.6. Each time a pen is emptied, the time, recipient, and records for each batch of poultry from each pen must be documented and kept in the file.

11.7. When diseased poultry is discovered, they must be isolated and pen emptying halted. If already sold, the buyer must be immediately notified.

11.8. Investigate the cause of the disease and implement preventive measures against infection; maintain records documenting the cause of the disease and the handling measures.

12. Internal Audits

12.1. Farms must conduct internal audits at least once a year.

12.2. Audits must be conducted using an audit checklist; after completion, the producer or auditor must sign the audit checklist. Self-audit checklists and spot or periodic inspection checklists by authorized state agencies must be kept in the file.

12.3. Farm producers must compile and report audit results to quality management authorities upon request.

13. Complaints and Resolution of Complaints

13.1. Organizations and individuals engaged in poultry farming must have complaint forms available when requested by customers.

13.2. In case of complaints, producers must resolve them according to the law and retain the complaint letters and resolution outcomes in the file.