It's part of the agriculture laws in the US, set up to protect us from polonium typhoid. it has been largely successful program and is working to make adjustment to incorporate new understanding and include other disease and viruses of concern.. The following link is the site and the excerpt after was taken from it..
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ou...ide/Poultry/National-Poultry-Improvement-Plan
Three types of participants are involved in the NPIP: independent flocks, hatcheries, and dealers. The poultry products certified by the NPIP are hatching eggs, baby chicks, poults, and started pullets. The vast majority of U.S. States prohibit the entry of any poultry shipments except those designated pullorum- typhoid clean. Essentially, such bans mean that poultry moving interstate should participate in the “U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean” program of the NPIP or be tested negative for pullorum-typhoid before leaving their home State. Fifteen States require that all shipments of turkeys they receive be MG clean. Essentially, that requirement means that turkeys moving interstate should participate in the “U.S. MG Clean” program of the NPIP or be tested free of MG before
Thanks for informing me! I heard of NPIP but thought of it as just another government program. I have done business with breeders who weren't certified only because they were selling rare stock. I do understand the importance in avoiding the spread of disease . Whether or not certified people should take the responsibility in owning a flock and not just introduce a potentially diseased bird.
One should also consider, by becoming certified and these people run their "tests" on your flock and if they come back positive, are they going to mandate a call of all your birds that you have taken years to find\develop.
My point is, you take risks whenever you involve the government.
For the most part I try to buy from people I know . You Just can't trust people like they use to. I have my fair share of times I've been ripped off with sick stock . Thank goodness I quarantined.