NPIP stands for National Poultry Improvement Plan, and flock certification is required if you show your birds and if you sell birds or eggs over state lines. When your flock becomes NPIP Certified you pledge to only add eggs or birds from other NPIP certified stock, unless you have those birds tested before you add them to your flock. The Dept. of Ag. will send out certified employees to test your birds annually and swab their throats to test for Avian Influenza. The cost through the Ag. Dept. is only $5 for the paperwork. My flock has been certified for quite a number of years, and I first had them tested for my peace of mind. I only sold a few birds locally at that time, but I sell more now and do show some. The first year, your entire flock must be tested, and a drop of blood is drawn for each for the test. After 5 years, 1/2 your flock is tested, and after 10, 1/4.
You can go through their classes to become a certified tester, which means you get the paperwork, can order the supplies from the Ag. Dept. and can then test yours and other people's birds. You can charge a per bird fee for testing others' birds, and many of the Shows have testers on hand to test any birds that don't have documented flock certification. I was a tester for several years, more or less as a backup, but also so I could test birds NOT from certified flocks, if I ever acquired any--only did this once.
