K-State Research and Extension

Poultry Testing
It is getting close to that time of year again for the dreaded “chicken round up” to haul them to town to be tested for Pullorum-Typhoid (P-T). In previous years, poultry had to test P-T negative each year to be able to show at the fair. However, this year the State has made a big change!
Pulllorum-Typhoid is a disease caused by a Salmonella species that infects chickens, turkeys, and other types of poultry. This disease is egg-transmitted and can produce high death loss in the young birds; this is known as vertical transmission. Those that survive an infection are carriers for life, and can infect other birds by direct contact. Pullorum-Typhoid can also be transmitted horizontally like other poultry diseases, being spread through feed, water, litter and poor biosecurity practices. If P-T is discovered in a bird, the typical result is depopulation of the infected flock. The disease is not treatable. The best method of prevention is routine Pullorum-Typhoid testing of breeder flocks, purchasing birds from National Poultry Improvement Plan participants, and effective biosecurity.
The incubation period for the disease is usually 4-6 days, and clinical signs are different between young birds and older birds. The hallmark sign of P-T Disease is seen in the hatchery where infected eggs result in poor hatchability and high mortality with younger birds going off feed and exhibiting diarrhea and depression. Older birds often show no clinical signs, but can have decreased egg production and increased mortality.
Kansas State University’s Youth Livestock Coordinator, Lexie Hayes released an article stating, “Kansas continues its designation as a P-T Clean State. All poultry (except waterfowl) are required to show proof of being P-T clean by originating from a certified U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid clean flock or testing negative at check-in of the county fair when the county has been designated by KDA-DAH for surveillance. Routine surveillance testing will be performed for each county fair a minimum of once every 5 years.” The Wild West District will be due to test for P-T in 2027. If a family wishes to show in a neighboring county, they will need to verify the testing dates for each county.