USDA is inviting you to become a Flock Defender. The U.S. poultry industry is one of the largest in the world and an important sector of our agricultural economy. Keeping birds safe from infectious disease is a top priority and responsibility for all owners, growers, workers, and enthusiasts involved in raising poultry.
Disease outbreaks, such as Avian Influenza (AI), Virulent Newcastle Disease (vND) and Salmonella, lead to devastation of our flocks and result in job and financial losses.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is committed to helping everyone protect their poultry – from commercial enterprises that raise the poultry and eggs to individuals who raise chickens and other breeds in their backyards.
APHIS continues to expand the Defend the Flock education program, providing the information, tools, and resources you need to make sure that you are doing everything possible to keep your birds healthy and reduce the risk that an infectious disease will spread from your property to other flocks.
Through the Defend the Flock program, APHIS is encouraging and preparing all poultry owners to maintain biosecurity practices at all times. Visit USDA’s Defend the Flock Commercial Biosecurity and Backyard Biosecurity pages to learn more.