Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) The purpose of this
subchapter is to establish procedural rules governing the investigation of
complaints alleging the cruel and inhumane treatment of domestic livestock, and the
commencement of actions for enforcement of the standards for the humane care and
treatment of domestic livestock set forth in N.J.A.C. 2:8-2 through 7 (hereinafter
referred to as "standards").
(b) No
investigations or enforcement actions pursuant to
4:22-15 et seq., pertaining to the cruel
or inhumane raising, keeping, care, treatment, marketing, and sale of domestic
livestock in violation of these standards, shall be instituted or conducted except
in accordance with the rules set forth in this subchapter.
1. Any interested party may request training on
how to interpret these rules.
i. Training will be
jointly prepared and conducted by the NJDA and Rutgers School of Environmental and
Biological Sciences, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
(c) Infectious agents or
toxins may be spread to new hosts by contact with humans, vectors, fomites and other
animals. Clothing, footwear, feed, bedding, and equipment, including automobile
tires, can harbor disease-causing organisms. Therefore, all inspections must be
performed according to biosecurity protocols to prevent the spread of infectious or
contagious agents on or from the premises.
1.
Vehicle: To avoid transporting infectious agents or toxins from one farm to another,
vehicles shall be driven and parked in areas to avoid surfaces traveled by animals,
farm equipment and farm vehicles. Car windows shall remain closed to prevent flying
insects from getting inside vehicle.
2.
Protective clothing: Clean cloth or disposable Tyvek coveralls shall be worn at each
site. Cleaned and disinfected rubber boots or disposable boots are required. These
items shall be changed or cleaned and disinfected between sites. If more than one
species or group is housed on a site, each area shall be treated as a different
site.
3. Equipment: All equipment shall
be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected upon arrival and prior to leaving a site.
i. New equipment, if clean, may not need to be
disinfected upon arrival.
4.
Order of inspection: The owner or manager of the site shall be consulted to
determine the order for the site visitation. The areas with the lowest risk of
exposure to infectious agents shall be visited first.
5. Cleaning: Removal of organic debris (urine,
feces) and washing of surfaces that have been exposed to organic debris must precede
disinfection to be effective. Cleaning is the most labor-intensive part of the
cleaning and disinfection process.
i. Failure to
remove the organic material by effectively cleaning an object may result in the
survival of infectious agents or toxins. Efficient cleaning removes almost 99
percent of the agent from a contaminated object. Disinfectants should be applied
only after removal of contaminated organic matter. Washed surfaces should be allowed
to dry before applying disinfectants. Disinfectants should be allowed to remain on
treated surfaces for a minimum of seven minutes.
ii. Detergents should be used on non-disposable
boots and equipment to facilitate the removal of organic debris from these objects.
Tools used to clean these items must also be cleaned and then disinfected prior to
additional use.
6.
Disinfecting: Detergents shall be rinsed off thoroughly prior to the application of
disinfectants to avoid any potentially hazardous chemical reactions.
i. The use of disinfectants that have the broadest
spectrum of activity, including efficacy on porous surfaces with organic debris, and
contact safety is ideal. No single disinfectant will satisfy all considerations.
Disinfectant properties should be evaluated with regard to the intended areas of
use.
(d)
Complaints involving illness, injury or death, that may be the result of
microorganisms, toxins or radiation must be reported to the State Veterinarian
immediately and in any case within 48 hours in accordance with
2:2-1.5.
(e) Diseases that are dangerous to animal health
and are enumerated in
2:2-1.1 may result in one or more of the
following clinical signs in livestock:
1.
Death;
2. Excessive discharges from body
orifices;
3. Anorexia (off-feed),
cachexia (weight loss);
4. Skin lesions
including blisters, pustules, discoloration;
5. Abnormal behavior, excessive vocalization,
depression;
6. Excessive urination;
excessive salivation; excessive tearing;
7. Lameness, off balance; falling down; difficulty
rising; circling, partial or complete paralysis;
8. Muscle tremors; seizures;
9. Sneezing, open mouthed breathing, gasping for
air, nasal discharge, coughing, difficulty breathing;
10. Diarrhea, vomiting; constipation, excessively
dry manure;
11. Twisting of head and
neck;
12. Foaming at mouth or
nose;
13. Head pressing, stargazing, no
menace response, uneven pupil sizes;
14.
Drooping wings, feather or hair loss, excessive loss of mane and tail
hairs;
15. Partial to complete drop in
egg production; production of thin-shelled eggs;
16. Swelling of the tissues around eyes, neck or
legs; opaqueness of eyes;
17. Abortions,
still births, weak neonates; and/or
18.
Abnormal body temperature.
