Washington Administrative Code
Title 220 - Fish and Wildlife, Department of
WILDLIFE
Chapter 220-430 - Game farms and shooting preserves
Section 220-430-010 - Game farm license provisions

(1) Under a current, valid license issued by the department, game farms licensed prior to January 1, 1992, may continue to possess, propagate, sell and transfer wildlife they lawfully possessed on January 1, 1992. Transfers of wildlife other than those species listed under subsection (2) are restricted to licensed game farms authorized by written license to possess said wildlife.

(2) Game farms licensed on or after January 1, 1992, may purchase, possess, propagate, sell or transfer the following wildlife, except species designated as deleterious wildlife: Game birds - Pheasant, of the genus Phasianus; gray partridge of the genus Perdix; chukar of the genus Alec-toris; quail of the genus Colinus, Callipepla, and Oreortyx; waterfowl of the family Anatidae.

(3) Application for a game farm license shall be made on a form provided by the department.

(4) The director or designee of the director may issue, with conditions or restrictions, a game farm license, if the applicant meets the requirements of subsection (1) or (2) above and complies with the following criteria:

(5) Holders of a game farm license must make annual reports no later than the 15th of January to the director on forms to be furnished by the department. Violation of this subsection is an infraction, punishable under RCW 77.15.-160.

(6) A licensed game farm must be inspected annually. All inspection costs will be paid by the licensee. The inspection must occur during the months of June, July, or August.

An inspection form will be provided by the department and must be completed and signed by a licensed veterinarian or an agent authorized by the department. The inspection form must accompany the annual report and be submitted to the director no later than the 15th day of January.

(7) During June, July, or August, a licensed game farm must conduct annual avian influenza disease testing of ten percent or a maximum of thirty representative game birds on-site. Testing required under this subsection and subsection (8) of this section must be performed by a qualified testing agent approved by WDFW. Testing is not required for the year in which all birds on-site were transferred from a game farm that has complied with the testing requirements of this rule within one year of the transfer. Copies of testing records must be kept for one year. The licensee is responsible for all testing costs. Any test results indicating the presence of avian influenza disease must be reported immediately to the Washington state department of agriculture state veterinarian.

(8) If birds being held on the game farm exhibit symptoms of respiratory infection, diarrhea, central nervous system malfunction, or more than twenty-five percent flock mortality, licensed game farms must test for one or more of the following diseases as soon as possible upon the observation of symptoms: Mycoplasm gallisepticum and Mycoplasm synoviae, pullorum, salmonella, histomoniasis, and exotic Newcastle disease. The licensee is responsible for all testing costs.

(9) A game farm license is not required for captive-bred mink, Mustela vison, and captive-bred silver fox, Vulpes fulva, lawfully acquired from a licensed breeder or fur farm and held for fur farming purposes.

(10) A game farm license may be revoked and any future licenses may be denied by the director or director's designee if the department determines:

(11) Revocation of a game farm license shall remain in effect until all issues pertaining to revocation are resolved.

(12) If the initial application or the application to renew a game farm license is denied or revoked, the department will provide the applicant, in writing, a notice containing a statement of the reason(s) for the denial or revocation.

(13) A game farm license applicant who provides false or misleading information in their game farm license application may be subject to prosecution under RCW 9A.76.175 or 40.16.030. A game farm license holder who fails to comply with department statutes or rules as required by their game farm license may be subject to prosecution under RCW 77.15.340.