Article 2 Interpretation

In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires–

• “the Act” means the Animal Health Act 1981;

• “the appropriate Minister” means, in relation to England, the Minister, and in relation to Scotland or to Wales, the Secretary of State;

• “approved disinfectant” means a disinfectant for the time being listed in the Diseases of Animals (Approved Disinfectants) Order 1978^f1 as approved for use under a general order;

• “authorised laboratory” means a laboratory authorised in writing by the Minister for the purposes of this Order;

• “breeding flock” means any flock of poultry consisting of not less than 25 birds which are kept (or are being reared) for the production of hatching eggs or birds for (in either case) sale or supply for breeding purposes or for the production of eggs or for meat;

• “the Breeding Flocks Register” means the register kept by the appropriate Minister under article 3(2);

• “chicks” means poultry less than 72 hours old which have not been fed;

• “chick box liner” means any material used to line a box or other container in which chicks are transported from a hatchery to any rearing premises;

• “composite faeces sample” means a sample of faeces consisting of a number of individual samples of faeces calculated in accordance with the appropriate provisions of Part I of Schedule 3 each of which weighs not less than 1 gram and is taken from a site selected at random to represent the house or group of houses on the premises from which it is taken;

• “hatching eggs” means eggs intended for incubation;

• “the Hatcheries Register” means the register kept by the appropriate Minister under article 4(2);

• “hatchery” means any premises, with a total incubator capacity of not less than 1,000 eggs, on which the eggs of poultry are incubated or hatched and from which chicks are sold or supplied;

• “house” means–

  1. (a)

     a building (including a shed); or

  2. (b)

     a part of a building separated from other parts of that building by a solid partition and having its own ventilation system;

• “inspector” means a person appointed to be an inspector for the purposes of the Act by the Minister or by a local authority and, when used in relation to an officer of the Minister, includes a veterinary inspector;

• “laboratory” means any laboratory which has the necessary facilities and personnel for carrying out tests on samples mentioned in Parts I and II of Schedule 3 in accordance with the provisions of Part III of that Schedule;

• “the Minister” and “the Ministry” mean respectively the Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food;

• “poultry” means domestic fowls, turkeys, geese or ducks;

• “premises” includes land;

• “rearing premises” means any premises on which chicks are placed for rearing as replacement breeding stock;

• “sanitised”, in relation to any eggs, means–

  1. (a)

     fumigated with formaldehyde;

  2. (b)

     sprayed with or immersed in an egg shell disinfectant in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions; or

  3. (c)

     made hygienic by any other method approved by the Minister;

• “vermin” means rats, mice, flies or cockroaches;

• “veterinary inspector” means a veterinary inspector appointed by the Minister.

Until the coming into force of articles 3 and 4 any reference in this Order to a person whose name is entered in the Breeding Flocks Register or in the Hatcheries Register in respect of any premises shall be a reference to a person who is keeping a breeding flock on any premises or (as the case may be) to a person who is using any premises as a hatchery and whose name will be required to be entered in the Breeding Flocks Register or in the Hatcheries Register in respect of those premises in accordance with article 3 or 4 when those articles come into force.

Any reference in this Order to the supply of any hatching eggs, chicks or birds shall be deemed to include the transfer of them from one premises to any other premises whether or not in the same ownership or occupation for breeding purposes or for the production of eggs or for meat.

After 1st June 1990 any reference in this Order to a laboratory shall be a reference to an authorised laboratory.

Any reference in this Order to a numbered article or Schedule is a reference to the article or Schedule bearing that number in this Order.