ispa t-12 program

Maintaining a backyard Flock can be a lot of hard work, but it can also be a fun, rewarding experience. To help keep your birds healthy, the Indiana State Poultry Association has developed a free, voluntary testing program with support from the USDA, Indiana Board of Animal Health, and the Purdue Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

The voluntary testing program, referred to as Indiana's Test Twelve (T-12) Program, monitors Avian Influenza and Mycoplasma gallisepticum through a simple antibody test from your hens' eggs. The T-12 test is specifically designed for chickens, testing of other poultry species is currently not supported by this program. The results from the T-12 may aid is assessing the health status of the birds.

To participate, please complete the request form below. Upon receiving the kit, collect 12 eggs and return them to the ADDL in our postage paid package. The eggs collected should be as fresh as possible for the most accurate results.

Please note: this is a monitoring test only. The results are for the poultry owners benefit and not for any certification purposes. Due to the nature of the T-12 test, the ISPA cannot predict a specific date for the results.

USDA APHIS Video on Good Biosecurity Practices  -  Diseases like highly pathogenic avian influenza can reach beyond the commercial poultry industry, impacting backyard and hobby flocks as well. Large disease outbreaks like the HPAI outbreak in 2014-2015 can even affect consumer prices and product availability. It is important that anyone who has contact with poultry should follow some basic biosecurity practices to help protect their birds. This is a longer version of the previous Spotlight On video, providing additional content and context.