15 details needed in poultry veterinary feed directive

As VFD rules are about to take effect, poultry producers need to have certain criteria met in order for VFDs to be valid

When the new veterinary feed directive (VFD) rules take effect on January 1, 2017, there will be certain criteria that must be met for a poultry VFD to be considered valid, said Dr. Steven Clark, poultry veterinarian for Devenish Nutrition.

Clark spoke during the webinar “VFD Survival Strategy for Poultry Production,” held on August 30 and hosted by GlobalVetLINK.

According to Clark, in order for a VFD to be considered valid, the following information must be included:

1. Poultry owner’s name
2. Location of birds
3. Species of birds
4. Number of birds to be fed
5. Name of the drug to be used
6. Production class
7. Indication for control and prevention
8. Expiration date for the VFD
9. Dosage in grams per ton
10. Withdrawal time for the drugs
11. Special instructions
12. Cautionary statements
13. VFD statement that feed can only be used with a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR)
14. Combination drug information
15. Information on feed concentrations

In addition, Clark says the VFD must be signed by a veterinarian, and an electronic signature will be accepted. Producers and distributors must save copies of the VFD for two years.