Flock Status · Virginia

Bird flu rules for backyard flocks in Virginia

Standing rules only · October 15, 2026

We found no bird-flu order covering Virginia or any of its areas today. Its standing rules for bringing birds in and showing them still apply.

Read from 5 official sources12 passages quotedChecked on October 14, 2026

At a glance

Today

Standing rules only

Bird-flu orders in force

None found

APHIS detections, 30 days

None listed

Report sick birds

804-692-0601

Not veterinary advice: follow your state veterinarian. This is a sourced reading of official notices, dated when we read them. Orders can change overnight, so confirm with Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), Office of the State Veterinarian before you move, show or sell birds.

Current situation

What the agency's own pages and tables showed when we checked, with the line each comes from.

  • VDACS says no Virginia commercial poultry farm is under avian influenza quarantine (statement covers commercial farms only).

    • “Currently, there are no Virginia commercial poultry farms under avian influenza quarantine.”

      VDACS · vdacs.virginia.gov · para 2

In force today

Worked out from each notice's dates for October 15, 2026. Bird-flu orders come first, then the standing rules.

Standing ruleShows and fairs

The State Veterinarian's show guidance gives recommendations for poultry shows and exhibitions (not requirements)

No end date in the source

Statewide · poultry shows, fairs and exhibitions · Birds: poultry

  • VDACS recommends: house show birds indoors or screened, keep birds on grounds no more than 72 hours, separate species, vet on call, isolation pen, bird ID records
  • Guidance is undated on the page read

Guidance: Recommended Practices to Minimize Avian Influenza Transmission at Virginia Poultry Shows and Exhibitions · VDACS State Veterinarian

What the guidance says (1 passage)
  • “Ideally exhibition birds should be on the exhibition grounds for no more than 72 hours.”

    VDACS State Veterinarian · vdacs.virginia.gov · Steps to Take BEFORE the Exhibition, For Exhibition Organizers

How to reportReporting sick birds

VDACS asks owners to report unusual illness or deaths to the State Veterinarian (804-692-0601) or USDA

No end date in the source

Statewide · Birds: poultry and farm birds

  • vastatevet@vdacs.virginia.gov
  • USDA 866-536-7593

Guidance: Avian Influenza · VDACS

What the guidance says (1 passage)
  • “If you have sick poultry or experience increased mortality in your flock, notify the State Veterinarian’s Office at 804-692-0601 or at vastatevet@vdacs.virginia.gov .”

    VDACS · vdacs.virginia.gov · para 3

Bringing birds or hatching eggs into Virginia

CVI (or VS 9-3 for NPIP participants) and a permit request, exam and tests within 30 days. All poultry other than hatching eggs and day-old chickens, game birds and turkeys must test negative for H5/H7 avian influenza (bird or flock) within 14 days before entry, whatever their NPIP status; those hatching eggs and day-olds must come from NPIP U.S. Avian Influenza Clean or U.S. H5/H7 AI Clean sources, with a certifying statement. Chickens and turkeys: NPIP or pullorum-negative within 30 days. New World screwworm: animals from areas with confirmed NWS cases must be inspected, carry a CVI and permit number and meet origin-state and USDA exit rules (VDACS admissions page; VDACS said on June 17, 2026 that entry requirements are unchanged).

What the entry rules say
  • “All poultry shall be accompanied by an electronic or written Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, VS 9-3, or alternative movement document approved by the State Veterinarian, which shall be in the possession of the person in charge of such poultry.”

    Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Virginia Administrative Code, LIS) · law.lis.virginia.gov · 2VAC5-141-60 A

Standing ruleBringing birds in

All poultry other than hatching eggs and day-old chickens, game birds and turkeys must test negative for H5/H7 avian influenza (bird or flock) within 14 days before entry, whatever their NPIP status. Those hatching eggs and day-olds must come from NPIP U.S. Avian Influenza Clean or U.S. H5/H7 AI Clean sources, with a certifying statement (C.1.c).

In effect from February 7, 2019 · No end date in the source

Statewide · entry into Virginia · Birds: poultry (chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, ratites, game birds) and hatching eggs

  • CVI, VS 9-3 (NPIP participants) or other approved document, with exam and tests within 30 days of entry
  • Permit request with proof of examination and test results
  • Chickens and turkeys: NPIP flocks/hatcheries, or a permit plus a negative pullorum-typhoid test within 30 days
  • Sampling for breeding flocks: 20 birds per house (flocks of 500 or fewer: 20 birds, all houses and pens represented)
  • Approved tests: AGID, ELISA, PCR, virus isolation or others approved by the State Veterinarian
  • Birds passing straight through Virginia are exempt
  • VDACS's summary page says 'adult birds'; the rule (C.2) covers all poultry other than the C.1 hatching eggs and day-olds, so started pullets and day-old ducklings or goslings also need the 14-day test

Rule: 2VAC5-141-60 Poultry entry requirements; exemptions · Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Virginia Administrative Code, LIS), February 7, 2019

What the rule says (4 passages)
  • “The poultry shall be tested and found negative for avian influenza (H5 and H7) within 14 days prior to entry into Virginia or shall come from a flock that has first been tested with negative results within 14 days prior to entry into Virginia as follows:”

    Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Virginia Administrative Code, LIS) · law.lis.virginia.gov · 2VAC5-141-60 C 2 a

  • “Avian Influenza: Adult birds must test negative within 14 days of movement, regardless of NPIP status.”

    Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services · vdacs.virginia.gov · Poultry, Testing Requirements

  • “Hatching eggs shall originate from a breeder flock that participates in and meets the requirements of the "U.S. Avian Influenza Clean" program for chickens or the "U.S. H5/H7 Avian Influenza Clean" program for turkeys of the NPIP.”

    Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Virginia Administrative Code, LIS) · law.lis.virginia.gov · 2VAC5-141-60 C 1 a

  • “A statement certifying that the breeder flock shipping hatching eggs and all breeder flocks supplying eggs to the hatchery shipping day-old chickens, day-old game birds, or day-old turkeys participates in and meets the requirements”

    Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Virginia Administrative Code, LIS) · law.lis.virginia.gov · 2VAC5-141-60 C 1 c

Standing ruleBringing birds in

Animals from areas with confirmed New World screwworm cases must be inspected, have a CVI and permit number, and meet the origin state's and USDA's requirements to leave the area

VDACS says Virginia's entry requirements are otherwise unchanged

No end date in the source

Statewide · entry from areas with confirmed New World screwworm cases · Birds: animals (no poultry exemption stated)

  • No separate NWS rule found; this is VDACS's admissions-page summary
  • No poultry exemption is stated
  • Covers animals; birds are not named (confirm with VDACS 804-692-0601)

Guidance: Virginia Animal Admissions Requirements: Animal Entry Requirements from New World Screwworm (NWS) Affected Regions · VDACS

What the guidance says (3 passages)
  • “If importing animals from areas with confirmed NWS cases, animals must:”

    VDACS · vdacs.virginia.gov · NWS section

  • “Follow all requirements of the relevant state and USDA authorities to allow movement out of the established area.”

    VDACS · vdacs.virginia.gov · NWS section

  • “Pest remains in southern border states, Virginia animal entry requirements are unchanged”

    Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services · vdacs.virginia.gov · subtitle (June 17, 2026)

Federal rules apply on top for any move across a state line: official ID and a health certificate or NPIP paperwork.

Sick or dead birds? Who to call

Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), Office of the State Veterinarian

804-692-0601

The agency's bird flu page

  • “Virginia backyard flocks or commercial poultry owners should report unusual poultry illnesses or deaths to the State Veterinarian’s Office at 804-692-0601”

    VDACS · vdacs.virginia.gov · Reporting Sick or Dead Farm Birds

Recent detections in Virginia

USDA APHIS lists no confirmed bird-flu detections in Virginia flocks in the 30 days to October 14, 2026. Latest detection in the APHIS data: October 9, 2026. The national picture

Common questions

Is there a bird flu order in Virginia right now?
We found no bird-flu order covering Virginia or any of its areas today. Its standing rules for bringing birds in and showing them still apply.
Can I take my chickens to a poultry show or swap in Virginia?
We found no bird-flu ban on shows or sales in force on October 15, 2026. Standing rules apply: The State Veterinarian's show guidance gives recommendations for poultry shows and exhibitions.
What do I need to bring chickens or hatching eggs into Virginia?
CVI (or VS 9-3 for NPIP participants) and a permit request, exam and tests within 30 days. All poultry other than hatching eggs and day-old chickens, game birds and turkeys must test negative for H5/H7 avian influenza (bird or flock) within 14 days before entry, whatever their NPIP status; those hatching eggs and day-olds must come from NPIP U.S. Avian Influenza Clean or U.S. H5/H7 AI Clean sources, with a certifying statement. Chickens and turkeys: NPIP or pullorum-negative within 30 days. New World screwworm: animals from areas with confirmed NWS cases must be inspected, carry a CVI and permit number and meet origin-state and USDA exit rules (VDACS admissions page; VDACS said on June 17, 2026 that entry requirements are unchanged).
Who do I call about sick or dead birds in Virginia?
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), Office of the State Veterinarian at 804-692-0601. Report sick or dying birds there or to USDA at 1-866-536-7593. This page is not veterinary advice; follow your state veterinarian.
How current is this page?
We read Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), Office of the State Veterinarian's notices on October 14, 2026. Whether each order is in force is worked out from its dates every time the page is rebuilt, at least once an hour, so an order never shows as in force after it ends.
Sources
  1. Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), Office of the State Veterinarian: bird flu page. Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), Office of the State Veterinarian.
  2. 2VAC5-141-60 Poultry entry requirements; exemptions. Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Virginia Administrative Code, LIS). February 7, 2019.
  3. Recommended Practices to Minimize Avian Influenza Transmission at Virginia Poultry Shows and Exhibitions. VDACS State Veterinarian.
  4. Virginia Animal Admissions Requirements: Animal Entry Requirements from New World Screwworm (NWS) Affected Regions. VDACS.
  5. subtitle (June 17, 2026). Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

We read each document ourselves and last checked this page against them on October 14, 2026. Where they disagree, we show you the disagreement instead of picking a winner quietly.

What we couldn't confirm
  • VDACS's quarantine statement covers commercial farms only; there is no statement on backyard premises.
  • The show guidance PDF is undated.
  • Virginia intrastate show testing rules (pullorum, if any) were not searched.
  • No Virginia show or sale order was found in VDACS's 2025 and 2026 news lists or on its Avian Influenza page; this is a search result, not a statement.
  • Last VDACS bird flu release found: Accomack County commercial flock, January 2025; APHIS lists no Virginia flock detection in 2026 (to October 9, 2026); its latest Virginia row is Isle of Wight, December 31, 2025 (va-aphis-hpai-exporttocsv-va-rows.txt).
  • Newer-than-source check for 2VAC5-141: LIS emergency regulations and the Virginia Register were not searched; VDACS's June 17, 2026 release says entry requirements are unchanged, and the LIS page (dated 10/14/2026) shows the last amendment in 2019.

Next door

Every state, one mapSee where Virginia sits, and what's in force in every other state today.Open the map →
PoultryPal app icon

Keep your flock's records in PoultryPal

Egg records and charts, hatching records and a flock journal (handy for noting health checks and test dates), free on iPhone and Android.

App StoreGoogle Play