Each person, firm or corporation transporting into this state any live poultry shall cause the same to be accompanied by an official health certificate from the state of exportation and a permit issued by the Commissioner of Agriculture in such form as he prescribes, provided each such permit shall state the number of live poultry included in each shipment or consignment. The owner, consignee or person having the custody of any such poultry coming into this state shall, within forty-eight hours after the arrival of such poultry at its destination, give notice in writing to the commissioner or his authorized agent of the arrival of such poultry, which notice shall include the date of such arrival and the number of poultry therein. Each shipment or consignment of live poultry brought or knowingly allowed to come into the state shall be held in quarantine at its destination unless otherwise ordered by the commissioner, until he causes such examinations and tests to be made as he determines and until he causes such poultry to be released or disposed of as herein provided. The expense of quarantine and of examinations and tests shall be paid by the owner, consignee or person having the custody of such poultry before the same is released. The commissioner may cause any of such poultry, found upon examination or test to be diseased, to be killed, and no such poultry so killed shall be sold for food except under the direction of the commissioner. No such poultry imported into this state shall be sold or offered for sale or be permitted to mingle with other poultry until the commissioner has issued a certificate authorizing the release of such poultry. All baby chicks and chicken hatching eggs transported into the state shall be accompanied by a health certificate which certificate shall certify that such chicks or eggs are from a pullorum free flock. All psittacine birds, except budgerigars, imported into Connecticut to be offered for sale in Connecticut shall remain in quarantine pursuant to this section for a period of not less than seven days.

(1949 Rev., S. 3372; 1959, P.A. 637, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 67; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 446, 448; P.A. 75-232, S. 1, 3; P.A. 91-62, S. 3; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-189, S. 1.)

History: 1959 act replaced commissioner of agriculture with commissioner of agriculture, conservation and natural resources; 1961 act replaced commissioner of agriculture, conservation and natural resources with commissioner of agriculture and natural resources; 1971 act replaced commissioner of agriculture and natural resources with commissioner of agriculture; P.A. 75-232 substituted “poultry” for “fowls” and defined the term, required imported birds to be accompanied by “official health certificate from the state of exportation” as well as permit, deleted exception which had allowed import of baby chicks or poultry for breeding or exhibition without permit and added provision requiring that imported chicks and fertile eggs be accompanied by health certificate; P.A. 91-62 deleted definition of “poultry” and requirement that poultry be held intact in quarantine and established a minimum quarantine period for imported psittacine birds; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Agriculture with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004.