Title XXI, Agriculture and Animals

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise: (1) "Abandon" means to forsake entirely, or to neglect or refuse to provide or perform the legal obligations for care and support of an animal by its owner or his agent; (2) "Board" means the Board of Agriculture; (3…

The board shall: (1) Enforce the provisions of this chapter; (2) Adopt and enforce measures as it deems necessary to protect and promote the livestock, poultry, fish, and animal industries. Measures falling within the scope of KRS 257.196 shall be adopted and enforced in conformi…

The board may: (1) Cooperate with universities and other entities in conducting the necessary scientific investigations relating to the cause, nature, prevention, and treatment of communicable diseases of livestock, poultry, and fish; (2) Establish, maintain, and enforce any quar…

No person who has in his possession any domestic animal infected with a reportable disease shall: (1) Permit such an animal to run at large; (2) Keep such an animal where other domestic animals, not affected with or previously exposed to the disease, may become infected with or e…

No person shall willfully obstruct, evade or disregard any quarantine which the board declares, or violate any regulation for the prevention of the spread of communicable diseases among livestock, poultry, and fish, or conceal or attempt to conceal an animal infected with or expo…

(1) Except upon permission or approval from the state veterinarian, no person shall: (a) Transport or in any other way bring into this state an animal that is infected with a communicable disease or that has within the previous thirty (30) days been exposed to a communicable dise…

(1) The movement of domestic animals from other states into this state shall be made only in compliance with regulations of the board. (2) Any animal brought into this state in violation of any regulation of the board shall: (a) Be placed in quarantine until the necessary inspect…

Every veterinarian, laboratory, owner, or person having knowledge of the existence of any reportable disease of livestock, poultry, or fish within the state shall immediately report the disease to the state veterinarian. The department shall promulgate administrative regulations …

"Abandonment" defined. (1) Any peace officer, animal control officer, or any person authorized by the board may destroy or kill or cause to be destroyed or killed, any animal found abandoned and suffering and not properly cared for, or appearing to be injured, diseased, or suffer…

(1) In addition to KRS 257.100 or any other provision authorized by law, any unclaimed animal held by a licensed veterinarian for more than ten (10) days of veterinary care and treatment requested by the owner or lawful possessor of the animal may be summarily sold by the veterin…

When the board or any of its authorized agents determines that any domestic animal is infected with or exposed to any communicable disease and that to prevent the spread of disease it is necessary to destroy or slaughter that animal, the animal shall be destroyed or slaughtered, …

(1) Indemnities shall be paid by the state or federal government for animals mandated to be destroyed or slaughtered on account of a reportable or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) program disease. The indemnities shall be based on fair market value as determined by …

In case of an epizootic of such character as to necessitate the destruction of property or materials to prevent the spread of disease, the property or materials shall be destroyed and indemnities paid as provided for in KRS 257.110, 257.120, 257.140, and 257.150.

The owner shall, before indemnities are paid, thoroughly clean and disinfect the premises and any animal that has been exposed to infection, as the board, or its authorized agent, may determine. The disinfection shall be done at the expense of the owner and under the supervision …

After carcass disposal, cleaning, and disinfection has been completed, the board shall execute a voucher upon the Finance and Administration Cabinet for the amount of the indemnity due the owner, for payment from funds appropriated for this purpose. The voucher shall be approved …

(1) All carcasses of domestic livestock, poultry, and fish which have died or which have been destroyed on account of any disease, except as determined and permitted by the state veterinarian or other representative of the board, shall be disposed of by: (a) Complete incineration…

An animal carcass shall not be loaded in cars, crates, boats, wagons or other vehicles containing live animals, except on special permit from the state veterinarian.

-- Sales restricted. (1) No corporation, company, partnership, organization, or individual shall ship, transport, or cause to be imported into the Commonwealth of Kentucky any live unattenuated pure culture of a pathogenic bacteria, virus, or disease-producing agent of animal ori…

The Kentucky Livestock Care Standards Commission is hereby created to make recommendations to the board to establish, maintain, or revise standards governing the care and well-being of on-farm livestock and poultry. The commission shall be attached to the Department of Agricultur…

(1) Initial terms of appointed members shall be staggered by the Governor. Thereafter, terms shall be for four (4) years or until their successors are duly appointed and qualified. Vacancies on the commission shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term in the same man…

to board -- Approval or rejection -- Administrative regulations -- Construction -- Preemption. (1) The commission shall make recommendations to the board to establish, maintain, or revise standards governing the care and well-being of on-farm livestock and poultry. The board shal…

farmer or owner. (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the determination and implementation of any on-farm animal health care or animal health production practice shall be made solely by a farmer or owner of the livestock or poultry. A farmer or owner of…

(1) The board shall appoint the state veterinarian. (2) The state veterinarian shall be a licensed veterinarian who has practiced veterinary medicine for at least five (5) years prior to his or her appointment. (3) The state veterinarian shall serve for a term of four (4) years a…

The state veterinarian shall be an agent of the board, shall enforce the administrative regulations of the board pertaining to livestock, poultry, and fish and, under the direction of the board, shall supervise and control the action of all deputies, inspectors, agents and specia…

(1) Upon the recommendation of the state veterinarian, the board may within its discretion appoint a deputy state veterinarian. (2) The deputy state veterinarian shall hold office for a term of four (4) years and until a successor has been elected and qualified. He or she shall b…

The deputy state veterinarian shall assist the state veterinarian in the enforcement of the regulations of the board, and shall in the absence or incapacity of the state veterinarian be executive agent of the board with the same duties and powers as the state veterinarian. He sha…

The board may employ veterinarians for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter.

The board may cooperate with the United States Department of Agriculture and with officials in charge of livestock, poultry, and fish sanitation in other states, or with any other agency that, in the opinion of the board, is for the best interests of the livestock, poultry, and f…

The Board of Agriculture shall promulgate administrative regulations relating to the health of, and disease control in, ratites.

The term "baby chicks" or "baby poults" as used in KRS 257.330 to 257.350 means any domestic fowl under the age of six (6) weeks. The term "person" includes also firms and corporations.

Application -- Fee -- Inspection -- Destruction of diseased chicks or poults. (1) Before any baby chicks or baby poults are offered for sale at any auction or auctions, sale barn, or community sale, except public sales conducted by farmers selling baby chicks or baby poults reare…

Before any such chicks or poults are offered for sale, or sold, each box, crate, coop or other container shall be plainly labeled with an appropriate statement giving the kind and number of chicks or poults in each container, the date on which such chicks or poults were hatched, …

Within three (3) days after the sale, the person who conducted the sale shall submit a statement to the Office of State Veterinarian giving a complete list of the number and kind of baby chicks or poults sold, name and address of each purchaser, together with a copy of representa…

All money collected under the provisions of KRS 257.330 to 257.350 shall be paid to the State Treasurer and by him placed in a revolving fund to be used by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of KRS 257.330 to 257.350.

In order to promote the poultry industry of this state, the Office of State Veterinarian is hereby authorized to cooperate with the United States Department of Agriculture in the promulgation and enforcement of regulations for the control and eradication of pullorum disease.

257.460. The Office of State Veterinarian is hereby authorized to promulgate administrative regulations as may be necessary, after public hearing following due public notice, to carry out the provisions of KRS 257.370 to 257.460.

Chickens, turkeys, or other poultry over five (5) months of age intended for breeding purposes shall not be imported into the state unless they have passed a negative agglutination test for pullorum disease under the supervision of an authority of the Office of State Veterinarian…

flocks. Hatching eggs and all poultry under five (5) months of age, including baby chicks, started chicks, turkey poults, and other newly hatched domestic poultry except those intended for immediate slaughter which may be imported into the state under permit issued by the Office …

Hatching eggs and all poultry under five (5) months of age, including baby chicks, started chicks, turkey poults, other newly hatched domestic poultry, except those intended for immediate slaughter, that are imported into this state shall have originated in flocks that meet the p…

No person, firm, or corporation shall operate a public hatchery, and no person, dealer, jobber, peddler, or huckster in baby chicks, started chicks, turkey poults, other newly hatched domestic poultry, and hatching eggs shall operate as a public hatchery within this state without…

The permit year shall extend from July 1 of each year to June 30 of the following year.

Any permit may be suspended or canceled by the Office of State Veterinarian, after opportunity for a hearing to be conducted in accordance with KRS Chapter 13B, for any violation of KRS 257.370 to 257.460 or the regulations promulgated under KRS 257.370 to 257.460. Any person who…

Destruction. All poultry of whatever age or species and all hatching eggs that are sold or offered for sale within this state or enter into this state not in compliance with the provisions of KRS 257.370 to 257.460 shall be quarantined by the Office of State Veterinarian. Where p…

All money collected under the provisions of KRS 257.370 to 257.450 shall be paid to the State Treasurer and by him placed in a revolving fund to be used by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of KRS 257.370 to 257.450.

For the purpose of enforcing the provisions of KRS 257.330 to 257.440, the inspectors of the Office of State Veterinarian shall have free access to any premises or vehicles for the purpose of inspection.

Meetings -- Construction of KRS 257.472 to 257.476. (1) The Kentucky Equine Health and Welfare Council is hereby established and shall be attached to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture for administrative purposes only. The council shall: (a) Assist, advise, and consult with t…

In addition to the duties relating to equine health and welfare matters set forth in KRS 257.472(1), the duties and functions of the council include but are not limited to: (1) Undertaking research, conducting public hearings, and collecting data to determine the prevalent equine…

(1) The equine health and welfare fund is created in the State Treasury as a trust and agency account to be administered by the council for the purposes provided in this section. (2) Notwithstanding KRS 45.229, any moneys accruing to this fund in any fiscal year, including state …

It is the legislative policy that every Kentucky citizen exert the maximum local effort to enforce the livestock, poultry, and fish disease control programs in KRS 257.010 to KRS 257.470 and provide protection to the citizens and livestock, poultry, and fish of the Commonwealth.

Manual. (1) The Commissioner shall have the power to employ persons to serve as peace officers. All persons employed as peace officers by the department shall meet the qualifications set forth in KRS 15.380 to 15.404 concerning officer certification and training. (2) Officers emp…