All producers/farms who have between 100 and 399 laying hens should register with BC Egg through the Small Lot Program. There is an annual permit fee of $250 which includes:

• A visit from BC Egg to provide program and standard information
• A Salmonella Enteritidis (Se) test

Please note you must be at least 19 years of age to apply for a Small Lot permit. This program is open to any number of participants.

To apply for a Small Lot permit, please fill out the application form and submit it with payment to Scott Miles, Operations Assistant at BC Egg.

• To download a pdf version of the form to fill out manually, please click here. 

To renew your existing Small Lot permit, please fill out the renewal form and submit with payment to Scott Miles, Operations Assistant.

Biosecurity for Small Farms

The following biosecurity and food safety guides are additional resources designed specifically for small lot production.

Flock Health & Biosecurity Resources

• Enhanced Biosecurity for Small Lot Producers – Red
• Biosecurity Guide for Non-Supply Managed Poultry
• Sample Disease Emergency Response Plan
  • This is a sample plan that can be put in place in case a contagious disease is suspected on your farm, or after confirmation of a disease has been received from a veterinarian. These are not everyday actions; they are for heightened level biosecurity status or when an unplanned or unknown emergency situation occurs.
• How to Self-Quarantine Your Farm
  • Upon the suspicion of an infectious disease in a poultry flock, these are a set of guidelines that are to
    be enacted to limit the spread of disease between barns and, most importantly, the spread of disease off the farm to other poultry operations.
• Small Flock Poultry Heath Guide – Ministry of Agriculture

Food Safety & Farm Management Resources

• Small Lot Producer Manual
• Sample Small Lot Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Guide
• Food Safety and Biosecurity Self-Assessment Guide

Selling Ungraded Eggs

Unless a farmer sends his/her eggs to a grading station, the eggs produced on small lot farms are considered “ungraded” and BC has strict rules and laws surrounding the sale of ungraded eggs. Please see our Selling Ungraded Eggs page for more information.

Appendix III in the following document provides guidelines for the sale of eggs at farmers’ markets:

• Guideline for the Sale of Foods at Temporary Food Markets

For more information on the Small Lot Program, please contact Scott Miles, Operations Assistant,  at the BC Egg office.

Updated December, 2022

Backyard Flocks

1. Immediately leave the barn without removing mortality or any other items from the barn. Limit contact with all poultry on the farm.
2. In order to prevent the spread of the AI virus, maintain your barn ventilation at minimum levels to ensure bird welfare.
3. Gather all relevant documents including health records of all flocks currently on the farm and flock movement history.
4. Call the Animal Health Centre (604-556-3003) and speak to one of the poultry veterinarians. They will help determine if further investigation is required. Have ready a complete description of the problem including time of onset, duration, whether things are getting worse or resolving over time.
5. All movement to and from the farm must stop.
6. Cease selling all products off the farm.

Registered Producers & Small Lot Permit Holders

1. Immediately leave the barn without removing mortality or any other items from the barn. Limit contact with all poultry on the farm.
2. In order to prevent the spread of the AI virus, maintain your barn ventilation at minimum levels to ensure bird welfare.
3. Gather all relevant documents including health records of all flocks currently on the farm and flock movement history.
4. Call your veterinarian. They will help determine if further investigation is required. Have ready a complete description of the problem including time of onset, duration, whether things are getting worse or resolving over time.
5. All movement to and from the farm must stop.
6. Cease selling all products off the farm.

Wild Bird Mortality

If a wild bird is found dead on or near a poultry operation, call the Wild Bird Mortality Investigation Program hotline, 1-866-431-2473.  If the report is assessed to require further investigation a biologist may retrieve the carcass for further testing.

If AI is Confirmed by Veterinarian

1. CFIA will be informed and will send the sample to their lab in Winnipeg for final testing.
2. You will be contacted by CFIA and put on quarantine. CFIA will inform you of the next steps.

Signs of AI

• signs may not be obvious
• egg production drop
• respiratory illness
• nervous signs
• diarrhea
• drop in feed or water consumption (consult production records)
• mortality (variable)

For a brief overview of Avian Influenza and why it’s a concern, visit our article “Avian Influenza: A Primer.“