- A. Each facility which houses farm-raised turtles or turtle eggs for the purpose of buying, selling, or trading in commerce shall contain the following: turtle pond(s), turtle laying area, egg washing area, treatment areas, hatching area, holding or post-hatching area, and inventory storage.
- B. Each facility shall possess hot and cold water, hand washing facilities, cooling and ventilation capability, be free of rodents and pests, be properly disinfected, utilize stainless steel or non-porous tables, buckets and baskets, and have access to restroom facilities.
- C. The facility shall be free of debris, trash and offensive odors.
D. Egg Washing and Treatment Areas of the Facility
- 1. All egg washing and treatment areas shall be lighted and ventilated.
- 2. All floors in the egg washing and treatment areas shall consist of concrete or non-porous covering with drainage sufficient to prevent the accumulation of water.
- 3. All surfaces in the egg washing and treatment areas which come in contact with turtles or turtle eggs shall be non-porous.
E. Hatching, Holding, and Post-Hatching Area of the Facility
- 1. The hatching, holding, post-hatching area shall be a separate identifiable room in which the temperature can be maintained and controlled.
- 2. The hatching, holding, post-hatching area shall be large enough to accommodate all designated groups of turtles that have not been sold.
Authority Note
AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 3:2358.2.
Historical Note
HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of the Commissioner, LR 26:1567 (August 2000), repromulgated by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Animal Health and Food Safety and the Board of Animal Health, LR 40:979 (May 2014), amended by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Animal Health and Food Safety, LR 45:31 (January 2019), repromulgated by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Animal Health and Food Safety, LR 45:504 (April 2019).