Avian Flu Regulations in Arkansas: What Every Poultry Owner Needs to Know

Arkansas is one of the top poultry-producing states in the country, and that status makes understanding avian flu regulations not just useful — it is essential. Arkansas’s poultry industry provided $6.7 billion in direct agricultural cash receipts in 2024, and a single disease event can ripple through the entire supply chain. Whether you raise a backyard flock of a dozen chickens or manage a commercial broiler operation, state and federal rules govern how you register your premises, protect your birds, report illness, and respond to an outbreak.

This guide walks you through every major layer of avian flu regulations in Arkansas — from understanding how the virus is classified to knowing exactly what happens if your flock tests positive. Staying informed is your first line of defense.

HPAI vs. LPAI: Understanding Avian Flu Classifications in Arkansas

Not all avian influenza strains carry the same level of risk, and Arkansas regulations treat them differently. There are two categories of influenza A viruses in birds: highly pathogenic and low pathogenic, which specifically refers to their ability to cause very mild to very severe illness in poultry (chickens).

Low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) virus strains occur naturally in wild migratory waterfowl without causing illness. LPAI can infect domestic poultry, creating little or no signs of illness. That said, LPAI is not entirely benign from a regulatory standpoint. The types of influenza viruses of greatest concern are the highly pathogenic and any H5 and H7 virus, since they have the ability to change from low pathogenic to highly pathogenic.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus strains are extremely infectious, often fatal to chickens, and can spread rapidly from flock to flock. HPAI is a severe, highly contagious disease caused by influenza type A viruses. It affects domestic poultry and wild birds, often causing sudden illness or death.

Because LPAI does not typically kill poultry the way HPAI does, there may be control options beyond depopulation. For example, quarantine or controlled marketing may also be appropriate. If your farm is ever affected by LPAI, Federal and State officials will work with you to determine what options are available. HPAI, by contrast, leaves far less room for discretion once a positive result is confirmed.

Understanding which strain you may be dealing with shapes every step that follows — from your reporting obligations to your eligibility for federal compensation. You can learn more about related avian diseases, such as avian tuberculosis and avian chlamydiosis, which may present with overlapping symptoms and also carry reporting obligations.

Premises Registration Requirements for Poultry Owners in Arkansas

Before you can participate in disease response programs or qualify for federal indemnity, your operation must be properly registered. Arkansas administers premises registration through the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), which serves as the backbone of the state’s poultry health infrastructure.

Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Rules for the Administration of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) establish the framework under which all commercial and many non-commercial flock owners operate. Registration assigns your property a unique premises identification number, which is required for legal movement of birds, participation in testing programs, and access to indemnity payments in the event of a disease outbreak.

• Commercial producers are generally required to register and maintain NPIP certification as a condition of doing business in Arkansas.
• Backyard and hobby flock owners are strongly encouraged — and in some contexts required — to register, particularly if they sell, trade, or exhibit birds.
• Pet bird dealers must register annually and maintain detailed records; diseased birds may be quarantined or destroyed.
• Hatcheries are inspected annually and must follow biosecurity and NPIP standards.

At swap meets and exhibitions, birds must be tested for pullorum-typhoid (PT), Mycoplasma Gallisepticum (MG), and Mycoplasma Synoviae (MS) before events. If you sell live poultry at a farmer’s market or roadside stand, the sale, barter, or giving away of all live poultry or domesticated waterfowl in any farmer’s market, flea market, roadside stand, or feed store will be allowed if they are accompanied by documents showing they have been tested negative for pullorum.

Contact the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission or visit the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s avian influenza page to begin the registration process.

Biosecurity Requirements for Commercial and Backyard Flocks in Arkansas

Biosecurity is your best defense, whether you are a commercial producer or backyard bird owner. Arkansas regulations and guidance from the state Department of Agriculture outline specific practices that all flock owners are expected to follow, especially during periods of elevated HPAI risk.

HPAI continues to threaten Arkansas poultry owners. HPAI is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s statewide biosecurity framework centers on four core principles:

1. Clean: Wash hands, change or disinfect shoes, and sanitize equipment before and after entering your flock area. Avian influenza virus can survive in manure for several weeks, especially in moist or cool conditions.
2. Cover: Keep flocks away from wild birds with roofs, tarps, and wire mesh or netted sides. Repair any holes that could allow wildlife or rodents to enter.
3. Isolate: Track visitors using a logbook; restrict those who had contact with other birds. Quarantine new birds for at least two weeks before introducing them to your flock.
4. Minimize Exposure: Limit visitors and avoid sharing equipment between flocks. Cover outdoor flocks to prevent contact with wildlife.

For commercial operations, biosecurity requirements go further. Producers are required to provide, as a condition for receiving indemnity payments, a statement that at the time of HPAI detection on their premises, they had in place and were following a poultry biosecurity plan consistent with NPIP biosecurity standards. Additionally, APHIS amended regulations to require biosecurity plan audits. Specifically, facilities subject to the 2016 interim rule must have their biosecurity plans audited at least once every two years.

During periods of elevated risk, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture has issued statewide confinement notifications urging all poultry owners to keep birds indoors or covered to prevent exposure to wild or migratory birds and restrict access to any source of water that may have been contaminated by wild birds. You can review USDA’s Defend the Flock resources for additional biosecurity guidance applicable to Arkansas producers.

Reporting Sick or Dead Birds in Arkansas

Early detection is critical. Arkansas law requires prompt reporting of suspected or confirmed avian influenza, and the state has established multiple reporting channels depending on whether the birds involved are domestic poultry or wild birds.

Under Arkansas rules, any suspected or confirmed case of avian influenza should be reported immediately to the Department. Delays in reporting not only risk spreading the disease to neighboring flocks but can also jeopardize your eligibility for federal compensation.

Producers or owners who suspect an animal disease should contact their veterinarian to evaluate the animal. Animal health professionals — including veterinarians, diagnostic laboratories, and public health personnel — report diagnosed or suspected cases of nationally listed reportable animal diseases to APHIS Area Veterinarians in Charge and to the State animal health official.

Once you report, the Arkansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (AVDL) plays a key role in confirming results. The AVDL is a proud member of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), a program coordinated by the USDA to strengthen the nation’s capacity for early detection and response to animal health threats. Under AVDL’s NAHLN designation, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Tollett Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory serves as a branch laboratory, expanding diagnostic capacity and support for the poultry industry.

Arkansas’s Current HPAI Status and Active Outbreak Zones

Arkansas has experienced a sustained period of HPAI activity affecting both commercial and non-commercial flocks. The HPAI H5N1 subtype was detected in Arkansas in December 2024. Six backyard/hobby flocks and one commercial poultry flock tested positive for HPAI — all since December 8, 2024.

Activity continued into 2025 and 2026. HPAI returned to commercial poultry in Arkansas with the first case being confirmed since 2025. USDA APHIS reported that the presence of the virus was confirmed April 10, 2026, in a flock of 191,200 commercial broilers in Clay County. Prior to this, Arkansas’s last confirmed instance of HPAI in commercial poultry was confirmed in Drew County on December 29, 2025, where 19,400 commercial broiler breeders were affected.

The geographic spread of confirmed cases has touched multiple counties across the state. The commercial flock was in Clay County. The affected backyard/hobby flocks include one in Lafayette County, two in Craighead County, one in Jackson County, one in Pope County, and one in Sharp County. There has also been confirmation of H5N1 HPAI in a peregrine falcon in Lonoke County, Arkansas.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture confirmed nine avian influenza cases in the state as of February 2026, and “because highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in multiple locations and in both commercial and backyard flocks, it meets the definition of an outbreak under animal health guidelines,” according to the state Ag Department’s communications director.

Poultry Movement and Quarantine Restrictions in Arkansas

When HPAI is confirmed in Arkansas, the state’s movement and quarantine rules activate quickly. Under Arkansas rules, any suspected or confirmed case of avian influenza should be reported immediately to the Department. The Department may quarantine infected premises, restrict poultry movement within designated control zones, and require depopulation and disinfection when necessary to prevent further spread.

The geographic scope of these restrictions is defined by a specific radius. An affected area is defined as an area of approximately 25 miles surrounding a flock with a confirmed case of HPAI. Within that zone, all poultry and waterfowl must be confined under cover, movement of birds is restricted, and sales, swaps, exhibitions, and public events are limited.

Interstate movement carries its own requirements. Birds, hatching eggs, and other avian species must meet testing and certification requirements before entering Arkansas. All ratites must have a negative test for avian influenza within 30 days prior to entry unless a state of emergency has been declared. For poultry entering from states with active HPAI in dairy cattle, all dairy cattle entering Arkansas from states affected by HPAI in dairy cattle will require permitting by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and may be required to complete pre-movement testing as determined by the State Veterinarian.

The Commission may quarantine, seize, and destroy any birds imported illegally into this state and any birds exposed to an illegal bird. Violations of movement restrictions are treated seriously and can result in whole-premises quarantine.

Regulations governing animal movement in Arkansas share similarities with other state-level animal health frameworks. If you manage animals across multiple states, reviewing resources such as horse boarding regulations in Wyoming or horse boarding regulations in Wisconsin can give you a broader picture of how interstate animal health compliance works across different species.

Flock Depopulation and Compensation Rules in Arkansas

If HPAI is confirmed in your flock, depopulation is not optional. Confirmed flocks must be depopulated, followed by cleaning, disinfection, and biosecurity protocols. In cases of pullorum-typhoid, AI, or Newcastle disease, depopulation is the only option as long as indemnity is available through the United States Department of Agriculture.

Agents or employees of the Department of Agriculture may assist, direct, or administer the destruction of the flock. Once the flock is depopulated, the premises must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. A depopulated house will lay vacant after cleaning and disinfecting and after the use of rodenticide and insecticides for the length of time required by APHIS or the State Veterinarian. The producer shall clean and disinfect premises with the proper cleaners and disinfectants and use rodenticides and insecticides approved by USDA-APHIS for that disease.

Compensation for your losses comes through a combination of federal USDA indemnity and state-level processes. At the federal level, if your flock is infected with HPAI, USDA will provide indemnity and compensation for some of your losses and costs. USDA pays for birds and eggs that must be destroyed. USDA does not pay for birds that died from HPAI.

APHIS offers two methods to reimburse producers for the depopulation and/or disposal of birds affected with HPAI — the D&D Flat Rate method or the Detailed Financial Plan method. USDA will also compensate you for materials, such as contaminated feed or egg packaging, that must be destroyed because they cannot be safely or adequately cleaned.

At the state level, compensation negotiations follow a defined process. The State Veterinarian, after consultation with the Arkansas Poultry Federation, shall determine whether the animal health problem is of sufficient magnitude to warrant the initiation of negotiations to depopulate the flock. Negotiations will be handled by employees of the Livestock and Poultry Commission, in consultation with the Arkansas Poultry Federation, which may make an offer of compensation to the flock owner. If the parties are unable to settle the issue of compensation by mutual agreement, a hearing will be conducted.

Penalties for Non-Compliance in Arkansas

Arkansas takes avian flu compliance seriously, and the consequences for failing to follow state regulations extend well beyond losing compensation eligibility. The state’s enforcement authority is broad and can be applied swiftly during an active outbreak.

Key penalty-triggering violations include:

• Failure to report: Under Arkansas rules, any suspected or confirmed case of avian influenza should be reported immediately to the Department. Failure to report a suspected case is a violation of state animal health law.
• Illegal importation of birds: The Commission may quarantine, seize, and destroy any birds imported illegally into this state and any birds exposed to an illegal bird.
• Violating movement restrictions: Failure to abide by import requirements shall result in a whole premises quarantine on imported animals for 21 days and negative PCR testing for HPAI.
• Unauthorized vaccination: Vaccination is prohibited unless authorized by the State Veterinarian.

Beyond these specific triggers, Arkansas Code Annotated 2-33-107 grants the state broad authority to enforce animal health orders. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture, working in coordination with USDA APHIS, can issue quarantine orders, restrict access to premises, and compel compliance with depopulation and disinfection requirements. Owners who obstruct or delay official response activities may face civil penalties, loss of NPIP certification, and ineligibility for future indemnity programs.

Non-compliance also carries indirect costs that can far exceed any formal penalty. Officials note that the avian influenza virus spreads easily through contact with infected birds, contaminated equipment, or materials, and even a single detection can disrupt trade and impact the local food supply chains. For Arkansas — where the poultry sector employs 40,000 people in the state and Arkansas typically ranks in the top three in broiler production — the stakes of non-compliance extend far beyond any one farm.

For the most current regulations, outbreak updates, and compliance resources, visit the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s avian influenza portal, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service biosecurity page, and the USDA APHIS avian influenza resource center. You may also find it useful to explore how other states approach animal health compliance frameworks, such as wildlife regulations in Alabama or Tennessee’s wildlife management regulations, as examples of how state agencies structure and enforce animal health and wildlife rules.