(a) Ante-mortem inspection of fowl may be required by the Department as a prerequisite to any inspection, and if so required, the establishment will provide such help and facilities as may be required to facilitate such examination. Such ante-mortem inspection shall be made on the day of slaughter.

(b) Ante-mortem inspection of rabbits is a prerequisite to their being inspected for wholesomeness.

(c) Ante-mortem inspection shall be made on the premises of the plant in which the poultry is about to be slaughtered.

(d) All poultry showing, on ante-mortem inspection, symptoms of any disease or condition that, under section 1250 and 1251 of this subchapter, would cause condemnation of their carcasses on post-mortem inspection, shall be condemned.

(e) Dead-on-arrival ratites shall be tagged “California Condemned” by an inspector and disposed of as provided in section 1254 of this subchapter. Ratites condemned on ante-mortem inspection shall be tagged “California Condemned” by an inspector and handled in accordance with section 1246.3, except as provided by subsection (h) of this section.

(f) All seriously crippled ratites and non-ambulatory ratites, commonly termed “downers,” shall be identified as “California Suspect.”

(g) Ratites exhibiting signs of drug or chemical poisoning shall be withheld from slaughter.

(h) Ratites identified as “California Suspect” or “California Condemned” may be set aside for treatment. The “California Suspect” or “California Condemned” identification device will be removed by a Department employee following treatment if the bird is found to be free of disease. Such a bird found to have recovered from the condition for which it was treated may be released for slaughter or for purposes other than slaughter, provided that in the latter instance permission is first obtained from the local, state, or federal sanitary official having jurisdiction over movement of such birds.