Biosecurity is a practice designed to prevent the spread of disease on the poultry farm.
• Accomplished by maintaining the facility with minimal traffic of biological organisms (viruses, bacteria, rodents, etc.) across its borders.
• Biosecurity is the cheapest and most effective means of disease control available. No disease prevention program will work without it.
Biosecurity has three major components:
- Isolation
- Traffic Control
- Sanitation
• Isolation: refers to the confinement of animals within a controlled environment.
• A fence keeps birds in, but it also keeps other animals out. Isolation also applies to the practice of separating birds by age group.
• In large poultry operations, all-in/all-out management styles allow simultaneous depopulation of facilities between flocks and allow time for periodic clean-up and disinfection to break the cycle of disease.
• Traffic Control: includes both the traffic to the farm and the traffic patterns within the farm.
• Sanitation: addresses the disinfection of materials, people and equipment entering the farm and the cleanliness of the personnel on the farm.
Infectious diseases spread from farm to farm by:
• Introduction of diseased birds.
• Introduction of healthy recovered carrier birds.
• Shoes and clothing of visitors or caretakers.
• Contact with inanimate objects contaminated with disease organisms.
• Carcasses of dead birds not disposed of properly.
• Impure water.
• Rodents, wild animals and free-flying birds.
• Insects.
• Contaminated feed and feed bags.
• Contaminated delivery trucks, rendering trucks, live hauling trucks.
• Contaminated premises through soil or old litter.
• Air-borne fomites.
• Egg transmission.
TOP PRIORITY:
Of all the possible breakdowns in biosecurity, the introduction of new birds and traffic pose the greatest risk to bird health which needs proper management.
Assessment of Practical Biosecurity at Poultry Farm:
1. Economics
2. Common Sense
3. Relative Risk
• New birds represent a great risk to biosecurity because of unknown disease status.
• While all-in/all-out management isn't feasible for breeding farms/farms raising exotic fowl/game birds.
So, maintain a separate pen to isolate and quarantine all new, in-coming stock to the resident population.
Isolation pens should be as far from the resident birds as possible.
• At least 2-4 weeks of quarantine is suggested. Watch birds for any signs of illness.
• Diagnostic blood tests for infectious diseases can also be performed at this time.
• Use only clean plastic coops for transfer of poultry.
• Avoid putting new birds, including baby chicks, in contact with droppings, feathers, dust and debris left over from previous flocks.
• Some disease-causing organisms die quickly, others may survive for long periods
• Direct the flow of on-farm traffic from the youngest to the oldest birds.
• Direct the traffic flow from the resident to the isolation area.
• Establish a "clear zone" free of vegetation around buildings to discourage rodent and insect traffic into
the buildings.
• Use a different pair of foot-covers in the isolation area and in the resident bird area to prevent the mechanical transfer of disease organisms on footwear.
• Footwear should be disinfected at each site.
• Disinfectant footbaths to decrease the dose of organisms on boots.
• But a supply of cleanable rubber boots or strong- soled plastic boots for visitors is best.
• Wash your hands after handling birds in isolation or birds of different groups.
• Disinfect waterers and feeders on daily regular basis.
• Plan periodic clean-out, clean-up and disinfection of houses and equipment, at least once a year.
• Remember that drying and sunlight are very effective in killing many disease-causing organisms.
• Dispose of dead birds promptly by rendering, burning, burying, composting or sending them to a sanitary landfill.
Longevity of Disease-Causing Organisms:
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| Longevity of Disease-Causing Organisms |
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