Farm Biosecurity

Why should I know?

Biosecurity is like any other insurance policy and as such it is a prudent investment. And Verily an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Consideration before investment Must be included in your future projection Starts from “A” of your production and ends

at “Z” Essential element of “Risk Management”. Vaccination is not always successful.

Animal Biosecurity

Animal biosecurity is the product of all actions undertaken by an entity to prevent introduction of disease agents into a specific area.

Animal biosecurity may protect organisms from infectious agents or noninfectious agents such as toxins or pollutants, and can be executed in areas as large as a nation or as small as a local farm.

Aims of Animal Biosecurity

Animal biosecurity takes into account the epidemiological triad for disease occurrence: the individual host, the disease, and the environment in contributing to disease susceptibility.

 It aims to improve nonspecific immunity of the host to resist the introduction of an agent, or limit the risk that an agent will be sustained in an environment at adequate levels.

General Factors to be taken in account from the day of commencement

Location and layout of property and production area Source of water supply and feed Disease status of the district Proximity to other production areas with avian/cattle

species Presence and type of wildlife Interface with the organizations and/or individual

clients that are being supplied. These interactions include pick-ups, servicemen, industry personnel, contractors, and deliveries of day-old chicks and feed.

Follow the course of bug

Animals and birds themselves People Equipments Vehicles Air Water Supply Feed Litter/Sand in Bunkers/ Mats

Levels of Biosecurity Level 1 includes SOPs of daily routine

Level 2 includes high-risk Biosecurity Procedures.

Level 1 Documentation of standard operations and procedures

and Training of farm personnel on all those standards. They must be well-versed, well organized and disciplined in this regard.

Facility standards must be devised to keep the farm “Semi-permeable” allowing only the essential elements in or out the premises. It includes A. Well defined boundary and fencingB. Farm must be mapped on every new extensionC. Process of Authorization of Vehicles and peopleD. Closed Gate

Continued…

E. Entrance must be provided with a Parking area, loading and unloading facility, Changing room, Waiting room, Washrooms, Mess, Sanitization facility, Showers for both Vehicles and peopleF. Well Defined and Biosecure Post-mortem area and dead animal disposal facility which must be Environmentally safe as well. Standard procedures must be adopted in this regard.G. Building must be designed to prevent wild birds, wild animals, reptiles, insects from entering the vicinity of the production area.H. Selection of landscape must be both to repel wild animals/reptiles/insects and acting as environmental buffer during harsh weather conditions.

I. Drainage is the most important factor as it presents a challenging situation in corporate dairy farms. Sheds must be forming a linear angle with each other. From Shed 1 till the last where drains enters the big dump pit must be in an inclined way supported with a pumping facility per 400 animals.

J. Vermin combat procedure must be there especially for crows in a dairy farm esp. Supplemented with a baiting program for rodents in a poultry farm.

K. Drinking water must be according to standards and must be duly treated and medicated via chlorination or iodination.

L. Feed storage and silos must also be bio-secure. There must not be any spill over.

3.Personal Standards and Procedures are to minimize the risk posed by production personnel.

1. They must avoid coming in contact with the same type of animals e.g. poultry production personnel must avoid any bird and that of dairy must avoid any sort of animals.

2. Any company production personnel visiting the sheds must visit all areas in the same single day.

3. Visits must be allowed only to people coming from clean areas. Mobile phones and such gadgets act as potential carriers to pathogens (RVAS Journal).

4. Repair and maintenance people and equipments must be thoroughly sanitized.

5. Pick-up flocks must be picked from younger to older one

Operational standards include water supply, vermin control, cleaning and ground maintenance, record keeping and end of batch procedures, new imports.1. Standard water supply is critical to efficient biosecurity of the farm. Chlorination must be checked using color strips and it must be around 2ppm. Preferably water must be filtered and processed.2. Bait stations must be checked and refreshed regularly.

3. Feed spills must be removed; grass must be cut, stagnant water must be drained, manure deposits must be scratched properly and footbaths must be monitored daily.

4. Bird mortality must be recorded including the disease or signs and symptoms. A record of bird movement must be kept.5. In a dairy farm showering system must be checked thoroughly for any potential contamination and it can be used for the disinfection and antisepsis.

6. The newly purchased animals must have a systemic way to get quarantined. Sheds must be isolated in terms of vehicle, personnel and equipment exchange. Proper lay out for movement within farm must be devised which offer least contamination and contact with old herd.

Level 2: High Risk Biosecurity Procedures

Action plan for suspected emergency animal disease must be clearly stated and laborers, stockmen, management, technicians must be trained enough to perform in such circumstances.

No outsiders no matter how much important they must be allowed. Repair and maintenance work must be stopped.

Preferably only farm equipments must be used. In a dairy farm. Shed to shed stockmen and equipments

must not be exchanged. Farm must be divided into units and all the farm machinery including TMR machines, Scrapping tractors, Feed trolleys and drainage machines must be specified for each unit. Milkmen of multiple milk-parlors must not be exchanged.

Vaccinating neighbors and Collaboration with local veterinarians

Although, vaccine imparts specific immunity to your as against bio-security measures which are meant for non-specific immunity yet one of the most important step towards farm health is vaccination of animals in your proximity. You must ensure that your neighbors have got their animals immunized.

Local District Veterinarian must be contacted on regular basis for surveillance and monitoring of any disease outbreak.

Chemicals required at farm level for disinfection

Potassium per manganate is an oxidant which is good for viruses, bacteria and fungus.

Ecofleece and Seguvan as pesticides and insecticides.

Bromocept, FAM 30,GPC 8,NaOH are some very good commercial products available for disinfection which must used alternatively for ideal results. Bromocept and FAM 30 can be used to spray on feedstuff as well.

Calcium Carbonate for maintaining dry condition and as weak disinfectant is an essential element of farm disinfection.

Equipments and clothing essentials

Spray machines. Go Through Automatic spray units Scrapers Gum boots and Disposable shoes Dongrees for visitors Door mats and foam mats for

impregnation with disinfectants. Foot dips and limestone sheets.

On the last note Future Medicine aims at prevention more than

treatment. Because once your prevention fails, treatment cost literally absorbs all of your profit. An excellent vaccination plan, a high producing breed and all your capital is razed to ground with the failure of Biosecurity measures. So, while developing your feasibility report always keep in mind that true safety of your each and every penny is dependant not upon general “Security” or some Security guard but on “Biosecurity”.

Thank You