Biosecurity for Poultry Flocks

 Biosecurity

       

 Biosecurity" Prevention of the introduction of Pathogens into farms."

        

Biosecurity is a practice designed to prevent the spread of disease onto poultry farms. It is accomplished by maintaining the facility in such a way that there is minimal traffic of biological organisms (viruses, bacteria, rodents, etc.) across its borders. Biosecurity is the cheapest, most effective means of disease control available.No disease prevention program will work without it.

What is biosecurity?

Biosecurity has three major components:

1. Isolation

2. Traffic Control

3. Sanitation

•  Isolation  

    Refers to the confinement of animals within a controlled environment. A fence keeps your 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 on your 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 can be spread from farm to farm by:

1.  Introduction of diseased birds
2.  Introduction of healthy birds who have recovered from disease but are now carriers
3.  Shoes and clothing of visitors or caretakers who move from flock to flock
4.  Contact with inanimate objects (fomites) that are contaminated with disease organisms
5.  Carcasses of dead birds that have not been disposed of properly
6.  Impure water, such as surface drainage water
7.  Rodents, wild animals and free-flying birds, Insects
8.  Contaminated feed and feed bags
9.  Contaminated delivery trucks, rendering trucks, live hauling trucks
10.  Contaminated premises through soil or old litter
11.  Air-borne fomites
12.  Egg transmission

        Biosecurity Should be Categorized on

1. Conceptual (site planning etc)
   
2. Structural (Concern Design etc)
3. Operational (Day By Day etc)

        How much biosecurity do I need?

                                In order to assess how much biosecurity is practical for your farm.

                                look at these three factors.

                                1. Economics
                                2. Common Sense
                                3. Relative Risk

       

•  New birds represent a great risk to biosecurity because their disease status is unknown.

•  They may have an infection or be susceptible to an infection that is already present in birds that appear normal (healthy carriers) on your farm.

•  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 or pens.

•  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 foot baths may help to decrease the dose of organisms on boots.

•  Wash your hands after handling birds in isolation or birds of different groups.

•  Use this time to institute rodent and pest control procedures. 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.