Poultry encyclopedia · NEXTEKCI School · Trades and the poultry industry
Biosecurity and regulations: what a farmer should know
A farm is not isolated: its diseases can reach neighbouring farms and its products end up on consumers’ plates. Biosecurity protects the farm, and a few rules frame the activity: notifiable diseases, approval of establishments, traceability. When in doubt, the veterinary services and the vet in your area are the right people to ask.
Key facts
- Biosecurity
- Keeping diseases from coming in, spreading and going out
- Notifiable diseases
- To be reported without delay to the veterinary services
- Approvals
- Hatcheries, feed mills, slaughterhouses and imports are approved
- Traceability
- Knowing where birds come from and where they go
Biosecurity basics
A fence and a single entrance, a footbath and clothing kept for the farm, limited visitors, single-age flocks, cleaning, disinfection and an empty period between flocks, control of rodents and wild birds, proper disposal of dead birds.
These simple measures cost little compared with the losses a disease causes.
Notifiable diseases
Some diseases, such as Newcastle disease or avian influenza, are regulated: they must be reported to the veterinary services of the ministry in charge of animal resources. Sudden, heavy mortality should always lead to calling the vet immediately.
Reporting is not a fault: it is what allows the disease to be contained before it reaches the whole neighbourhood. The vet will say which measures to apply.
Approvals
Establishments in the sector (hatcheries, feed mills, slaughterhouses, importers of chicks or hatching eggs) are subject to official approval. For the farmer, buying chicks and feed from approved suppliers guarantees origin and oversight.
For his own farm, especially if it is growing, the farmer should ask the veterinary services which procedures apply to him.
Traceability
Keeping the chick delivery notes, feed invoices, vaccines and treatments given (with dates and products), mortality and sales records makes it possible to trace the history of each flock.
If a health problem arises, these records help the vet and reassure buyers.
Medicines and withdrawal periods
Medicines are used on a vet’s prescription, at the dose and for the length of time indicated. After a treatment, the withdrawal period must be respected before selling meat or eggs, so that they contain no residues.
Random treatments are costly, encourage resistance and endanger consumers’ health.