Farm biosecurity
Farm biosecurity involves a range of day-to-day practices that can help keep infectious diseases, pests and weeds off a property. These practices are often documented in a farm biosecurity plan.
There are two parts to a farm biosecurity plan:
- Measures to reduce the risk of introducing an infectious disease, pest or weed onto the property.
- Measures to reduce the risk of spreading an infectious disease, pest or weed within a property.
Reducing the risk of introducing an infectious disease, pest or weed
Livestock movements
- Source introduced livestock from reputable suppliers.
- Livestock from properties where regular trading occurs, or with poor management or fences, are more likely to have disease problems.
- Ask for an LPA NVD/Waybill as well as a National Sheep Health Statement, National Goat Health Statement, National Animal Health Statement for Johne's Disease Status of Beef Cattle or Dairy BJD Assurance Score Declaration Form as relevant.
- When possible, inspect stock before purchase and again upon arrival to ensure they are healthy.
- Use a TruckCare accredited transporter to carry the livestock.
- Treat incoming livestock for parasites and hold in the yards for at least 24-48 hours.
- Check the faecal egg count of introduced stock 10-14 days later to ensure all gastrointestinal worms have been removed.
- Keep incoming livestock separate from cattle, sheep or goats already on the property until disease screening test results are available to allow clearance to enter the property.
- Keep adequate records of livestock movements on and off the property.
- Always quarantine agisted livestock when they return to the home property as they can be exposed to several potential diseases sources (roadways, stray or resident livestock on the agistment property, trucks).
- When taking animals to shows or sales, be vigilant and keep them as isolated as possible to minimise the risk of contracting a disease from another animal.
- Where possible, use your own feeding and watering equipment and supplies at shows and sales.
Vehicle/people movements
- Be aware of the potential for visitor's vehicles to contaminate the property.
- Manure from infected animals can spread diseases so producers should be particularly vigilant with livestock transport.
- Limit the movement of non-property vehicles on the property.
- To minimise risk, producers should make sure they know who and what comes and goes from their property by having a single access point.
- Contractors' equipment can spread diseases, such as footrot or lice, if hygiene practices are not observed.
Stockfeed
- Source stockfeed from a reputable supplier that operates under a quality assurance program.
- Try to source stockfeed locally.
- Feeding restricted animal material (RAM) to ruminants and swill to pigs is illegal in Australia as it has led to diseases including Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and foot and mouth disease (FMD) in other countries.
- Do not feed meat, bonemeal or any banned material to cattle, sheep or goats.
- When buying feed, always ask for a fully completed Commodity Vendor Declaration, By-product Vendor Declaration or Fodder Declaration and check that feed is free of RAM and any other contaminants.
Boundaries
- Make sure external boundary fences are adequate to keep stray livestock out.
Feral animal and wildlife
- Coordinate feral animal control programs with neighbours to make them more effective.
Reducing the risk of spreading an infectious disease, pest or weed
Livestock
- Monitor livestock regularly and investigate disease outbreaks and deaths.
- Maintain good animal health practices.
- Implement a herd or flock health plan, making sure property personnel are adequately trained.
- Implement a health plan for property dogs and horses.
Vehicle/people movements
- Be aware of the potential for vehicles and people to be vectors to move diseases and weeds around the property.
- Run infected animals or animals with parasites through the yards last.
- Wash hands thoroughly after handling sick animals.
- In some instances (ie after handling lice-infested sheep) changing into clean clothes can also limit the spread of disease.
Stockfeed
- Make sure stockfeed is not contaminated by domestic animals, feral animals, livestock or vermin.
- Keep feed in a clean, dry area and inspect it to ensure it is still in ideal condition when fed out.
- Keep troughs clean and try to ensure watering points cannot be accessed by feral animals that may also have diseases.
- Try not to allow water to stagnate as it may attract insects and other pests that can spread diseases.
Boundaries
- Make sure internal fences are adequate to keep mobs of livestock segregated.
Feral animal and wildlife
- Dispose of carcases in an area where other livestock and feral animals cannot access them, taking into account the potential for environmental contamination.
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