Diseases
Livestock disease is a daily management factor. While it is difficult to stop certain diseases reaching all properties, producers can minimise the risk posed by disease through good on-farm risk management - farm biosecurity.
Farm biosecurity involves a range of day-to-day practices that can help keep hazardous diseases, pests and weeds off a property.
This will minimise the risk impacts such as:
- Damage to export markets and market access issues.
- Reduced productivity and profitability.
- Quarantined farm land.
- Poor animal welfare.
- Reduced land value.
It is easier to minimise the risk of introducing diseases, than trying to manage them once established on a property. By protecting their own property, producers are protecting Australia's global reputation as a safe and secure source of red meat.
Minimising risk
Certain actions can be taken to minimise the risk of introducing diseases onto properties. These include actions relating to product movement, feed, water and people, equipment and vehicle movement.
Product movement
The movement of anything on, around or off a property increases the risk of spreading diseases.
- New animals
- Not all diseases have clear symptoms. Producers should ensure they manage new animals carefully so they do not infect others on-farm. If possible, it is a good practice to isolate new stock for a period of 10 days to allow any signs of disease to emerge.
- Producers should always request a Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) National Vendor Declaration and Waybill (NVD/Waybill) and an animal health statement if available.
- Stock should be bought from a trusted source and, where possible, inspected before purchase. Stock should be inspected again upon arrival to ensure they are healthy. It is important to know the hygiene/cleaning practices of the transport carrier to ensure transport is hygienic. Also ensure the animals delivered match those described in the associated paperwork.
- Moving animals off property
- Producers should not move animals if they have a disease. Ensure animals are fit before travelling and that records are kept of their sale or movement.
- Producers should always supply an LPA NVD Waybill and use a trusted transport carrier.
- Taking animals to shows/sales:
- If producers are taking animals to shows or sales it is important to be vigilant and keep them as isolated as possible to minimise the risk of contracting a disease from another animal. It is good practice to utilise your own feeding and watering equipment and supplies.
- Surveillance of livestock
- Regular monitoring gives the best chance of identifying a disease before it takes over a herd or flock.
- Fencing
- Poor fencing can enable stock to mix with the neighbour's livestock or wild animals and potentially become exposed to diseases.
Feed and water
Diseases can be spread through feed and water. Producers should monitor these closely to ensure livestock are not inadvertently exposed to disease. Ensure any feed purchased is accompanied by an appropriate commodity vendor declaration (CVD).
- Feed storage
- Poor feed storage can encourage pests and diseases and old feed can harbour diseases which may be damaging to stock.
- Producers should try to keep feed in a clean, dry area and inspect it to ensure it is still in ideal condition when fed out.
- Restricted animal material and swill feeding
- 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. When buying feed, always ask for an appropriate CVD and check that it is free of RAM and any other contaminants.
- Water supply and storage
- Diseases can survive for a long time in water so it is important to be vigilant and regularly check water storages.
- 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.
People, equipment and vehicle movement
- People and machinery can inadvertently carry diseases onto a property. To limit the risk, producers should make sure they know who and what comes and goes from their property by having a single access point.
- Manure from infected animals can spread diseases so producers should be particularly vigilant with livestock transport.
- Storage containers and feeding equipment can harbour disease so these should be kept as clean and dry as possible.
Much of the task of implementing biosecurity practices on a farm is common sense and a matter of being vigilant. Programs such as LPA and Farm Biosecurity offer practical ways to minimise the risk of introducing diseases to a property.
Emergency animal diseases
The outbreak of a serious emergency animal disease could be disastrous for the Australian livestock industry. An emergency animal disease (EAD) is one that is likely to have a serious effect on livestock, potentially resulting in livestock deaths, loss of production and possibly impacting on human health and the environment eg BSE and FMD.
Early intervention is vital in the management of EADs. If producers see something unusual or are suspicious that it may be an exotic disease, they should report it immediately to the local government veterinary officer, a private vet or stock inspector, or call the Emergency Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.
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