Animals + Humans = One health

If you own farm animals, biosecurity means taking steps to ensure that good hygiene practices are in place and are implemented by everyone who comes onto your farm. This will help prevent the introduction and spread of animal disease. Effective biosecurity measures benefits you as they reduce the likelihood of a disease outbreak that could have serious negative repercussions for your farm and your profits: happy and healthy animals are more productive. Good biosecurity also helps decrease disease treatment costs, improve farm efficiency and protect neighbouring farms and the countryside.

Biosecurity can make the difference between health and disease. This is why farmers who are genuinely concerned with the health, welfare and productivity of their animals take biosecurity seriously as they know there are also sound economic reasons for disease prevention.

Biosecurity in practice

There is no ‘one size fits all’ programme for biosecurity, but general strategies can be applied to all animals. These can then be supplemented by additional measures adapted to the species and the husbandry system in use.

Successful on-farm biosecurity measures must address a wide variety of factors including: isolation of new animals brought to the farm and of sick animals; controlling the movement of people, animals and equipment; correct use of feed; and procedures for cleaning and disinfecting facilities, as well as a good insect and rodent control programme.

However, biosecurity is more than a simple set of practices: it is most effective when it is taken as an attitude to daily tasks and management decisions. By keeping in mind how best to prevent the spread of disease in your day-to-day routine, you can best help maximise the biosecurity of your farm. In this way, better biosecurity gives you peace of mind, healthy stock and a more viable business.

• Biosecurity and me