Procedure -Biosecurity for Poultry
Section: Human Resource Procedures
Procedure Owner: Ignition633 Ministries Nigeria Human Resources
Procedure Name: Biosecurity for Poultry
Origination Date: August 2024
Purpose
to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases within a flock and to protect the health of the birds. Biosecurity measures are designed to minimize the risk of exposure to pathogens, pests, and other harmful agents that could negatively impact the well-being of the poultry.
Scope
Includes a range of preventive measures such as controlling access to the poultry area, ensuring that visitors and staff follow strict hygiene protocols (e.g., wearing protective clothing, disinfecting footwear), and maintaining cleanliness in the poultry housing. It also involves the proper management of feed and water sources to prevent contamination, controlling pests and rodents that could carry diseases, and monitoring the health of the flock regularly to detect and respond to any signs of illness promptly. The scope extends to vaccination programs, quarantine procedures for new or sick birds, and thorough record-keeping to track health and disease control efforts. Additionally, biosecurity measures include the safe disposal of dead birds and waste to prevent the spread of disease within and beyond the poultry operation.
Definition
Biosecurity: practices, measures, and protocols designed to protect living organisms, such as animals, plants, and humans, from harmful biological agents like diseases, pests, and pathogens.
Poultry: domesticated birds that are raised for their eggs, meat, or feathers.
Biosecurity prevents disease-causing agents that can risk farm animals' food quality and health. This helps to prevent bacteria from entering or leaving farm enclosures. Good biosecurity should always be practiced, not just during a disease outbreak. It involves taking the proper measures in the early stages of an epidemic because prevention is better than cure.
Conduct a risk assessment for your farm
Conduct a risk assessment for each farm to establish what level of risk exists in each phase of its operations.
How disease agents might spread between poultry flocks
Viruses, bacteria, and parasites can spread between poultry flocks through exposure to:
- Contaminated equipment and vehicles that move between farms
- Contaminated clothing and footwear of farm workers or visitors
- infected animals, such as wild birds, insects, rodents, and pets
- Contaminated air on particles of dust from nearby farms or markets. Gardens that apply untreated poultry manure as fertilizer
- Contaminated water is used for drinking or cooling.
Ways of observing biosecurity
You can observe biosecurity by taking these measures before entering the flock and the chicken's pen.
- Take a bath and change into the coop coveralls and protective boots.
- Dip your feet all the way into the foot bath for disinfection.
- Constant body fumigation and hand sanitizing: Anytime you come out and go into a different pen, you must sanitize your hands and be fumigated before entering another pen.
- Disinfecting and cleaning of utensils regularly.
- Disinfecting the vehicle before transporting birds.
How disease agents might spread between poultry flocks
Viruses, bacteria, and parasites can spread between poultry flocks through exposure to:
- Contaminated equipment and vehicles that move between farms
- Contaminated clothing and footwear of farm workers or visitors
- infected animals, such as wild birds, insects, rodents, and pets
- Contaminated air on particles of dust from nearby farms or markets. Gardens that apply untreated poultry manure as fertilizer
- Contaminated water is used for drinking or cooling.
Ways of observing biosecurity
You can observe biosecurity by taking these measures before entering the chicken's pen.
- Take a bath and change into the coop coveralls and protective boots.
- Dip your feet all the way into the foot bath for disinfection.
- Constant body fumigation and hand sanitizing: Anytime you come out and go into a different pen, you must sanitize your hands and be fumigated before entering a different pen.
- Disinfecting and cleaning of utensils regularly.
- Disinfecting the vehicle before transporting birds.