Vetnuus | October 2024 25 All equipment used inside the poultry houses is cleaned and disinfected prior to entering and after exiting the houses and should not be shared between farms. 4. Traffic control Only movement required for the maintenance of the production facilities and care of the livestock is allowed on the farm. Warning biosecurity signs are displayed at all entrances to poultry housing areas. Any meeting that does not need to occur on the production unit is held off-site. Records are kept of visitors and their previous movements to ensure traceability. Human movement must be from the youngest flocks to the oldest flocks and from the healthiest flocks to the least healthy flocks. 5. Pest control Preventing contact between poultry and wild birds is crucial due to the many diseases wild birds carry. Keeping houses as rodent-proof as possible and following a comprehensive pest control plan are required to decrease the risk of diseases being introduced by rodents. The pest control plan should include insect control as flies and mosquitoes have also been shown to be vectors of disease. Ground maintenance is aimed at keeping vegetation short and unattractive to wild birds and rodents. Proper water run-off to prevent water pooling is also crucial as standing water attracts pests. Feed spills must be cleaned up swiftly or preferably prevented entirely as they are also a risk for attracting wild birds and pests. Any wild bird nesting sites on- or near the poultry houses must be removed. 6. Dead bird disposal Mortalities are a possible source of disease and a poorly managed disposal site can also attract wild birds/animals. Mortalities are removed from sites in sealed plastic bags by a designated person/vehicle. Onfarm incineration or composting are options but the disposal site should be sufficiently far away from the production sites that it does not pose a disease risk. A central area on the boundary of the farm where all mortalities are stored for removal is also a good option. Mortalities may then be removed by a third party without entering the farm. Mortalities that are removed from the farm may go for composting, incineration or predator feed. In a disease outbreak situation, mortality should not leave the farm. Mortalities are monitored via post-mortem for disease. 7. Treatment of sick birds It is recommended that farmers have a good understanding of the microorganisms that are responsible for disease outbreaks. In the case of bacteria, continuous evaluation of sensitivity to different antibiotics is recommended through Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) monitoring. This ensures that the correct antibiotic is used to medicate sick flocks and reduce the risk of Anti–microbial resistance (AMR) developing on poultry farms. Cognisance must always be taken of the withdrawal period recommended by the supplier of the medication and must be strictly enforced in order to adhere to food safety principles. v REFERENCE A quick guide to the application of Biosecurity on a Poultry farm. SA Poultry Association. We compound veterinary medicines www.v-tech.co.za / Tel: +27 87 150 5925 (SA) Article Email: assistant@sava.co.za ADVERTISE IN VETNEWS MAGAZINE
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