Biosecurity at Home

     We have all heard the term Biosecurity. Simply put, it is how you keep animals safe from outside diseases. The most biosecure farms have what are called closed herds or flocks, meaning they own all the breeding stock and animals are sold off the farm, but no new animals are usually brought onto the farm. They may even require trucks, trailers and people to be washed before they enter the farm or a barn. This level of precaution may be a little overboard for a 4-H or FFA project, but there are some simple things you can do to provide some biosecurity of your own.

     Every year we do things that are not the best for biosecurity. We buy and bring in new project animals from different locations. It might be just one or two animals from your favorite breeder or multiple animals from many different breeders or livestock sales. You may not even bring an animal home, but you go to a farm and look at ones to buy, or go to a sale to see people and what animals are selling for. You may like going to jackpot shows. It is a good place for you to work on your showmanship and get your animals adjusted to a show ring, but you are also mixing with a lot of other animals.

     All these practices could be bad for your biosecurity. How? There are micro-organisms that cause diseases called pathogens. They include bacteria, viruses and fungi. (We will make it easy and refer to them as germs.) Your job is to try and prevent these germs from making it on to your place and to your animals. Here are some tips to improve your biosecurity.
    

At Home Biosecurity

     Clothing

• Wear work/chore clothes and shoes that have never left home and wash them often, too. These clothes will only have the germs that are on your farm on them.
• Change clothes immediately after visiting another farm or livestock sale before heading out to see your animals or do chores. You may have brought back new germs from these places.
• Wash all clothing that has gone to a another farm, sale or to a show. This includes cleaning shoes. You may not know it, but germs and things like a little urine and manure from that other place may have hitched a ride home.
• Have visitors to your place wear plastic disposable booties over shoes or walk through a disinfecting foot bath. Shoes can hide nasty germs in the dirt, bedding or manure that gets stuck on the bottom of a shoe.

     Pens, Equipment and Tack

• Clean pens at least daily. Remove all manure and any soiled bedding. If animals are on concrete, rinse the urine off as well. Germs love to hide in urine and manure.
• Clean feeders and water sources often or when they appear dirty. Old feed and unclean water can be a great place for germs to grow.
• Clean up spilled feed to prevent birds and rodents from being attracted. They can bring in some nasty germs.
• Clean and disinfect pens after a project animals has left for good and before a new animal is introduced to the pen. There could be some nasty germs waiting to greet you new animals. 
• Clean and disinfect any tack or equipment that has left your place. Nasty germs may be hiding on it waiting to get on your animals.
• Clean out, wash out with soap and disinfect a trailer after going to a sale or show.

     Animals

• Quarantine animals who are new or have been to a show until time has passed and they do not show signs of illness before putting with other animals.
• Wash animals immediately after a show (especially lambs and goats which could have picked up wool fungus or ringworm) before putting them into their home pens.
• Have individual feeders and water sources. Sharing of germs is not caring.
• If you suspect you have a sick animal, contact your vet (the one you have a relationship with) ASAP for their professional opinion.

     Biosecurity is the responsibility of the livestock owner. You are in charge of setting up a line of defense to prevent these unwanted germs from bringing disease to your animals. If you find you are having trouble keeping animals healthy, remember your best resource is your veterinarian. They have the expert training and knowledge in animal health.

Thanks to Phillips County Colorado 4-H Agent Kindra Plumb, Yuma County Colorado 4-H Agent JoLynn Midcap and Morgan County Colorado Livestock Agent JD Sexton for their input on this post.


Scott Stinnett
Extension Associate
Kit Carson County
Golden Plains Area
Colorado State University Extension