By Marné Visagie

Several outbreaks of animal diseases have highlighted the importance of having an in-depth biosecurity programme implemented and enforced in poultry and livestock feed production. After more than a year of Covid-19 regulations, most people are familiar with the preventative measures to reduce the spread of a virus.

The question is: Are the Zambian farmers implementing the necessary steps to improve the biosecurity on their farms?

Poultry farmers have been ahead of biosecurity for many years to prevent the spread of highly contagious diseases among farms. Although it is costly and difficult to implement these biosecurity measures, it is, however, particularly important that farmers realise the risk of not following biosecurity protocols.

Currently, there is an outbreak of avian influenza in South Africa, and
even some farms with the strictest biosecurity protocols are being affected by this deadly disease. Zambian farmers should take note of the risk that this disease can hold for the entire poultry industry and act fast by turning up the notch for biosecurity.

Here are a few tips to improve the biosecurity on your poultry farm:

Implement designated entry points for each site on the farm
All employees and visitors must shower before entering the farm site. The
shower unit must have a “dirty” and “clean” side. Ensure that the person entering the site leaves any items of clothing worn off-site on the one side of the shower and ensure that a clean set of overalls and gumboots are provided after the visitor or employee has taken a shower.

The uniform must be removed before the person leaves the farm and it must be thoroughly cleaned before it can be used again. Ensure that uniforms are not mixed between different sites. An easy way to manage this is by allocating a specific colour uniform to each site. Always have a footbath at the entry of each poultry house to kill any possible diseases.

Limit movement on the farm
Reduce the number of visitors to the farm to the bare minimum. Only allow the veterinarians and consultants onto the site if it is necessary. Also, ensure that the visitor has not been exposed to other poultry farms for at least three days. It is also best to ensure that, if you are moving from one site to another, you start with the youngest birds first and then the older groups. This will prevent the spread of diseases from older birds to immune-compromised younger birds.

Follow a strict cleaning programme
After the birds have been removed from the site to get slaughtered, start with the cleaning programme as soon as possible. Ensure that the process is
quick and effective. A poultry site is only considered clean once the final cleaning has occurred. It is important to have the maximum days of rest on the farm to reduce the bacterial load on the site.

Ensure that the disinfectants used are effective, mixed according to the correct concentration solution and that it is working effectively to clean the poultry house properly.

Limit bird movement
Wild birds are often carriers of diseases that can be fatal to domestic poultry. It is thus important to limit bird movement around the poultry house. The easiest way to do this is by keeping the grass short around the site. Keeping a clean site with proper pest control and minimised feed wastage around the site will help to prevent other birds from being attracted to the site by not offering them a source of food.

These are just a few tips and guidelines for biosecurity measures to implement from Novatek. One might think that it is a costly and unnecessary procedure to follow, but the cost of lowered production on the farm, or in the worst-case scenario having to cull an entire site due to infectious disease, can be detrimental to the poultry industry.

Novatek Animal Feeds is committed to helping farmers develop and sustain their businesses. For more information on biosecurity and how Novatek can assist you, contact Wiehan Visagie at +26-097-976-3250, or wiehan.visagie@novatek.co.zm Visit their website www.novatek.co.zm