1. Biosecurity Dr. Pepi Leids NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
Division of Animal Industry
Modified by the GA Agriculture Education Curriculum Office
July 2002

2. Why Should You Care?
Infectious diseases cost dairy producers production and profit
We are seeing increases in antibiotic resistance, making diseases harder to treat effectively
We are in the FOOD business

3. Why Should You Care?
Many clinical diseases represent the tip of the iceberg
Johne’s: 1 clinical = subclinically infected
$228/lactating cow
BVD: 1 infected = persistently infected calves for years
$475/lactating cow

4. Why Biosecurity? Preventive approach to herd health
Reduce the herd’s risk for contracting or spreading a disease
Often requires only management changes, not capital investment

5. What is Biosecurity?
A collection of management practices which protect a herd from the entry of new diseases and minimizes the spread and/or adverse effects of disease within a herd.

6. The Animal Health Triad

7. Immunity and Challenge
Disease
Subclinical Disease,
Poor Production,
Reduced Efficiency
Disease
Immunity (Immunity x Environment)
Challenge (Disease Agent x Environment)

8. Putting Biosecurity to Work
Minimize exposure to disease agents
Develop immunity
Manage environment to support above points

9. Reducing Exposure to Disease
Consider the paths for disease entry or spread
Cattle
purchased animals, heifers returning from grower, show animals
Manure
Pests, pets, wildlife
Feed
Water
Take steps to minimize your risk

10. Cattle Single source you can inspect Known health history
Primary & secondary vaccine weeks before move
Test as appropriate
BVD-PI, Johne’s, contagious mastitis, heel warts, salmonella
Protect the home herd

11. Transport Insist on clean transport
washed between uses
60% of trucks contaminated with salmonella
Don’t group animals from other farms
Trained, conscientious haulers
Minimize stress

12. Minimize Animal Contact
Pets
cats, dogs, chickens, geese
Pests
rodents, birds, wildlife

13. Manure Management Avoid mixing with feed Consider flows
near feed storage
near youngstock
Watch for carriers
equipment
people
spreading

14. Feedstuffs - Mill to Farm
Rodent and bird control in feedmills
vectors for many bacterial diseases
Cleanliness of delivery trucks
alternatives to delivery at the barn
Drivers enter facilities only when necessary

15. Keep Feed Clean Rodent and bird control in storage
Don’t use manure equipment in feed handling
Preach caution in pushing up feed
Be alert for areas where manure could mix with feed

16. Don’t Tolerate Fomites
Every visitor should clean & sanitize:
clothes
boots
hands
equipment
Discourage visitors from:
entering facilities unnecessarily
parking near or working with youngstock
moving between different groups unnecessarily
Consider the order of work routines

17. Manage the Environment
Increase cow comfort through:
Good stall design
assess utilization, lunging, & resting posture
Proper ventilation
Proper footing
Grouping cattle to decrease disruption

18. Calving Area Management
Maternity pen is the highest priority area
clean and dry
single use
not a hospital pen
separate from cows
motel 6

19. Neonatal Management Test for BVD-PI status before colostrum Colostrum
4 quarts ASAP
from calf’s own dam or Johne’s free cow
NO pooled colostrum
Dip navel
Remove calf ASAP

20. Environment Nutrition balanced for growth or production
analyze & supplement
Vit. A & E, Cu, Se, Zn
avoid molds & mycotoxins
suppress immunity
pay attention to forage moisture levels and particle length
can alter rumen and intestinal pH, making harmful bugs more viable

21. Immunity Consult with your own & customers’ vets
Establish vaccination program which addresses diseases from all your customers
Keep records of vaccinations

22. Cow & Calf Immunity Role of vaccines & colostrum
protects calf from diseases transferred across placenta
provides important passive immunity for the calf
should take into account any bugs that heifers might encounter on your farm

23. Summary Avoid the entry or spread of pathogens
cattle, manure, feed, water, equipment, people
Manage the environment to:
reduce spread of disease
optimize immunity
Maximize immunity
optimal passive transfer: fetal & colostral
sound vaccination program rigorously adhered to