Tips for maximising on-farm biosecurity

Farm biosecurity involves a range of day-to-day practices that can help keep infectious diseases, pests and weeds off a property. These practices are often documented in a farm biosecurity plan. 

There are two parts to a farm biosecurity plan:

• Measures to reduce the risk of introducing an infectious disease, pest or weed onto the property.
• Measures to reduce the risk of spreading an infectious disease, pest or weed within a property. 

Reduce the risk of introducing an infectious disease, pest or weed 

Introduced stock 

Always purchase stock from reputable and biosecurity conscious suppliers, and (where possible) inspect before purchase. 

Keep incoming livestock separate from livestock already on the property until disease screening test results are available to allow clearance to enter the property. 

Purchase stock with the same, or higher, health status as your own. Insist on all relevant documentation, including an LPA NVD and the relevant National Animal Health Declarations for cattle, sheep, goats or dairy cattle. 

Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) accredited producers can complete their declarations online via their eNVD accounts.  

Use a TruckSafe Animal Welfare accredited transporter to carry the livestock. 

Treat incoming livestock with appropriate drenches and vaccinations, and hold them in yards for at least 24hours to empty out. 

Ensure records of stock transactions and movements are kept up to date in your NLIS account. 

Quarantine and monitor incoming stock for at least seven days. Extend this period if footrot or Johne's disease in sheep is suspected. Check the faecal egg count of introduced stock 10-14 days later to ensure all gastrointestinal worms have been removed. 

Agisted livestock may have been exposed to several potential disease sources (roadways, stray or resident livestock on the agistment property, trucks). Quarantine agisted animals on their return to the home property. 

Animals at shows or sales may be exposed to disease. Be vigilant and keep them as isolated as possible and use your own feeding and watering equipment if possible. 

Vehicle/people movements 

Visitor vehicles can contaminate property, so try to limit the movement of outside vehicles on-farm. 

Be vigilant with livestock transport – manure from infected animals can spread diseases. 

Establish a single access point to your property, so you know who and what is coming and going. 

Contractors' equipment can spread diseases, such as footrot or lice. Encourage the use of protective clothing and regular cleaning of hands and shoes. 

Stockfeed 

Source stockfeed from a reputable supplier that operates under a quality assurance program. 

Try to source stockfeed locally. 

Feeding restricted animal material (RAM) to ruminants and swill to pigs is illegal in Australia as it has led to diseases including Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and foot and mouth disease (FMD) in other countries. 

Do not feed meat, bonemeal or any banned material to cattle, sheep or goats. Tallow is the only animal product which can legally be fed to stock. 

When buying feed, always ask for a fully completed Commodity Vendor Declaration and check that feed is free of RAM and any other contaminants. 

Boundaries 

Ensure all boundaries are well maintained and secure. 

Feral animal and wildlife 

Control feral pests where possible and work with neighbours to maximise effectiveness.  

Dispose of carcases in an area where other livestock and feral animals cannot access them, taking into account the potential for environmental contamination. 

Refer to the PestSmart website for more guidance on controlling populations.https://pestsmart.org.au/ 

Reduce the risk of spreading an infectious disease, pest or weed 

Regularly monitor and investigate animal illness or death 

Monitor livestock regularly and investigate disease outbreaks and deaths.  

Remove and isolate sick animals. 

Report cases of unusual sickness or death to a vet or government officer. 

Where possible, record the number of deaths to identify significant increases. 

Maintain good animal health practices  

Establish and maintain a flock or herd health plan which includes horses, working dogs and pets. 

Use proficient operators to implement plans. 

Vehicle/people movements 

Make sure infected animals or animals with parasites are the last ones run through the yards. 

Wash hands thoroughly and change clothes after handling sick animals. 

Stockfeed 

Make sure stockfeed is not contaminated by domestic animals, feral animals, livestock or vermin. 

Keep feed in a clean, dry area and inspect it to ensure it is still in ideal condition when fed out. 

Keep troughs clean and try to ensure watering points cannot be accessed by feral animals. 

Do not allow water to stagnate – insects and pests are attracted to water and may spread disease.  

Boundaries 

Make sure internal and external fences are adequate to keep livestock mobs segregated and prevent animals wandering.