Biosecurity doesn鈥檛 have to be complicated, with most practices coming down to basic animal husbandry.
Knowing what to keep off the farm goes a long way to preventing problems, says Chris Rademacher, Extension swine veterinarian with Iowa State University.
鈥淵ou need to understand that most of the problems come with the animals,鈥 he says. 鈥淔or example, you need to be able to isolate replacement gilts and get them tested before they become part of the operation.鈥
Disease also travels onto a farm via the folks who visit. That includes truckers, suppliers and rendering companies, Rademacher says.
鈥淓ven something as simple as putting a wooden bench in the entryway will ensure people are changing shoes or clothing as they come in and out of the building,鈥 he says.
Dead hogs can also pose a biosecurity risk. Rademacher says workers need to change footwear when removing dead animals and change into a different pair after that task is done.
Proper maintenance is also key when it comes to a good biosecurity program, says Brett Ramirez, ISU Extension ag engineer.
He says keeping buildings in good shape helps reduce the risk of diseases finding their way into the room. This includes making sure bird nettings are working and that curtains are in good operational order as well.
鈥淚t's cold outside and it鈥檚 warm inside, and those rodents are going to try to find a nice place where it's warm,鈥 Ramirez says. 鈥淵ou want to do everything you can to keep them out, such as placing a gravel skirt around the building.鈥
He says managing feed spills will also help keep rodents and birds out of buildings.
Ramirez says while ventilation is important, it鈥檚 near the bottom of the list when it comes to biosecurity.
鈥淭here are a lot of simple and cost- effective ways to manage those buildings,鈥 he says, 鈥淰entilation is more expensive when you鈥檙e looking at adding filters to finishers. There are less expensive things you can work on.鈥
Rademacher suggests any ventilation maintenance be done prior to winter.
He says a good biosecurity system is part of an operational culture that all personnel must buy into.
鈥淵ou have to train people on it. You need to talk about it a lot. And you need to be consistent,鈥 Rademacher says. 鈥淎t the end of the day if you have a breakdown, everyone has to deal with that. Everyone needs to know what the plan is and what to do to make it work.鈥