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Biosecurity for Canadian Dairy Farms - Producer Planning Guide

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Table of Contents

1. About this document

1.1 Who should use this Guide?

This Producer Planning Guide has been developed for dairy producers across Canada to assist with the preparation of farm-specific biosecurity plans and the implementation of relevant biosecurity best management practices. Farm workers, family members, service providers and all others who conduct business with and/or visit the dairy farm can also use this guide. Everyone has a role to play in biosecurity and can contribute positively to biosecurity efforts on the farm.

1.2 Objective of this Guide

The document Biosecurity for Canadian Dairy Farms: National Standard outlines a set of target outcomes that every dairy producer should strive to achieve on the farm. The objective of this accompanying guide is to illustrate how producers can meet these outcomes through a set of best management practices and a list of key activities.

The best management practices have been compiled following producer-level consultations and a comprehensive literature review, which included an examination of existing international biosecurity initiatives. An advisory committee of producers and representatives from the dairy industry, academia and the public sector provided invaluable guidance.

Dairy producers are in the business of producing food for human consumption and as a result food safety is an industry priority. The application of good biosecurity best management practices will serve to underpin the production of safe, quality-assured dairy products in a sustainable manner to support the future of dairy farming in Canada on a local and regional scale.

1.3 How to use this Guide

Producers are encouraged to prepare biosecurity plans that are specific to their farm operations using the National Standard, and to refer to this Planning Guide for the best management practices that are relevant to the needs of their dairy farms.

This Guide presents a framework to assist in the development of a farm-specific biosecurity plan. Section 2 outlines the key steps for laying the foundation of a farm-level biosecurity plan and provides relevant resources for each of the preparatory steps.

To assist with building the plan, the highlighted best management practices are provided in Section 3. This section directly aligns with the approach of the document Biosecurity for Canadian Dairy Farms: National Standard. Using this approach, there are four biosecurity Control Areas:

  1. animal health management
  2. animal additions and movement
  3. premises' management and sanitation
  4. personnel, visitors, vehicles and equipment

As previously stated, within each of these control areas, a target outcome has been identified as a goal for the industry in Canada. A number of strategies are then listed for each control area with accompanying best management practices.

Additional reference material is provided in the indices and appendices. This Planning Guide is designed to be a resource for producers and it is not expected that producers will read the document cover to cover at one time, but work through the document as they develop their plans.

For those who require more detail for the best management practices, there is a corresponding index for each control area that provides specific activities associated with each best management practice. This material is comprehensive, but is not a complete listing of all practices that could be used to meet the target outcomes.

Explanations of important terms used in this document and in reference to biosecurity are provided in Appendix A: Glossary of Terms. Appendix B: Risk Assessment Tool contains a checklist to evaluate specific biosecurity risks on your farm. Biosecurity is a process of managing risk and therefore the use of this tool is a valuable step in biosecurity planning.

No single biosecurity plan will meet the needs of all farms or agricultural businesses. Each business must assess the potential risks and develop a flexible and practical biosecurity plan tailored to its operation. Also, because it is unlikely that all risks can be mitigated, a biosecurity plan must include a contingency or emergency plan for the farm in the event that a disease or chemical event might occur.

1.4 Other Relevant References

In developing this Planning Guide, information was taken from a number of documents. The Code of Practice – For the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle (2009); the Canadian Quality Milk On-Farm Food Safety Program Reference Manual (June 2010) and the Biosecurity for Canadian Dairy Farms: National Standard documents should be consulted where appropriate when developing a farm-specific biosecurity plan.

2. Laying the Foundation of Your Biosecurity Plan

A farm biosecurity plan identifies the biosecurity practices that are designed to manage the risks on your farm. Consideration should be given to farm layout, facility design and operational practices, along with the diseases of concern and their modes of transmission. All of these factors influence the risk assessment of your farm and determine which practices will be most useful in mitigating those risks. Developing a farm-level biosecurity plan is a team effort between you and your herd veterinarian and will be individual to each farm. A strong foundation must be laid before this plan can be built.
For dairy producers, a biosecurity plan aims to achieve three general goals:

  1. Exclude: prevent the introduction of disease-causing organisms (pathogens) to cattle on dairy farms.
  2. Manage: prevent the spread of pathogens among cattle within a dairy farm.
  3. Contain: prevent the spread of pathogens between dairy farms or from dairy farms to other animal populations.

The following steps are involved in laying the foundation of your farm's biosecurity plan:

  1. Create a diagram of the dairy farm layout and facility design, including the production areas.
  2. Designate biosecurity zones for the premises.
  3. Assign risk areas to the various production areas of the farm and outline the movement pathways.
  4. Establish goals for production and animal health.
  5. Determine the risk tolerance or intolerance to loss from infectious disease.
  6. Complete a rational risk assessment to determine what the disease problems are, including their magnitude, and how likely they are to occur. Specific diseases of concern should be identified.

The tools provided in this section will guide you through these steps.

2.1 Create a farm diagram

The farm layout and facility design can have a significant impact, either positively or negatively, on the biosecurity risks on your farm. Indeed, the farm provides the backdrop in which biosecurity must operate and directly influences both the need for certain biosecurity practices as well as the practicality of implementing them.

A farm diagram allows you to visualize the important aspects of the layout and design. You may already have a farm diagram as a component of other on-farm programs. If not, a simple farm diagram, depicting the layout of all of the facilities on the farm, can easily be created, either using a pad and paper, aerial photograph of the farm or a printed Google® map.

Figure 1: Sample dairy farm diagram
Diagram of a simple dairy farm site. Description follows.
Description of the sample dairy farm diagram

This figure shows a simple dairy farm site, comprised of one barn with a limited number of outbuildings. Facilities that may be present on the diagram include the farmhouse, driveway(s), barn(s), milk house, calf pens/hutches, pasture(s), parking lot(s), storage shed(s), feed storage/bins, manure storage and deadstock storage.

Consideration should also be given to creating a second diagram specifically of the production area(s), indicating:

It may be possible to include all of this information on one diagram, depending on the complexity of the farm.

2.2 Designate biosecurity zones

All components of a dairy farm should not be considered at equal risk relative to biosecurity concerns. Therefore, once the farm layout and facility design has been considered and the farm diagram(s) created, biosecurity zones can be established on your farm. The idea of zones is that they contain areas of similar biosecurity risk, and moving between them, generally through a predetermined access point, requires care and specific practices to avoid cross-contamination. Relative risk zones help to conceptualize the biosecurity plan as it applies to animals, facilities and management. The key idea is to concentrate the majority of efforts in identified high-risk zones.

Figure 2: Sample dairy farm diagram with a Controlled Access zone and Restricted Access Zone
Diagram of farm Controlled and Restricted biosecurity access zones. Description follows.
Description of the sample dairy farm diagram

This figure shows two biosecurity zones, a Controlled Access Zone (CAZ) and a Restricted Access Zone (RAZ) for a simple dairy farm site comprised of one barn with a limited number of outbuildings.

The RAZ contains the high risk areas, including animal housing (barn, calf hutches, and maternity pens) as well as pasture areas and manure storage. The CAZ surrounds the RAZ, separating it from the house and yard, and contains storage sheds for feed and deadstock, as well as visitor parking. A transition point is present at each location where there is access to either the CAZ or the RAZ. Transition points are present at the entrance from the home and road and the parking area into the CAZ. The milk house and loading chute are transitions points for the RAZ. The farmhouse is a separate area outside of the CAZ.

The first zone entered when going onto a farm is the Controlled Access Zone (CAZ). When entering the CAZ there is a risk of bringing in pathogens from outside of the zone. When leaving the CAZ there is a risk of taking pathogens from within the zone into the production area or off the farm. For example, numerous vehicles travel among several dairy farms on a daily basis (i.e. milk truck, other service providers) and they could transmit pathogens if precautions are not taken. Biosecurity practices to reduce these risks should be included in the farm's biosecurity plan.

The second zone entered on the farm is the Restricted Access Zone (RAZ). The RAZ includes the active production areas of the farm. These are the areas in which direct contact with and between farm animals can occur and therefore are the areas of highest risk of disease transmission. Biosecurity practices to prevent the introduction, spread within and exit of pathogens from the RAZ will be included in the biosecurity plan.

The farmhouse and living area may be separate from your zones, if this area can be reasonably isolatedFootnote 1 from the active production areas of the farm. Then, there would be no need for specific biosecurity protocols for people, vehicles or equipment entering this area from off the farm.

Transition points are points at which animals, people, tools, equipment and/or vehicles could be expected to enter or leave a zone, and at which biosecurity practices should be applied. At all transition points, the key concept is to leave behind, or clean and disinfect, any materials, clothing, equipment, or other fomitesFootnote 2 when moving from one risk zone to another.

Examples of common transition points are:

  1. Milk house – Often the most-used access point to the RAZ, and also an area frequently visited by milk pick-up personnel, inspectors and other service providers.
  2. Loading chute – Creates an opportunity for cattle and people handling them to commingle in both the CAZ and the RAZ, especially if it leads directly to the active production area, and for the two areas to be contaminated by the movement of cattle between the two zones.
  3. Feed storage – Requires access from both the CAZ (e.g. by feed delivery personnel and farm workers who are loading up feed produced on the farm), and from the RAZ (e.g. for provision of feed stores to cattle in the barn and elsewhere in the production area) creating multiple transition points.
  4. Deadstock storage – May require access from both the RAZ and the CAZ, and have multiple transition points.
  5. Manure storage – May be a multiple-access area, depending on the disposal procedures for manure on each farm. The area may be enclosed within the RAZ, as shown in the diagram, or it may be a transition point, if manure is disposed of away from the production area.

Setting up these zones contributes to the organized and effective implementation of biosecurity practices. There will be considerable variability from farm to farm on the location of the zones, as they need to be established to meet the needs of the premises based on the risk assessment, farm layout and facility design.

2.3 Assign risk areas and outline movement pathways

Within the Restricted Access Zone (RAZ) there are groups of animals that are more susceptible to disease, specifically in the calf pens and the maternity area. There are also groups of animals, either in the isolation area or hospital pen, which are more likely to carry disease and pose a higher risk of disease transmission. Preparing a list of these areas and pathways, and/or locating them on a sketch of the production area will be useful in illustrating where there are areas of greater or lesser risk for disease transmission, and therefore where biosecurity best management practices must carefully be considered.

Movement of people, equipment and tools occurs between these areas on a daily basis. All movement poses a risk of contamination of the pathways and may ultimately lead to disease transmission between groups of cattle. It is crucial to consider the physical location of various groups of animals. Their proximity to others, their location relative to traffic barriers, and the air movement in the area, all impact the risk of disease transmission. This information can be used to develop a plan for the movement of people, animals and equipment that minimizes the risk of disease transmission.

2.4 Establish goals for production and animal health

The level of biosecurity implemented on your operation will depend on your goals for production and animal health. It is imperative to establish your goals before building your biosecurity plan. Many factors will influence these goals including the purpose of your herd (commercial vs. show herd), and the products sold from your dairy farm (milk, meat/cull cattle, calves, replacement heifers, milk cows, embryos and semen). Your future business plans play a significant role in your goals as well. When establishing your goals, consider the short, medium and long term. Goals can be both overarching for the entire operation as well as targeted to specific aspects of production and/or animal health.

2.5 Determine risk tolerance

Biosecurity is essentially a process of managing risk. You must determine what level of risk your farm is willing to assume or accept and then design your biosecurity plan accordingly to ensure that mitigation measures maintain the risk at an appropriate threshold. Again, many factors will influence the acceptable level of risk for your farm, including what products are sold or may be sold in the future (e.g. milk, meat, breeding animals, semen and embryos), as well as the resources available to devote to biosecurity interventions.

2.6 Complete a risk assessment for disease

In order to effectively begin to develop a biosecurity plan to manage the risks on your farm, it is important to complete a risk assessment for disease. Risk assessment is a way of determining the presence, distribution and severity of a given disease on your farm. The basis for risk assessment is not to eliminate all risks, but to segregate risks into various levels to assist with informed decision-making. Risk assessment helps to determine the specific factors that are most likely to lead to the introduction and spread of pathogens.

Work with your herd veterinarian to:

The attached Biosecurity for Canadian Dairy Farms-Risk Assessment Tool (Appendix 2) can assist you in conducting a preliminary risk assessment for your farm. In addition, the listing of best management practices outlined in Section 3 can be used to evaluate your farm's practices relative to risk for the introduction or spread of disease.

With a solid foundation, you are now prepared to build a farm-specific biosecurity plan (see Section 3). Re-evaluation of this plan is important to ensure that the biosecurity plan is effective and reflects the current goals and priorities of your dairy farm operation. This should be completed annually at a minimum and more frequently if there are changes to your facilities or operational practices.

3. Building Your Biosecurity Plan

3.1 Control Area 1: Animal health management

Target Outcome: An effective health management plan is in place and is actively in use.
Strategy Objectives Best Practices
1. Maintain a client-veterinarian relationship Producers work together with their herd veterinarian to develop an Animal Health Management Plan that will work for each farm to keep animals healthy and maintain farm biosecurity. The Plan includes health assessment of cattle and appropriate response when a change in disease pattern is detected.
  1. Develop a relationship with a veterinary practice.
  2. Implement an Animal Health Management Plan in consultation with your herd veterinarian.
2. Observe, record and evaluate Producers maintain and use animal health records, as specified in their Animal Health Management Plan. Records of individual disease occurrence, treatment provided, and herd disease summaries are maintained and analyzed at suitable intervals to improve the effectiveness of biosecurity and to enhance food safety.
  1. Monitor animal health daily and maintain individual animal health and production records.
  2. Keep detailed records of all sick animals.
  3. Review these records regularly with the herd veterinarian to evaluate disease trends and effectiveness of treatments.
3. Recognize susceptibility, and maintain separation The distinctive production/management areas on the dairy farm and their risk levels are identified, and contact between each is minimized. Youngest are separated from the adults, healthy from the sick, most susceptible from the least susceptible.
  1. Separate cattle based on age and stage of production.
  2. Separate the maternity area from the hospital area.
  3. Segregate pre-weaned calves and have dedicated feeding, treatment and cleaning equipment.
4. Regularly monitor and investigate sickness/ death Cattle are routinely observed for early detection of signs of disease. Sick cattle should be attended to quickly and kept isolated from the remainder of the herd to prevent disease spread. Cases of unusual diseases are reported to the herd veterinarian.
  1. Isolate sick cattle from the remainder of the herd in a hospital pen and seek veterinary advice.
  2. Perform diagnostic tests (milk culture, serology) as required on sick animals.
  3. Develop a protocol to screen for diseases of interest (Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD), Johne's).
  4. Maintain treatment protocols as required by the Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) program.
  5. Develop a response strategy in case of a serious disease outbreak.
5. Manage feed, water and bedding Feed and water are always available in acceptable quantities and quality to ensure the health and well-being of cattle at all stages of development, and the wholesomeness and safety of the milk and meat produced. Feed, water, and bedding inputs are regularly monitored to ensure that they do not contain animal disease agents.
  1. Ensure traceability of all feedstuffs coming onto the farm.
  2. Control the storage conditions and management of feed.
  3. Ensure and maintain feed quality and safety.
  4. Ensure that a sufficient supply of clean and potable water is available and regularly checked and maintained.
  5. Choose appropriate bedding material for your enterprise to control mastitis and promote cow comfort.

3.2 Control Area 2: Animal additions and movement

Target Outcome: Cattle are purchased and moved in a manner that minimizes the risk of introduction and spread of infectious diseases.
Strategy Objectives Best Practices
1. Limit purchase frequency and number of sources Maintain a closed herd to the extent practicably possible. When necessary, cattle are added in limited numbers from as few sources as possible, with a known health status, to prevent the entry of disease.
  1. Grow from within your herd.
  2. Establish a list of suitable suppliers if there is an acute need for expansion.
  3. Plan your introductions.
  4. Transport cattle in clean vehicles with no other animals.
2. Know the health status of purchased animals Buy cattle of known health status (both herd and individual animals). Health status of cattle acquired and introduced to the herd is determined prior to or at the time of purchase. Semen and embryos are sourced from known and reputable suppliers.
  1. Conduct pre-purchase testing and examination.
  2. Ask for a vendor's declaration as to the origin of the animal(s), their health, and vaccination status and treatment history.
  3. Consult with your herd veterinarian before purchase.
  4. Know the health status of semen, embryos and breeding bulls prior to purchase.
3. Segregate, isolate and monitor Cattle introduction into the resident herd is controlled using isolation where indicated. Newly introduced and re-introduced animals are isolated and monitored for a sufficient time to reveal the presence of clinical disease and to allow for pathogen shedding to cease.
  1. Isolate incoming and returning cattle in a designated area.
  2. Observe and examine new purchases and returning cattle frequently for early disease detection.
4. Test, vaccinate and/or treat While in isolation, individual animals may be retested, vaccinated, and/or treated before introduction or reintroduction into the resident herd. Appropriate samples – blood, milk, or feces – are collected and tested no later than upon arrival and/or completion of isolation.
  1. Conduct post-purchase/returning animal testing.
  2. Vaccinate to align with the resident herd's vaccination program.
  3. Adequately treat or cull.
5. Record location and movement Traceability methods and systems are used to record premises' identification, track location and movement of animals, and maintain a link to their herd and their health status.
  1. Identify all cattle at birth with an approved national ear tag in accordance with the National Livestock Identification for Dairy (NLID) program.
  2. Work with your province to identify all premises.
  3. Document all cattle movements and disposals.
6. Manage movement within the production unit Pathways for cattle movement on the farm premises are predetermined. Animals are moved in a manner that reduces exposure to diseased or susceptible animals. Sources of contamination are avoided.
  1. Map the layout of your dairy facility, identifying the various production areas, and develop a flow chart of animal movement within the facility.
  2. Using the map, divide the facilities, management activities and animal production areas into low, medium and high risk categories.
  3. Work with a veterinarian to establish the points of elevated risk and the order in which common/frequent movement of cattle should ideally occur within the production unit.
  4. Include biosecurity concerns in expansion, remodelling or new construction activities.

3.3 Control Area 3: Premises' management and sanitation

Target Outcome: Maintenance and sanitation programs are established for the facility/property to reduce the pathogen load and to minimize the risk of introduction and further spread of diseases.
Strategy Objectives Best Practices
1. Provide materials and equipment for cleaning and disinfection, and instruction on their use Farm workers, service personnel, and other visitors are made aware of the need to clean and disinfect for biosecurity purposes, are provided with suitable materials and equipment, and know how to carry out sanitization practices for all areas of the farm.
  1. Know your disinfectants, and how and when to use them.
  2. Have an appropriate disinfectant(s) as well as the required tools available for cleaning and disinfecting footwear, clothing and equipment.
  3. Store all chemicals away from cattle and feed.
  4. Train all personnel in general sanitation and hygiene procedures.
2. Clean and disinfect equipment and vehicles Farm workers, service personnel, and other visitors follow prescribed farm practices to clean and disinfect their equipment and vehicles during their on-farm activities, and when entering or leaving the premises.
  1. Designate a cleaning and disinfection area for vehicles and equipment.
  2. Keep vehicles and equipment clean.
3. Clean, disinfect and maintain production facilities Bedding is removed from stalls and disposed of in a prescribed manner, and manure is cleared from alleyways and moved to a suitable storage area. High-risk areas of the production facilities, including isolation and calving pens, the milking parlour, and water and feed areas, are cleaned and disinfected in keeping with the farm's planned schedule. Facilities are maintained in good repair.
  1. Develop a cleaning and disinfection program for your production facility.
  2. Ensure facilities are clean and dry.
  3. Complete regular facility maintenance.
4. Manage manure, waste, deadstock and pests Manure, waste, and deadstock are removed from the cattle housing and treatment areas and out of potential contact with cattle, and are isolated from scavengers; disposal is carried out in an acceptable manner. A regular program of pest control is followed.
  1. Develop a manure management plan to address collection, handling, storage and disposal.
  2. Develop and implement a written plan for holding and disposing of deadstock.
  3. Develop and implement an integrated pest management program.

3.4 Control Area 4: Personnel, visitors, vehicles and equipment

Target Outcome: Producers and their employees, service providers, and visitors are aware of and follow the farm biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Strategy Objectives Best Practices
1. Control access Access by farm workers who live or travel off the farm, farm services personnel, and all other people who visit the farm for business or personal reasons is planned and managed. Access is purposeful. Farm visitors understand the potential impact of their actions and comply with the farm protocols in place to minimize the introduction of diseases to the herd.
  1. Limit nonessential traffic on the farm.
  2. Conduct a risk assessment of all visitors.
  3. Keep a record of all visitors and deliveries.
2. Use clean clothing and footwear Farm workers and service personnel use dedicated farm-specific clothing and footwear when on the farm. Clothing and footwear is cleaned and changed between visits and as required when moving between production areas.
  1. Require that all visitors and service personnel put on clean clothing and footwear when entering the production areas.
  2. Ensure all farm workers use dedicated farm-specific clothing and footwear.
  3. Provide the necessary facilities for farm workers, visitors and service providers to change into clean clothing and footwear and wash hands.
3. Control movement of equipment and vehicles Farm workers, service personnel, and other visitors use equipment in a manner that minimizes the risk of cross-contamination between animals. They restrict the movement of their vehicles to permitted areas, and limit cross-contamination between facilities and between production areas on the farm.
  1. Control vehicle and equipment access to the farm.
  2. Control traffic patterns on the farm.
4. Plan, train and communicate Farm personnel should be aware of and understand the importance of biosecurity and the farm-specific biosecurity plan of the dairy operation where they work. All farm personnel should be trained in biosecurity protocols, record keeping, and dairy cow behaviour. Every person who visits or works on the dairy farm should know that a biosecurity plan has been prepared for the farm and that they are expected to follow it.
  1. Involve your entire farm team in the design of the biosecurity plan.
  2. Train and educate your personnel.
  3. Communicate your plan.
  4. Regularly review your biosecurity plan and update at least annually.

Index 1. Control Area 1: Animal health management

Strategy 1: Maintain a client-veterinarian relationship

Section 3.4 of the Dairy Farmers of Canada Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle requires producers to establish a working relationship with a practicing veterinarian. To align with this code, the National Standard and Planning Guide recommend a broadly-based relationship with your veterinarian that will reflect the specific needs of your herd.

Best Practice 1: Develop a relationship with a veterinary practice.

Best Practice 2: Implement an animal health management plan in consultation with your herd veterinarian.

The following considerations outline some important areas to consider in the preparation of your Animal Health Management Plan. The specific details for each area will be unique to your farm.

An Animal Health Management Plan may consider:
  • routine health assessment of cattle
  • individual animal health and production records
  • animal additions and re-entries
  • animal movement patterns on the farm
  • animal housing layout
  • animal nutrition
  • calving management
  • colostrum management
  • fresh cow management
  • mastitis prevention and treatment strategy
  • vaccination strategy for various age groups
  • proper storage for vaccines and drugs
  • the need for specific considerations for organic status
  • common diseases and disease frequency on the farm
  • risk tolerance of the operation for disease outbreaks
  • disease monitoring/testing strategies
  • evaluation of disease records to monitor new disease entry onto the farm
  • isolation of sick animals
  • treatment protocols for common diseases on the farm
  • evaluation of effectiveness of treatment protocols
  • meat and milk withholding times
  • strategy to deal with a serious outbreak of disease on the farm
  • culling strategy
  • euthanasia protocol and guidelines for decision-making
  • regular (annual) review of the plan
  • staff training

Review this plan at least annually with your veterinarian and make adjustments as required depending on the changing needs of your farm.

Strategy 2: Observe, record and evaluate

Individual records are kept for all cattle, especially with respect to production. This strategy recommends that you collect health and disease information for all your cattle and have all of the individual animals' records accessible in an integrated manner. This is of benefit, as it not only provides a central source of information for regular monitoring, but also assists with disease analysis, traceability and on-farm management changes.

Best Practice 1: Monitor animal health daily and maintain individual animal health and production records.

Best Practice 2: Keep detailed records of all sick animals.

Best Practice 3: Review these records regularly with the herd veterinarian to evaluate disease trends and the effectiveness of treatments.

Strategy 3: Recognize susceptibility and maintain separation

Your cattle are more susceptible to disease at certain stages of their life and in certain production conditions. Feed requirements, housing, and vaccination practices also differ in these stages. Separating cattle in these groups reduces the possibility of disease transmission from a lesser to a more susceptible group and allows management efforts to be targeted to the needs of that group.

Best Practice 1: Separate cattle based on age and stage of production.

Best Practice 2: Separate the maternity area from the hospital area.

Best Practice 3: Segregate pre-weaned calves and have dedicated feed, treatment and cleaning equipment.

Strategy 4: Regularly monitor and investigate sickness/death

Early detection of disease is important because it allows the appropriate intervention measures to be undertaken in a timely manner. Isolation of suspected cases, appropriate diagnostic testing, and targeted treatment measures should follow and have a higher likelihood of success if initiated in a quick, and organized fashion.

Best Practice 1: Isolate sick cattle from the remainder of the herd in a hospital pen and seek veterinary advice.

Best Practice 2: Perform diagnostic tests (milk culture, serology) as required on sick animals.

Best Practice 3: Develop a protocol to screen for diseases of interest (BVD, Johne's).

Best Practice 4: Maintain treatment protocols as required by the Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) program.

Best Practice 5: Develop a response strategy in case of a serious disease outbreak.

Strategy 5: Manage feed, water and bedding

Farm inputs such as feed, water and bedding have the potential for the introduction and spread of pathogens. The key activities monitor these farm inputs to ensure that they do not contain or become contaminated with pathogens, chemicals or animal materials. Where farm inputs are purchased, and how they are handled, managed and stored, may have an impact on animal and human health.

Best Practice 1: Ensure traceability of all feedstuffs coming onto the farm.

Best Practice 2: Control storage conditions and management of feed.

Best Practice 3: Ensure and maintain feed quality and safety.

Best Practice 4: Ensure that a sufficient supply of clean and potable water is freely available and regularly checked and maintained.

Best Practice 5: Choose appropriate bedding material for your enterprise to control mastitis and promote cow comfort.

Index 2. Control Area 2: Animal additions and movement

Cattle may be added to the herd to increase the size of the herd, meet quota requirements, replace cattle lost due to disease or injury, account for low reproductive performance or address an aging herd. Regardless of the reason, bringing new animals onto your farm poses one of the greatest risks of introducing infectious diseases. It is critical to consider biosecurity practices to mitigate these risks.

Keeping a closed herd is one way to protect cattle, and it is a best practice to keep the herd closed whenever possible.

Before adding any cattle to your herd, it is beneficial to determine the underlying reasons contributing to the need to acquire additional animals. Whenever possible, consider whether alternative solutions could eliminate the need for new animals.

However, when cattle must be added to the herd, it is important that you plan the introductions and utilize the best management practices outlined below.

Strategy 1: Limit purchases and number of sources

Acquiring cattle and introducing them into your herd is a major risk factor for introducing disease-causing organisms onto your farm. You can reduce this risk by limiting the number of cattle you acquire, the frequency of introduction and the number of sources.

Best Practice 1: Grow your herd from within.

Ideally: Operate a closed herd

In a "closed herd", the herd is repopulated only with animals bred on the farm under common biosecurity and health management conditions. Cows, bulls, calves or heifers are not brought to the farm for any reason, and they are not returned to the farm if they are removed for any reason.

Operating a closed herd requires production practices that eliminate the need for new production animals to be brought into the herd, while ensuring that quota can be met with the existing herd management program. The herd management program may include the purchase of semen and embryos, under suitable biosecurity conditions, that would provide for herd additions and allow genetic planning for the herd.

Information on planning and managing a closed herd can be acquired by contacting your provincial dairy association, or by talking to your veterinarian. Although operating a closed herd has many biosecurity benefits, the practice in itself cannot be the only disease prevention practice on the farm.

It is understood that, in many instances, operating a closed herd at all times is not realistic. If live cattle are to be introduced, the following best practices should be considered.

Best Practice 2: Establish a list of suitable suppliers if there is an acute need for expansion.

Best Practice 3: Plan ahead for all additions.

Best Practice 4: Transport cattle in clean vehicles with no other animals.

Strategy 2: Know health status of purchased animals

The key to safely acquiring new animals is not to purchase only disease-risk free cattle – this can be difficult to ascertain and is impractical in most cases. Rather, you need to conduct a risk assessment to determine the likelihood that an animal has or may be carrying a disease(s). Complete and reliable information of an animal's current health status, its disease history and the status and history of the herd of origin is invaluable for this risk assessment. This provides a basis for your decision-making regarding the purchase of the animal, and the risk mitigation steps needed if that animal does come onto your farm.

Best Practice 1: Conduct pre-purchase testing and examination.

Best Practice 2: Ask for a vendor's declaration as to the origin of the animal(s), their health and vaccination status, and their treatment history.

Best Practice 3: Consult with your herd veterinarian before purchase.

Best Practice 4: Know the health status of semen, embryos and breeding bulls prior to purchase.

Strategy 3: Segregate, isolate and monitor

Once the decision has been made to introduce or re-introduce an animal(s) onto your farm, there should be a period of isolation and frequent monitoring. This will allow for early disease detection and response and ensure that there is a low risk of disease introduction into your herd.

Best Practice 1: Isolate incoming and returning cattle in a designated area.

Best Practice 2: Observe and examine new purchases and returning cattle frequently for early disease detection.

Strategy 4: Test, vaccinate and/or treat

Ensuring that cattle new to your herd or re-entering your home herd are tested for diseases of concern, vaccinated and/or treated for any anticipated disease risk is a key step. The more complete your knowledge of the individual animal's health and disease history as well as the source herd's health and disease status, the more specific your testing and treatment can be.

Best Practice 1: Conduct post-purchase/returning animal testing.

Best Practice 2: Vaccinate to align with the resident herd's vaccination program.

Best Practice 3: Adequately treat or cull.

Strategy 5: Record location and movement

Animal identification is a fundamental component of livestock traceability. The Canadian Cattle Identification Program (CCIP) was established by cattle producers in 2001 and is mandatory for all dairy cattle leaving their herd of origin. Each head of cattle in Canada must have a Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) approved ear tag. All tags are visually and electronically embedded with a unique identification number. The unique identification number is allocated by the CCIA for most provinces in its national database, except Quebec, where the identification program is managed by Agri-Traçabilité Québec (ATQ). The unique number of each individual animal is maintained throughout its life, to the point of export or carcass inspection.

The purpose of the program is to be able to identify animals and their origins during an animal health or food safety event and maintain export markets. The dairy industry in Canada has developed the National Livestock Identification for Dairy (NLID), which meets the requirements of the national identification program, with additional rules to better suit the industry.

Best Practice 1: Identify all cattle at birth with an approved national ear tag according to the NLID program.

Best Practice 2: Work with your province to identify your premises.

Best Practice 3: Document all cattle movement and disposals.

Strategy 6: Manage movement within the production unit

It is crucial to consider the physical location of various groups of animals. Their proximity to others, their location relative to traffic barriers, and the air movement in the area, all impact the risk of disease transmission. Supporting information for these best practices has been provided in Section 2: Laying the Foundation of Your Biosecurity Plan.

Best Practice 1: Map the layout of your dairy facility, identifying the various production areas, and develop a flow chart of animal movement within the facility.

Preparing a list of these areas and pathways, and/or locating them on a sketch of the production area will be useful in illustrating where there are areas of greater or lesser risk for disease transmission, and therefore where biosecurity best management practices must carefully be considered.

Best Practice 2: Using the map, divide the facilities, management activities and animal production areas into low, medium and high risk categories.

Best Practice 3: Work with a veterinarian to establish the points of elevated risk and the order in which common/frequent movement of cattle should ideally occur within the production unit.

For more information on pathways and points of elevated risk, please see below.

Figure 3: Risk areas, routes of travel and critical control points of a dairy operation
Diagram identifies risk areas and routes of cattle and product flow on a dairy operation. Description follows.
Description of the diagram of the risk areas, routes of travel and critical control points

This figure expands upon the concept of identifying the risk areas and routes of travel on a dairy operation. Specific points (areas or activities) where there is elevated risk of disease transmission are labelled as critical control points. Additional biosecurity measures are indicated in these areas or for these activities.

Within the dairy barn, the risk areas are the calf pens, calf hutches, heifer housing, close-up and dry cow pens, maternity pen, milking cow housing, hospital pen, and isolation area. Cattle and cattle products may flow between these areas. The critical control points are from milking cows to close-up and dry cows, from the hospital to the milking cows, from the maternity pen to the calf hutches to the calf pens and any flow from the isolation area.

Outside the dairy barn, there is the calf ranch, animals that have been off the premises, waste storage, vehicles and people, crops, feed, water, birds, rodents, wildlife and pets. Again, cattle and products flow between these areas, as well as into the barn. The critical control points are from the calf ranch to the heifer housing, from animals that have been off the premises to the isolation area, and any flow from waste storage, vehicles, people, birds, rodents, wildlife and pets.

This figure was developed by Aurora Villarroel, David A Dargatz, V Michael Lane, Brian J McCluskey, and Mo D Salman in their article Food for Thought for Food Animal Veterinarians: Suggested outline of critical control points for biosecurity and biocontainment on large dairy farms, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA), 2007; 230:808. It has been reproduced and translated by CFIA with permission from the authors and the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Best Practice 4: Include biosecurity concerns in expansion, remodelling or new construction activities.

Index 3. Control Area 3: Premises' management and sanitation

Cleaning and disinfection are key factors in minimizing the introduction and spread of infectious disease. Dairy producers understand sanitation practices, especially relating to the management of their milking operation and the quality of their product, and most include premises' management and sanitation in their standard operating procedures. Biosecurity builds upon these procedures to more widely applied day-to-day sanitation practices, with additional attention on the management of manure, deadstock and pests.

Strategy 1: Provide materials and equipment for cleaning and disinfection, and instruction on their use

Premises' management and sanitation are advanced by day-to-day, regular activities that can be undertaken by all farm workers. The first step to effective cleaning and disinfection is choosing a disinfectant that is adapted to each situation and then ensuring that it is used appropriately.

Best Practice 1: Know your disinfectants, and how and when to use them.

Choosing a disinfectant can be a complex process. All disinfectants have strengths and weaknesses. Those that are excellent against bacteria may not be the product of choice against fungi, protozoa or viruses. Therefore, a single disinfectant cannot match all the different sources of contamination existing on a dairy farm. Ease of application and safety are also major considerations.

For information on animal facility disinfectants, there is a searchable database on the CFIA website. The North American Compendium provides label information for many disinfectants registered or sold in Canada.

Best Practice 2: Have an appropriate disinfectant(s) as well as the required tools available for cleaning and disinfecting footwear, clothing and equipment

Best Practice 3: Store all chemicals away from cattle and feed.

Best Practice 4: Train all personnel in general sanitation and hygiene procedures.

Adequate training of personnel in cleaning and disinfection is equally as important as the disinfectant and supplies. Indeed, all of the components go hand in hand and effective cleaning and disinfection is not possible without both the appropriate supplies and technique.

Strategy 2: Clean and disinfect vehicles and equipment

Vehicles and equipment can act as mechanical vectors for disease transmission. If contamination has occurred off of the premises and precautions are not taken prior to coming onto the farm, disease may be introduced. Similarly, if contamination occurs while on the premises, vehicles and equipment can facilitate the spread of pathogens around and off the premises. Biosecurity practices focusing on routine cleaning and disinfection need to be considered to mitigate this risk.

Best Practice 1: Designate a cleaning and disinfection area for vehicles and equipment.

Best Practice 2: Keep vehicles and equipment clean.

Strategy 3: Clean, disinfect and maintain production facilities

Unlike many poultry and swine operations, dairy farms do not operate on an 'all-in, all-out' system. This may create some challenges for cleaning and disinfection. You need to design an effective cleaning and disinfection program that is compatible with your operating practices. Routine general cleaning and disinfection as well as more rigorous measures in high risk areas should be considered. Ongoing facility maintenance is also important.

Best Practice 1: Develop a cleaning and disinfection program for your production facility.

Best Practice 2: Keep facilities clean and dry.

Best Practice 3: Complete regular facility maintenance.

Strategy 4: Manage manure, waste, deadstock and pests

Manure, other wastes and deadstock may contain pathogens and therefore have the potential to spread disease both on the dairy farm and to other neighbouring farms. Additionally, these wastes can cause environmental damage. Producers should consider manure removal, deadstock management and waste handling as high-risk activities that, if managed correctly, bring high value to the ultimate success of the farm's biosecurity program. It is also important to note that, in some provinces, the manner in which manure, deadstock and farm waste are managed is highly regulated and producers are required to abide by those specific rules.

Dairy farming creates a favourable environment to attract pests. Pests represent a disease‑transmission risk and also need to be considered in a farm's biosecurity plan.

Best Practice 1: Develop a manure management plan to address collection, storage, handling, and disposal.

Best Practice 2: Develop and implement a written plan for holding and disposing of deadstock.

Best Practice 3: Develop and implement an integrated pest management program.

Index 4. Control Area 4: Personnel, visitors, vehicles and equipment

Controlling traffic and visitors is an essential part of biosecurity, but it is commonly overlooked. Pathogens can be introduced and spread by contaminated footwear, clothing, and hands, as well as on vehicles, farm machinery and other equipment.

The risks of people, vehicles and equipment transmitting pathogens to cattle can be managed if those involved understand the risks and engage in the appropriate mitigation activities. Guiding the movement of visitors onto and within your operation will also minimize these risks.

Strategy 1: Control access

Different categories of service providers and visitors pose different levels of risk. All service providers and visitors should be made aware of the farm's level of biosecurity and follow their biosecurity protocols. The key activities are aimed at controlling who comes on to the farm and then taking steps to manage their visit based on the level of risk.

Best Practice 1: Limit nonessential traffic on the farm.

Best Practice 2: Conduct a risk assessment of all visitors.

Best Practice 3: Keep a record of all visitors and deliveries.

Strategy 2: Use clean clothing and footwear

Footwear and soiled clothing need special attention, as these can serve as important mechanical vectors for pathogens.

Best Practice 1: Require that all visitors and service personnel put on clean clothing and footwear when entering the production area.

Best Practice 2: Ensure that all farm workers use farm-dedicated clothing and footwear.

Best Practice 3: Provide the necessary facilities for farm workers, visitors and service providers to change into clean clothing and footwear and wash hands.

Strategy 3: Control movement of vehicles and equipment

Traffic control includes the movement of vehicles and equipment onto your operation as well as all movement within and off of your operation. Vehicles and equipment have the potential to introduce pathogens onto your farm, as well as move them within or off of your farm if they have been in contact with livestock and their products. You can make an assessment of the relative risk of each vehicle or piece of equipment based on its use, location of work, and movement patterns. Practices can then be established to appropriately address this risk on the farm.

Best Practice 1: Control vehicle and equipment access to the farm.

Best Practice 2: Control traffic patterns on the farm.

Strategy 4: Plan, train and communicate

Everyone on the farm has an important role in implementing biosecurity. Each person should know and understand the importance of biosecurity and be able to implement the biosecurity practices in the area(s) of the dairy operation for which they are responsible. Additionally, those who are involved directly with the herd should be able to identify and respond to potential disease risk situations. Training and education, either formal or informal, as well as regular communication are essential for all personnel who live and work on the farm.

Best Practice 1: Involve your entire farm team in the design of the biosecurity plan.

Best Practice 2: Train and educate your personnel.

Best Practice 3: Communicate your plan.

Best Practice 4: Regularly review your biosecurity plan and update at least annually.

Appendix 1: Glossary of Terms

Following is a list of terms that may be used in the Planning Guide, and that are often used in discussing biosecurity, with a working definition for each:

Aerosol: A cloud of solid or liquid particles suspended in a gas form that can be distributed or dispersed in the atmosphere.

Animal Health Management Plan: A facility- or operations-based plan that describes and communicates the practices that support animal health, respond to disease, and serve to limit disease risks on a dairy farm.

Bio-containment: Practices that serve to limit the possible movement of disease agents outside of an area determined to be infected with or carrying a disease.

Bio-exclusion: Practices that serve to keep disease-risk agents away from susceptible animals.

Bio-management: Practices that are followed on a day-to-day basis to limit and control the potential impact of disease agents and the materials that house them.

Biosecurity: A set of herd management practices to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases.

Biosecurity protocols: Those measures specific to a dairy operation used to prevent the introduction and the spread of disease within the cattle population and from that cattle population.

Calf ranch: Term used in the United States for "calf pens" or other similar facilities.

Cleaning: A practice that removes accumulated organic matter and dirt – may be followed by disinfection.

Closed herd: A population of cattle that have all been bred and raised on-farm, with no purchased replacement animals of any age. If cattle are taken to a show and returned, the herd can no longer be considered closed.

Commingle: The act of mixing cattle, either with other cattle from different farms or production facilities or with other animal species, resulting in direct or close indirect contact among them.

Control area: Any one of four categoriesthat have been used in the Dairy Standard to help organize, explain, and communicate how biosecurity practices apply on dairy farms.

Controlled access zone: A designated area in which biosecurity protocols are in place and monitored and within which livestock are managed (e.g. a location or primary location). It is accessible to people, equipment, vehicles, and livestock only through a securable (e.g. lockable) controlled access point.

Cross-contamination: The act of mixing a material, especially a material that is potentially infectious, with another material, thereby introducing the risk that a contaminant could be transmitted to an animal. For example, disease organisms shed by sick or carrier animals can be transmitted from manure to feed by the use of a common bucket or shovel.

Dairy operation: Includes the buildings, paddocks, corrals, and pastures used at any time of the year to manage any livestock, including dairy cattle; may have one or more locations.

Direct contact: Any form of close contact in which cattle can touch one another, including all forms of nose-to-nose contact.

Disinfection: A practice that inactivates or destroys disease organisms – must be preceded by cleaning.

Emerging disease: A disease that has either been newly discovered or is new to a geographic area or population and has been increasing in incidence. An example is Schmallenberg disease.

Endemic disease: A disease that may commonly exist in a species, in a region, or in the national herd. Examples include enzootic bovine leukosis and bovine viral diarrhea (BVD).

Equipment: Farm machinery, implements, and livestock conveyances; does not include vehicles for personal or business transport.

Foreign animal disease (FAD): A range of biological threats to livestock, poultry, and wildlife that are not normally found in Canada. Examples include foot-and-mouth disease and Schmallenberg virus.

Hazard and control points: Terms borrowed from Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs to denote points of risk, and the manner of addressing them.

Herd of origin: The herd within which the animal was born and raised.

Isolation: The action of restricting an animal to a location that is physically separate from other livestock. The purpose of isolating an animal is usually to prevent it from transmitting a disease to another animal, either because it is known to be diseased or because its disease status is currently unknown. The location is known as an isolation facility.

Known health status: The current state of health of the animal or the herd, including its condition and any disease(s) that the animal(s) may have or carry. Disease history, herd health management practices, vaccination program details, and housing and movement data contribute important information for determining health status and should be made available prior to purchase.

Modes of transmission: The physical or theoretical lines along which disease pathogens or materials potentially containing them are seen or are believed to move.

Other livestock: Animals other than dairy cattle.

Pastures: Fenced areas used for livestock grazing at any time of year. Can include multi-use fields (e.g. graze after haying or aftermath feeding).

Pathogen (also, "pathogenic"): A bacterium, virus, or other micro-organism that can cause disease.

Personnel: All full-time and part-time staff, plus any family members who work in the operation.

Pests: All non-livestock and non-domestic animals, birds, and insects that may pose a health risk, either disease or predatory, to the herd; domestic scavengers such as guardian animals and farm pets that have free access to the herd and most areas on the farm. For the purpose of this guide, pests refer to vermin and wildlife. Examples include rodents such as rats and mice, porcupines, raccoons, opossum, and skunks.

Practice: General procedure that is followed by the producer, and not necessarily documented or detailed to the extent of a protocol.

Premises: A singular term that refers to a contiguous property, including buildings and other additions, used in the National Standard to describe a dairy farm.

Primary location: The main or "home" farm where the home and/or business centre of the dairy operation is located.

Producer: One who owns or operates a farm, raising dairy cattle for producing milk and milk products.

Protocol: Defined and documented procedure designed to meet an objective.

Reportable disease: Any disease outlined in the Health of Animals Act and Reportable Diseases Regulations that, if an animal is contaminated with or suspected to be contaminated with, requires immediate notification to a CFIA district veterinarian. Specific control or eradication measures exist due to the potential significant impact on animal and/or human health and the Canadian economy. Examples include bovine spongiform encephalopathy, brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis.

Restricted access zone: An area inside the controlled access zone where animals are housed and where access by people or equipment is further limited.

Sanitation: An overarching set of practices that reduce the presence of organic material and debris as well as the presence, survivability, and infectivity of disease agents.

Segregation: The act of physically separating animals, equipment, or vehicles to prevent contact and cross-contamination.

Transition zone: A designated location for the application of biosecurity procedures to people and equipment before entering a biosecurity zone (CAZ and/or RAZ).

Visitors: Any non-farm personnel that come to the premises, including in general use, service providers, unless specified otherwise. Examples include salespeople, delivery people, veterinarians, livestock haulers, artificial insemination or embryo technicians, and feed industry personnel.

Zoonosis/zoonotic disease: A disease that can be transmitted to humans from animals or to animals from humans. Examples include cryptosporidiosis and salmonellosis.

Appendix 2: Risk Assessment Tool

Using the Biosecurity Risk Assessment Tool

The Biosecurity Assessment Tool is based on Biosecurity for Canadian Dairy Farms: National Standard and designed for use by producers working with their herd veterinarian. The questions posed in this document pertain to biosecurity practices for all types of dairy production operations, and are intended to be used in developing an assessment of a farm's biosecurity at any point in time. There may be additional risk factors that are important for each individual farm, and further review of the biosecurity best practices provided in the Producer Planning Guide will assist with a more in-depth risk assessment.

The tool is designed to be used to identify biosecurity risk areas and lead to a focused discussion on the risk practices on the farm with a herd veterinarian. There may be risks that the producer chooses to accept and those that can be mitigated by changes in practices on the farm.

Farm Details

Name of Farm:

Date of Assessment:

Owner:

Address:

Livestock type and numbers:

Biosecurity Assessment

To complete this assessment, check the appropriate boxes as they relate best to your dairy operation. If a question does not apply to your farm please select "not applicable" and continue with the assessment. After completing the exercise, review the areas that require additional efforts and then refer to the relevant sections in the Producer Planning Guide for recommended biosecurity best practices.

Section 1: Animal health management
Always Sometimes Never Not Applicable
1-2 Does your livestock operation have a relationship with a herd veterinarian? Box Box Box Box
1-3 Does your livestock operation have an Animal Health Management Plan? Box Box Box Box
1-4 Does your livestock operation have and follow a veterinarian-approved vaccination program against specific diseases of concern?
Current list of diseases of concern:
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Box Box Box Box
1-5 Does your livestock operation perform post-mortems for unexplained deaths to monitor disease? Box Box Box Box
1-6 Does your livestock operation monitor the ongoing health status of cattle on a regular basis? Box Box Box Box
1-7 Does your livestock operation keep lifetime animal health records for individual animals that include vaccination details, diseases, and treatments? Box Box Box Box
1-8 Does your livestock operation pass animal health records along when animals are sold or moved? Box Box Box Box
1-9 Does your livestock operation take measures to protect the feed or water supply from contamination by manure, rodents, pets or wildlife? Box Box Box Box
1-10 Does your livestock operation test drinking water for bacterial contamination? Box Box Box Box
1-11 Does your livestock operation purchase feed from suppliers with demonstrated good production practices? Box Box Box Box
1-12 Does your livestock operation keep feed records on the source and dates of delivery? Box Box Box Box
1-13 Does your livestock operation store feed in an area that prevents contamination (e.g. by urine, feces etc.)? Box Box Box Box
1-14 Does your livestock operation group animals by susceptibility to disease (e.g. calves) and maintain separation between groups? Box Box Box Box
Section 2: Animal additions and movement
Always Sometimes Never Not Applicable
2-1 Does your livestock operation operate a closed herd? Box Box Box Box
2-1 I. If not, do you limit number of additions to the herd (i.e. only when necessary and with advance planning) Box Box Box Box
2-1 II. If not, do you purchase replacement animals from herd with known health status? Box Box Box Box
2-1 III. If not, do you source animals directly from the herd of origin? Box Box Box Box
2-1 IV. If not, do you know the animal health practices of all suppliers? Box Box Box Box
2-1 V. If not, do you test replacement animals for specific diseases of concern? Box Box Box Box
2-1 VI. If not, do you isolate replacement animals for 14 to 30 days? Box Box Box Box
2-1 VII. If not, do you transfer information including animal health records for all new animals? Box Box Box Box
2-2 I. Does your livestock operation isolate new additions to the herd? Box Box Box Box
2-2 II. Does your livestock operation isolate new animals from different sites separately until their health status is known? Box Box Box Box
2-2 III. Does your livestock operation isolate animals that return after leaving the farm? Box Box Box Box
2-2 IV. Does your livestock operation isolate clinically sick animals? Box Box Box Box
2-3 Does your livestock operation collect and keep information on individual animals? Box Box Box Box
2-3 I. Does the information include where each animal was born? Box Box Box Box
2-3 II. Does the information include where each animal was raised? Box Box Box Box
2-3 III. Does the information include the animal's movement since birth? Box Box Box Box
2-3 IV. Does the information include the animal's vaccination and disease history? Box Box Box Box
2-4 Does your livestock operation have and follow a movement plan (e.g. work with animals from youngest to oldest, healthy to sick) if practical? Box Box Box Box
2-4 If not, are other precautions taken? Box Box Box Box
2-5 Prevent direct contact between animals of different disease status and indirect contact through manure or other excretions? Box Box Box Box
Section 3: Premises' and sanitation management
Always Sometimes Never Not Applicable
3-1 Does your livestock operation have a Restricted Access Zone (RAZ) and Controlled Access Zone (CAZ)? Box Box Box Box
3-2 Does your livestock operation prevent animals from having fence-line contact with livestock from other farms (i.e. provide a buffer zone that allows for a space)? Box Box Box Box
3-3 Does your livestock operation have written instructions for cleaning and disinfecting different types of equipment? Box Box Box Box
3-4 Does your livestock operation have written sanitation and disinfection procedures and schedules for all animal holding areas/facilities from which pathogens could spread? Box Box Box Box
3-5 Does your livestock operation have appropriate and effective cleaning and disinfection materials available for use? Box Box Box Box
3-6 Does your livestock operation ensure that vehicles and equipment that circulate into or across zones are cleaned when they arrive or before crossing zone boundaries? Box Box Box Box
3-7 Does your livestock operation disinfect equipment (livestock related) between uses? Box Box Box Box
3-8 Does your livestock operation practice sanitation to minimize contamination of livestock waterers by manure and urine? Box Box Box Box
3-9 Does your livestock operation have specific cleaning and sanitizing protocols for higher-risk practices (e.g. AI or treatment of sick animals)? Box Box Box Box
3-10 Does your livestock operation keep buildings and facilities well maintained and in good repair? Box Box Box Box
3-11 Does your livestock operation have walls, ceilings and facility parts that are easy to clean and disinfect? Box Box Box Box
3-12 Does your livestock operation remove and renew bedding on a regular schedule and dispose of used bedding so it does not contaminate animals, water sources and facilities? Box Box Box Box
3-13 Does your livestock operation scrape manure from alleyways on a regular schedule? Box Box Box Box
3-14 Does your livestock operation dispose of manure on the farm by spreading, storing and/or composting it in a way that prevents drifting, leaching and potential contamination of other areas? Box Box Box Box
3-15 Does your livestock operation have a deadstock disposal protocol that ensures dead stock is removed from animal housing quickly so that no other livestock have contact with the carcass? Box Box Box Box
3-15 Does your livestock operation have a deadstock disposal protocol that defines the pickup protocol for deadstock services? Box Box Box Box
3-15 Does your livestock operation have a deadstock disposal protocol that disposes of deadstock by burying, composting or pickup by a deadstock disposal service? Box Box Box Box
3-16 Does your livestock operation use equipment for a single purpose only (i.e. do not scrape manure and feed with the same shovel)? Box Box Box Box
3-17 Does your livestock operation avoid using equipment that is used on other farms (borrowing, lending, custom operators)? Box Box Box Box
3-18 Does your livestock operation have a pest control program (insects, rodents, wildlife, weeds)? Box Box Box Box
Section 4: Personnel, visitors, vehicles and equipment
Always Sometimes Never Not Applicable
4-1 Does your livestock operation prohibit visitors from entering the farm buildings without permission? Box Box Box Box
4-2 Does your livestock operation post biosecurity signage? Box Box Box Box
4-3 Does your livestock operation have a written copy of the farm's biosecurity protocol(s) with specific requirements for entry into controlled access zones and restricted access zones? Box Box Box Box
4-4 Does your livestock operation advise visitors and service providers of your biosecurity practices? Box Box Box Box
4-5 Does your livestock operation have a visitor log to record all people who enter the farm? Box Box Box Box
4-6 Does your livestock operation prevent international visitors from visiting the livestock within five days of arrival? Box Box Box Box
4-7 Does your livestock operation inquire about recent animal contact by visitors? Box Box Box Box
4-8 Does your livestock operation require everyone working with the herd to wear clean coveralls and footwear dedicated only for use in the animal holding facilities? Box Box Box Box
4-9 Does your livestock operation require everyone working with the herd to change coveralls when moving between different animal groups, including isolation areas? Box Box Box Box
4-10 Does your livestock operation require everyone working with the herd to disinfect or change footwear when moving between different animal groups? Box Box Box Box
4-11 Does your livestock operation require visitors and farm service providers to wear clean coveralls and boots or plastic booties? Box Box Box Box
4-12 Does your livestock operation require truck drivers to stay in their cab while loading or unloading? Box Box Box Box
4-13 Does your livestock operation have a designated, signed parking area for visitors and farm service workers that is away from the barn, animal facilities, and routes travelled by animals and/or mobile farm equipment? Box Box Box Box
4-14 Does your livestock operation ensure that vehicles that must approach animals or animal housing areas (e.g. milk trucks or feed trucks) have specified routes to follow? Box Box Box Box

Action Plan:

(Consider practices associated with questions that were answered "no" above):

Things that are done well:

Opportunities for improvement:

Date modified: