American Bantam Association Recommended At-Home Biosecurity Measures for all Fanciers and Backyard (non-commercial) Flocks Introduction

BIOSEC RI!" as practiced in the commercial poultry industry is a means to keep poultry operations as free from contaminants as possible. Viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi (mold), can be kept to a minimum and sometimes be eliminated through the practice of biosecurity. As a poultry Fancier, there are ways that you can also protect your valuable show birds, breeding operation, or simple backyard flock from the diseases and parasites that can rob your birds of their good health and sometimes life. As noncommercial poultry enthusiasts, practicing a biosecurity program is also a way that we can illustrate our commitment to preventing the spread of disease from our noncommercial flocks to the commercial industry as a whole. n the commercial industry, it!s not uncommon for someone visiting a poultry house to be re"uired to take a full shower and put on protective clothing that you would normally see in a hospital surgical room. And this is re"uired even before they!re allowed to enter the building. #here!s usually a footbath containing a disinfectant to walk through as well. $ven feed delivery trucks sometimes have their tires sprayed down with disinfectant before they come up the drive, and the drivers are discouraged from leaving the vehicle. #he types of things that can be carried in can be devastating to a commercial grower. $ntire flocks sometimes have to be destroyed to be sure that a contaminant has been fully removed from a facility and does not pose a threat to a neighboring facility or a geographic region as a whole. %nce an outbreak of disease occurs, a massive disinfection process has to take place with testing before a new flock is brought in. &ut for the average poultry hobbyist, practicing many of these biosecurity activities to prevent the spread of disease are not realistic. #he A&A recogni'es that you are probably not going to go through the e(treme measures of a commercial grower. )owever, we believe that there are some things that you can do that are both reasonable and relatively ine(pensive. *o for those Fanciers who wish to do their part as a responsible member of the poultry community, the A&A now offers some simple suggestions for a biosecurity program for the average Fancier.

At-Home Biosecurity Measures for Fanciers and Backyard (non-commercial) Flocks

+) Precautions a fancier could take to minimi'e his flock!s e(posure, without creating a lot of work and e(pense, a) *et mousetraps. -ice can range from the tiniest deer mouse on up to the .orway rat. #elltale signs are tiny black dropping in the feed cups. /odents transfer disease and bacteria via their feet from cage to cage, and from the wild population to your coop. *almonella enteritis is an e(ample of something that can be avoided when the poultry0s feed and water is clear of rodent droppings. b) 1hen people come to visit your coop, ask them if you can mist the bottom of their shoes with disinfectant. #ek-#rol at four times stronger than normal dilution or a normal dilution of %(ine would be effective - be cautious with %(ine - it could have a bleaching effect on fabric or leather. %ther broadspectrum disinfectants are effective as well, to varying degrees. f they!re Fanciers, you!ll be eliminating anything they could carry in on their shoes from their coop to yours. *ince almost all soil samples contain 2occi, even a non-fancier could bring a different strain of 2occi into your coop than your birds have been e(posed to. c) f you have birds that free- range, keep them separated from your confined birds. Always work in the free-range pen last, after you!ve tended to all other pens and cages.

d) 1hen you move from pen to pen or cage-to-cage to clean out water bowls and the like, use paper towels and throw them out after each use. 2-folds you can buy by the case for industrial use are ine(pensive, as well as plain paper towels purchased by the 3-roll pack from your local discount store such as 1al--art. 2aged birds should have their own water and feed cups that are never used for anyone else. e) 4on!t e(pose your birds to wild birds or wild waterfowl. #his is especially true for waterfowl. 1ild waterfowl carry 4V$, which is highly contagious. 5ray 2alls and 6intails seem to have a natural resistance, as well as the -allard - but the -allard is thought to be a natural carrier. t!s most common in the -uscovy 4uck. 4V$ outbreaks have occurred in -ute *wans, 1hite 6ekins, 7haki 2ampbells, ndian /unners, and 1ood 4ucks, but &lue1inged #eal and 2anadian 5eese are the most susceptible to lethal infection. Although it!s a risk everywhere, 4V$ is more prevalent on the $ast 2oast.

f) 4on!t e(pose your own birds to the backyard bird feeder. And don!t allow wild birds to nest in your coop. 1e could not possibly list everything they can carry to your flock. g) 7eep your young birds (this year0s hatch) separate from your older birds (yearlings and above). About 8 months old is a good age to begin mi(ing them 9 at the very youngest. .atural immunities develop by then that will somewhat protect them against possible !carriers! in your adult flock. h) 7eep the airborne viruses, bacteria, and fungi in check by fogging or spraying your coop once a week with a product suitable for this purpose. t0s best to fog your coop with a product approved for use while the birds are present. -ost products cannot be used this way and you must be sure before you begin, whether your birds need to be removed. :our goal should be to disinfect hard surfaces and to knock any airborne pathogens out of the air (and kill them in the process). i) f you don0t already have one, begin a vaccination program to protect your flock from general and region-specific diseases. 2heck with your *tate0s agricultural dept. before proceeding to ensure that you are following their guidelines for your specific area. Also be sure not to vaccinate your birds with live or modified live vaccines that have the potential to set up a carrier state in your birds if you plan to show them. Vaccination programs can be a complicated sub;ect and one that you must research before beginning. For e(ample, once vaccinated with the 2$% version of the <# (<aryngo) vaccine, your birds will become carriers and can risk an entire poultry show. )owever, the #2% vaccine is not believed to set up a carrier state but can protect your birds from catching <aryngo from another e(hibitor0s birds.

=) Action to be taken once you0ve identified an illness in your coop, a) >uarantine sick birds in a different facility and take care of them last. $ven if they!re in a separate cage, many viruses are airborne and some travel on feather dander, such as -areks, which can be transferred by rodents. As indicated above, there are many other things that can be passed from cage to cage by rodents, including parasites. Any treatment program should be designed around the specific disease the bird is suffering from and research should be done to identify the disease. &road-spectrum antibiotic use before diagnosis can lead to antibiotic resistance in the future and in some cases, antibiotic treatment when a fungal infection is present can actually make the bird worse.

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f a sick bird dies, have it necropsied by a *tate and?or @niversity 6oultry <aboratory or a Veterinarian "ualified to perform the necessary testing to determine the cause of death. #his is valuable information and will help you manage your flock for the future. -ost @niversity labs charge a very small fee in comparison to the volume of tests they are willing to run to provide you with this information.