Document type: dossier produced by Idele
Authors: Magdéléna Chanteperdrix (Institut de l'Elevage), Marie Drouet (Institut de l'Elevage), Béatrice Mounaix (Institut de l'Elevage), Manuel Tourtier (AGESEM), David Le Goïc (SNGTV), Corinne Jaureguy (SNGTV), Philippe Briand (C.A. Ille et Vilaine, 35), Manon Coupin (Chamber of Agriculture Pays de la Loire), Anne Hemonic (IFIP), Nathalie Rousset (ITAVI)
Preview: Managing animal good health is a central concern for veal calf farmers, but not everybody has the same idea of what biosecurity means, and measures are often not fully implemented. Here, we take a closer look at these practices, which are sometimes subject to regulation, that restrict the introduction and spread of pathogens and contribute to the reduction of antibiotic use in animal husbandry.
What is biosecurity?
Biosecurityisthe set of protective measures taken by a farm to avoid the introduction of pathogens, their spread within the farm and their escape onto other farms and into the environment. It contributes to the maintenance of animal health, and therefore reduces the use of antibiotics.
Moreover, compliance with biosecurity and husbandry recommendations has a positive impact on the technical and economic performance of farms (lower health costs, fewer losses, improved growth, etc.) and reduces the daily burden of work (fewer treatments need be carried out, fewer calves need be removed from the pens, etc.).
How to improve your biosecurity levels
Illustrated technical sheets havebeenspecially designed to help veal calf farmers improve biosecurity on their farms. They list all the mandatory and recommended measures for each major biosecurity issue.
In these sheets, 10 major biosecurity areas are addressed. Click on the links below to consult them:
Sheet 1General organization of the farm
Sheet 2 The SAS sanitary system
Sheet 3 Management of fertilisers and effluents
Sheet 4 : Management of animals entering and leaving the farm
Sheet 5a Pests (insects and parasites)
Sheet 5b Pests (rodents and birds) and domestic animals
Sheet 6 : Management of sick animals
Sheet 7 : Management of dead animals
Sheet 8 : Cleaning/disinfection protocol
Sheet 9: Water quality management
Sheet 10 : Quality of the housing environment
