• By April W Bowman
• Posted Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Farm Biosecurity

It doesn't matter if you own 5 birds, or 500, biosecurity should be a top priority. Making biosecurity an everyday, every time practice helps keep poultry healthy and prevent the spread of infectious poultry diseases.

Anyone who works with or raises poultry should follow good biosecurity practices all the time. Some European and Asian countries are dealing with highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks right now. These practices will make a difference in protecting your flock, should we face similar circumstances in the future. Here are some tips anyone can follow:

• Choose new birds from National Poultry Improvement Plan participating flocks.
• Quarantine new birds for at least 30 days before introducing them to an existing flock.
• Designate a Line of Separation between your flock and the rest of the world, along with rules for crossing that line.

You can explore the Defend the Flock site, the campaign resources and more detailed biosecurity information at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth/defendtheflock.

Download the biosecurity guides to share with family or new hires.

• link to English hand-outs
• Enlaces a folletos en español

Watch these biosecurity videos and share them with others that may visit your farm

• Videos in English
• Vídeos en español

P.S. Most of these biosecurity tips apply to any livestock operation.

For more information, email, April Bowman, Extension Agent, Livestock, Forages, and 4-H Youth Development at awbowman@ncsu.edu or call 336-703-2855.