Animal Health & Welfare

Farm Management

• Train staff in the principles of hygiene and disease security.
• Provide cleansing and disinfectant materials (brush, hose, water, disinfectant and, if possible, a pressure washer) for all visitors / workers on arrival and departure or provide protective clothing / footwear / disposable gloves for on-farm use.
• Have stock-proof boundaries.
• Check and maintain boundaries regularly.
• Minimise nose-to-nose contact with neighbouring stock.
• Prevent animals from straying onto roads.
• If common grazings are used, try to isolate incoming stock before turning them onto common grazings.
• Newly-born animals are particularly susceptible to disease so make sure that designated calving and lambing areas are regularly cleansed and disinfected.
• Dispose of fallen stock in accordance with the legislation.
• Buy animals from an accredited herd and / or flock and then isolated from other animals for a minimum of 20 days.

Vehicles

Dirty transport vehicles of all types pose a high risk of introducing infection. Therefore:

• Avoid unnecessary contact between vehicles and livestock.
• Clean and disinfect vehicles of all types, including trailers and quad bikes, if exposed to other farm animals. It is important to remember areas that may not be immediately visible, for example, wheel arches, mudguards and mudflaps.
• Vehicles must be cleaned and disinfected after transporting animals. 

Buildings & Equipment

• Clean and disinfect buildings after use by livestock.
• Clean and disinfect all shared and hired equipment after use and before moving off farm.

People

• Dissuade callers from having contact with livestock. Display notices directing callers to the farmhouse or farm office. Without good cause, do not let visitors enter buildings where animals are kept, or touch livestock or feedstuffs.
• Reduce the number of vehicles entering your farm; consider having a post box at the end of your farm road.
• Avoid wearing dirty work clothes or footwear off the farm, particularly when going to a market.
• Wash hands after close contact with any animal and, ideally, provide permanent facilities for this.
• Signpost the farm. This can be important if a disease outbreak occurs.

Feed & Water

Various diseases can be spread by contaminated feed and water. This risk is reduced by:

• Using mains water wherever possible. There is evidence that private supplies are at higher risk of becoming infected.
• Have water bowls or drinkers above the level of faecal contamination.
• Avoid contamination of watercourses.
• Clean feed and water troughs regularly.
• Keep feed in a clean, dry store.
• Keep feed stores covered and shut to ensure no access by dogs, cats vermin and wildlife.
• Dispose of old or soiled feed safely.
• Swill feeding is banned.