What is Biosecurity For Chicken Health?

Biosecurity for Chicken Health. Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash

Biosecurity is basically putting into place regular hygienic, daily routines to protect your chickens health, bottom line, Biosecurity is disease prevention for your flock. Using proper Biosecurity methods can help protect backyard chickens and commercial poultry from many common and virulent poultry diseases. If you have chickens it is your responsibility to protect them from viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic illnesses plus doing everything you can to prevent these diseases from getting on your premises. Following these simple Biosecurity guidelines is the best way to do that.

Parasites and disease are  spread by contaminated:

• People (hands, hair, clothing, and footwear)
• Birds (wild birds and infected birds) New chickens should be quarantined for at least 30 days before introducing them into your flock.
• Animals (both domestic and wild, includes rodents)
• Equipment
• ​Vehicles-Do not let any vehicles drive onto your property if possible and if you do, make sure they are at least 200 feet away from your coop.
• ​Improper disposal of carcasses, manure, debris, and feathers can lead to disease. ​
• Flocks-Other people's backyard flocks can contaminate yours if they are nearby. Some diseases are airborne. If several people in the neighborhood have backyard flocks, it is a good idea to talk to one another and all of you vaccinate at the same time. Vaccines usually come with a 1000 or more doses which would be enough to do several neighborhood chickens.

See more and get your free Biosecurity Guide below.

---

Ways to Prevent Disease in your chickens-Biosecurity Guidelines

Restrict access to your property and your chickens.
Fence off your birds preferably in a screened area.
Make sure your caretakers do not take care of other birds, have birds of their own, go to poultry shows, or other places where they could become in contact with disease or parasites.
Keep clean boots and shoe covers for visitors to wear while viewing your chickens
Keep a set of clothes to wear only around your birds. If you have more than one coop and flock, use different clean outfits for each flock that way if one flock gets infected you are less likely to spread it to your other flock.
If you do not have shoe covers you can wash your shoes or boots with a long handle scrub brush and disinfectant.
Wash your clothing before and after entering your bird area.
Wash your hands before and after entering your bird area.
Don't let visitors in the fenced area where your chickens are, or allow them to handle your chickens or anything your chickens use.
Do not put game birds and waterfowl with your flock as they are often carriers of disease even if they do not show symptoms.
Clean food and water dishes daily.
Clean and disinfect any tools such as shovels, brooms, etc. that you use in your bird's area.
Keep cages clean.
Remove all feces before using disinfectant. Disinfectant does not work effectively if manure is not removed.
Incinerate any dead birds or contact your local ordinances for disposal.
If you travel to where other birds are or go to the feed store, make sure you wash and disinfect your tires before returning to your chickens.
Do not mix young birds with older birds.
​Do not mix birds from different species or from different locations.
Download the Biosecurity Guide Free

Commonly Used Disinfectants 

Roccal: Mix one-half fluid ounce (oz) of Roccal per gallon of water.
Nolvasan (chlorhexidine diacetate 2 percent): Mix 3 fluid oz of Nolvasan per gallon of water. 
Household bleach (sodium hypochlorite 6 percent): Mix three-fourths of a cup of household bleach per gallon of water.
Lysol spray for footwear.
​Purell hand pump for hand disinfection.
​Download the Biosecurity Guide Free

Additional information on biosecurity for all poultry flocks can be found at www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth/defendtheflock. 
(USDA, 2019).

References:
1. ​(2019). Aphis.usda.gov. Retrieved 21 January 2019, from https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/2014/pub_bioguide_poultry_bird.pdf