Hygiene and safety measures for livestock

Clearly structured hygiene and safety measures make a significant contribution to protecting your livestock from contagious animal diseases.

Biosecurity is a very important topic on pig farms. It includes all measures that minimize the introduction and spread of Infectious germs. A distinction is made between external and internal biosecurity. External biosecurity prevents the entry of germs into the farm and internal biosecurity prevents the spread of pathogens in the herd. Pig farmers use a variety of hygiene and safety measures to protect their animals from disease and keep them healthy in the best possible way. This improves animal welfare as well as production parameters such as daily weight gain and feed conversion.

Especially in view of the imminent threat of African swine fever, every farm should once again check where its biosecurity measures can be improved. SCHAUMANN provides you with guidelines for this.

1. Shielding the herd

Make a clear separation of the farm into white and black areas. Establish clear access regulations for the white area. Access should only be via a hygiene gate. The ideal solution is to use a fence to protect the white area from all outsiders, wild animals and the entry of diseases. Feed silos, loading ramp, slurry silo and carcass garbage can are located in the black area and can be accessed from the outside.

2. Farm clothing

All visitors will be given farm-owned, clean clothing (possibly disposable overalls) and boots. Do not allow non-farm clothing and equipment in the white area.

3. Buying of animals

Only buy animals from trustworthy sources from as few different suppliers as possible.

4. Transport Vehicle Hygiene

Does the livestock trailer arrive clean at your farm? In particular, check the vehicle top, the underside of the partition walls, grid bars, ventilation openings, hinges, upstands and handling aids. The disinfection logbook provides information on previous transports and disinfection.

5. Loading of animals

The driver of the livestock truck has no business in your barn. If there is no other option, equip him with your own clothing and equipment. Always ensure that the driver's work clothes are clean, as dirty clothes or boots are also a source of pathogenic germs. Then thoroughly disinfect the driveways, waiting pens, loading ramp, livestock scales, handling boards and paddles.

6. Own transporter

Clean and disinfect the farm's own livestock transporter regularly, preferably in a washing area or in a hall that is at a sufficient distance from the stable buildings. The transporter should be cleaned from the outside in, from top to bottom. Particular care is required for heavily soiled surfaces and areas that are difficult to access, such as ventilation slots, the undersides of partition walls, recesses and hinges.

7. Disinfection

Take great care and attention when disinfecting. Only use approved disinfectants from the DVG list* (www.desinfektion-dvg.de) and take into account the varying effectiveness of the individual products against bacteria or viruses and the corresponding concentration information. Find out more about preventive disinfection against ASF here.

DVG-listed* disinfectants from  SCHAUMANN:

ORGANOSEPT NEU

Surface and basic disinfectants against a wide range of bacteria, enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. The high effectiveness is maintained even at temperatures down to -10°C.

Can be used in unoccupied and occupied stables

ENDOSAN FORTE S NEU

Highly effective broad-spectrum disinfectant against endoparasites (incl. worm eggs, coccidia, cryptosporidia) and bacteria (incl. mycobacteria, yeasts, viruses) For use in unoccupied barns after thorough cleaning

(*DVG – Deutsche Veterinärmedizinische Gesellschaft)