One major area of risk for livestock producers is having animals get sick. Sick animals add to costs of production, for medications, reduce incomes as animals fail thrive and, in the worst case, die. Biosecurity is the practice of keeping the spread of infectious agents from infected to susceptible animals minimized. A biosecurity plan must take into account all modes of transmission, including direct animal contact within a herd, contact with wild animals or other domesticated species, airborne transmission, contaminated feed or water, and visitors or vehicles that come onto the farm.
The most basic method of disease control in individual herds/flocks is to avoid introduction of disease agents. If possible and practical, producers should keep a closed herd/flock. Most diseases of a contagious nature are introduced into operations when new animals are added.
Disease agents can be introduced when breeding animals are added to an operation; when animals co-mingle at a fair, show or sale; or when animals contact wildlife. If a closed herd/flock is not feasible, then use an animal quarantine program. A useful isolation program consists of a facility that prevents co-mingling of animals for at least 30 days, including separate water supplies.
The University of Maine and University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Systems have jointly developed a biosecurity plan template for sheep and goat producers. It is available on-line at http://www.sheepandgoat.com/biosecurity/. It covers the key areas of concern, including Breeding Stock, Quarantine, Disease Management, General Management, and Zoonosis (transmission of diseases from animals to humans). By completing this plan, sheep and goat producers have the opportunity to identify areas of concern or risk for their operation and come up with strategies to minimize that risk.
1Adapted from Purdue University Extension “Common Diseases and Health Problems in Sheep and Goats” https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/as/as-595-commondiseases.pdf
Last updated May 29, 2015