Ag in Motion speaker highlights need for biosecurity on cattle operations

Glacier FarmMedia—At Ag in Movement 2025, the well-being of your cattle and your operation are essential.

Tessa Thomas, a livestock and feed extension specialist with the Authorities of Saskatchewan, spoke about biosecurity on the Livestock Pleased Hour at AIM on Tuesday, July 16. She stated whereas biosecurity in the beef industry is just not as thorough as in different livestock industries, it’s simply as essential.

“Illness unfold is probably not on high of thoughts,” she stated.

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“You get sort of used to your day-to-day routine, however you by no means know when illness can strike, and simply a few of our day-to-day actions might be improved to forestall that unfold.”

When sure illnesses unfold, they’ll influence the state of Canada’s imports and exports, which suggests you will need to know what’s going on in the case of illness on an operation.

Thomas recommends having a biosecurity guidelines. Many small issues might be accomplished, similar to:

Disinfect your boots and trailer.
Hold animal motion and well being data.
Work with a vet.
Have a herd well being administration program.
Keep away from bringing in dairy calves or calves from different farms.
Isolate new animals.
Isolate animals displaying indicators of sickness.
Keep away from shared fence traces with different ranches (if doable).
Have a illness response plan and a plan for disposing of lifeless livestock.
Clear consuming services and feeders/bunks.
Have a written biosecurity plan in place.

“There are plenty of small steps that we will take to make our farms just a bit bit extra biosecure,” Thomas stated.

When disinfecting your boots and trailer, utilizing family bleach is sweet sufficient, until the illness is parasitic. She suggested utilizing a 1:32 ratio of water to bleach, however in case you are involved about illness, use a 1:10 ratio.

She additionally highlighted investigating deaths to determine precisely what could also be happening.

“Investigating deaths is one thing I do know some individuals battle with. I do know there’s no technique to save that animal, so generally it’s arduous to place more money out after they’re already lifeless, nevertheless it’s key to know why that animal died, and it might prevent some huge cash ultimately,” Thomas stated.

Although the guidelines could look like it consists of plenty of issues, Thomas stated the largest factor with a biosecurity plan is that it doesn’t need to be difficult.

“You don’t need to exit of your technique to make a very difficult factor. It’s simpler to make one thing easy you can observe and observe by means of with as a result of small adjustments change into habits. With huge adjustments, generally it’s arduous to observe by means of with issues, so it’s all the time higher to begin small.”