Factsheet name: Biosecurity for the Sheep Flock

Farm level biosecurity is a series of management practices designed to minimise, prevent or control:

• The introduction of infectious pathogens onto a farm EXCLUSION
• Spread within a farm production operation  MANAGEMENT
• Export of these pathogens beyond the farm which may have an adverse effect on the economy, the environment and human health à CONTAINMENT

Drivers of biosecurity:

• New and emerging diseases.
• Increased focus on prevention rather than treatment.
• Changing epidemiology of disease.
• Increased focus on zoonotic diseases.
• Globalisation and the mass movement of people and goods.
• Increased focus on traceability.
• New production practices in agriculture.

What is biosecurity?

Successful flock management not only requires the control of biosecurity and biocontainment risks, but also requires a robust surveillance programme to monitor disease, establish the disease status of the herd and detect any incursion or spread early in the disease process. What a flock achieves in terms of biosecurity will depend on the aspirations of the farmer.

General principles of biosecurity in the sheep flock:

• Define and monitor the flock’s health status
• Buy in the minimum number of animals from the minimum number of sources, preferably none, or source from an accredited source if possible
• Do not hire rams and take extra care when hiring equipment
  • Also avoid sharing medicines and wormers with other farms, disinfect all equipment if it can’t be avoided
• Provide a quarantine area where there is no contact with other stock
  • There is extensive guidance on the treatments that quarantines sheep should receive in quarantine, speak to your vet and adapt it to your flock’s disease status
• Isolate incoming or returning stock for 28 days and observe for signs of disease
• Avoid all contact with stock of infected or unknown disease status
  • At a minimum prevent nose-nose contact
  • 2 metre boundaries/ use of electric tape at areas where contact is a risk
• Avoid unnecessary visitors to the farm being in areas used by sheep
• Provide footbaths, handwashing facilities and vehicle disinfection areas on farm
  • This includes vets, contractors, farm workers and delivery vehicles
  • Consider having specific farm clothing and boots for visitors
• Control vermin, dogs and cats and prioritise preventing access to feed
• Consider natural water sources as a possible route of entry for infections