Poultry biosecurity risks: identifying flows

A system boundary can define either a farmstead or an individual barn. Line(s) of separation define clean areas from dirty areas. On most farm sites, you must consider farmstead and individual barn boundaries and lines of separation.

You can define a system boundary around the farmstead

• Roads

• Property lines

• Gates and fences

You can define barn’s boundary by 

• Roof

• Sidewalls

• Doors

• Air inlets

• Air outlets

• Exhaust fans

Barn entrances play a key role in barn boundary because this is where people and supplies cross a line of separation into clean biosecure areas. You can define lines of separation by painting a line or curb on the floor. You can use multiple barns connected by enclosed hallways to define the boundary between inside and outside.

General farmstead flows can include

• Employees entering and leaving the farmstead

• Non-employees such as service providers, veterinarians, package couriers, sales consultants and visitors entering and leaving on occasion

• Feed and feed trucks

• Live birds moving in and moving out - trucks, equipment and employees

• Mortalities leaving barns and the farmstead

• Eggs leaving a layer operation

• Bedding supply trucks

• Supplies and delivery trucks (mail, packages, other)

• Garbage truck and physical trash

• Manure handling equipment

• Manure leaving

• Fuel trucks

• Employee work clothes and boots

• Food and drink for employees

Barn flows can include

• Airflow in and out

• Feed flow in

• Live animals in and out

• Mortalities out

• Animal care givers with dirty hands and cloths in and out

• Service people, consultants and visitors with dirty hands, equipment and clothes

• Equipment in and out — machinery, tools, etc.

• Personal items including glasses, jewelry and phone

• Supplies in — inventory, ordering, delivery, storage, cleanliness

• Bedding added

• Used litter and manure removed

• Water in

• Trash including used plastic boots, gloves, disposable coveralls, other things

• Clean boots and coveralls in and dirty boots and coveralls out

• Used boot dip or dry disinfectant

• Cleaning supplies in, used dirty supplies leaving and empty containers out

• Toilet wastes and wash water out

• Rodents, flies and wild birds

• Others

• Where do the inflows come from and where have they been?

• Where do the outflows go?

• Are there branch flows (ex. people leaving trucks that enter a farm or barn)?

• Can the material or person become contaminated?

• How much flow occurs? When?

• How is the flow or transport done?

• What happens along the way as the flow passes through the barn or farmstead?

Assume that the flows are dirty whether incoming or outgoing.

• What risks are there with each flow (ex. feed, water, air, bedding, people, trucks, wild birds, flies, rodents, other)?

• Can the flow cause disease spread? If yes, how can you reduce this risk?

• What treatments or practices can you use to reduce the risk of disease spread?

• What are the costs and risks?

• How much does a practice cost to carry out in equipment, operating costs, time and labor?

• Is the practice practical? Does it fit within the farm’s management plan?

• What are the benefits of the practice? How does it reduce risk of disease spread?

• Minimize introducing disease by developing clear instructions and providing facilities, equipment, supplies and trained people for managing each flow.

• Minimize exporting disease through materials by developing clear instructions and providing facilities, equipment, supplies and trained people for managing each flow.

Always make flow management and biosecurity practices easy. People are likely to do a job well if it’s easy to do with the right equipment.