PHOTO: ANNE VAN DER WOUDE


prevention but also for production and welfare,” Stone adds. “It plays a major role in illness, especially in seasonal events or pre- and post-calving. We can’t stop that type of stress as we want them to calve, but we can control their environment as much as possible so one stressful event isn’t compounding others.” Jennifer Bentley, extension and outreach dairy field specialist at Iowa State University, agrees that stress in all its variations must be controlled and limited, but when animals move in and out of various facilities, testing and quarantining options depend heavily on the type of cattle. “If we’re purchasing milk cows, older animals from a different farm, or springing heifers that haven’t calved, isolating them for a few weeks to monitor their health, watching for disease signs before exposing them to the rest of the herd is good practice,” she says. She explains that certain diseases can be tested for ahead of transport and suggests working with the seller and a veteri- narian to follow guidelines and complete vaccinations weeks before animals are moved. This helps ensure their exposure level coordinates with what’s present at the receiving dairy. “It’s always wise to consistently touch base with your vet in an effort to keep cattle healthy,” she says. “If they’re vaccinat- ed against specific infections, they’ll build an immune re- sponse to handle an exposure, versus an unprotected animal.”


Proactive management controls Bentley outlines that other proactive methods should focus on outsiders such as nutritionists, veterinarians and feed de- livery equipment. She recommends boot wash stations to disinfect footwear and disposable boots for outsiders, espe- cially those stopping at numerous locations. “The same applies to farm workers moving from the milking area to calf-handling pens. Even a change of clothes should be considered anytime we go from older to younger animals. Having one set of coveralls for the milking parlour and one for other areas is an easy way to help control spread.” She also suggests placing attention and effort on deadstock disposal practices, as often this area is an afterthought. “Setting up a composting area or location where deadstock is placed until pick-up is crucial,” says Bentley. “Make sure to prevent any runoff or leakage from decomposing animals to help reduce exposure potential and transmission.” Bentley adds that manure handling is also relevant to bi- osecurity. Alleyways, housing structures and travel paths should always be kept clean and tidy. Maternity pens are es- pecially significant as newborns shouldn’t have to face dirty conditions while accessing their initial colostrum feeding. One aspect that shouldn’t be ignored is pest and bird droppings in feed and water supplies causing the spread of sickness. She advises producers using open-sided barns to consider installing netting to keep birds out of structures and offers


the US Department of Agriculture as an excellent resource for addressing this issue. “It’s vital to keep water and feed sources as clean as possible. If they contain animal droppings or manure, diseases can quickly be transmitted. We want to make sure it’s routine practice to ensure water and feed supplies are protected.” Bentley notes that a main focus should be how biosecurity is viewed in relation to a farm’s specific situation. She urges each operation to access and provide employee training on diseases and their transmission capabilities. Stone agrees and adds that more and more is learned about biosecurity and disease transmission every day. She envisions that advancements in technology will play a large role in how biosecurity is handled in the future. “We can’t put our cows in a bubble so they won’t catch any- thing harmful,” she states. “They’ll always be exposed to all types of challenges. It’s important to maintain good man- agement practices when working and moving animals. Even when we’re making changes to the pens and buildings or adding structures. Disturbing the ground cattle encounter can be an instigator. There are many normal events we tend to overlook until challenges appear and damaging situations occur.”


▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 9, No. 2, 2022


A main focus should be how biosecurity is viewed in relation to a farm’s specific situation.


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