Maintaining Flock Health and Performance: The Crucial Role of Biosecurity in Poultry Production

Biosecurity isn't just a buzzword – it plays a crucial role in the success of poultry production. As the demand for poultry products continues to rise, in Asia and across the world, biosecurity practices become even more important to meet the growing demand.

The main purpose of implementing biosecurity measures is to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases within poultry farms. This not only safeguards the health of birds but also ensures a safe supply chain for poultry products. A breach in biosecurity can have devastating effects, including the need for culling infected birds, causing significant financial losses.

The culprits behind outbreaks can range from viruses like Avian Influenza to zoonotic bacterial pathogens like Salmonella, E Coli and Listeria. Parasites can also thrive in unhygienic house conditions, causing the spread of serious infections such as Coccidiosis, which can impact flock performance.

While significant progress has been made in reinforcing biosecurity protocols in poultry production facilities over the few decades, outbreaks are still common in Asia. As farms become bigger and house an ever-increasing number of birds, strict biosecurity measures are needed to combat dangerous outbreaks.

The Health, Safety and Economic Advantages of Biosecurity Measures

Disease Prevention
Poultry diseases can devastate flocks, causing significant economic losses and threatening food security. Implementing biosecurity measures is the first line of defence against disease outbreaks by ensuring exposure to viruses, bacteria and contaminants are virtually zero.

Economic Impact
Disease outbreaks can lead to large scale culling of birds, causing significant losses in production and dealing with trade restrictions. This can have economic repercussions for both individual farmers and the poultry industry as a whole. Adhering to biosecurity measures plays a crucial role, in reducing the financial vulnerabilities linked to disease outbreaks.

Reduced Antibiotic Usage
Healthy birds require fewer antibiotics for disease treatment, leading to reduced antibiotic usage on farms. This aligns with the growing consumer demand for antibiotic-free poultry products and contributes to efforts to mitigate antibiotic resistance.

Improved Productivity
Biosecurity measures contribute to consistent bird health and productivity. Birds that are not plagued by diseases are able to achieve their genetic potential in terms of growth and egg production, leading to higher yields for farmers.

Global Market Access
Stringent biosecurity practices can open doors to global markets for poultry producers. Farms that display enhanced focus on biosecurity will gain access to international markets. This provides opportunities for growth and diversification, benefiting both individual farmers and the industry as a whole.

Leading the Charge Towards Enhanced Biosecurity in Poultry Farming

In Thailand, the Big Dutchman team has built a Salmonella-free concept poultry farm that will set the standard for biosecurity technology and implementation. This immense project will feature 14 broiler houses that are expected to raise over 300,000 birds in a safe, secure and comfortable environment.

Two key Big Dutchman innovations in this farm are the Combi-tunnel Ventilation and Repromatic Feeding Systems. Each of these systems will ensure that all forms of contaminants are prevented from entering the house atmosphere and feeding lines.

Combi-Tunnel Ventilation

The combi-tunnel ventilation system provides a clean and healthy environment for the broilers, especially when combined with the use of a MERV-rated filtration system than can filter down to 0.3-1.0 micron in particle size. This is not only essential to their growth and performance, but also helps to prevent bacteria and viruses from entering the house. The combi-tunnel ventilation system creates the perfect climate conditions for poultry houses, especially in Tunnel Mode that is activated when the outside temperature is high. The system works by using cooling pads such as Big Dutchman's RainMaker to cool the incoming air from the outside as it enters the house, ensuring a consistently comfortable temperature in all areas. And when used in combination with variable speed fans and heat recovery devices, this ventilation system also reduces energy consumption by up to 30%.

Repromatic Feeding System

Key to this innovation is the system’s ability to maintain high levels of hygiene in the feeding equipment, which helps prevent cross-contamination due to reduced surface contact, thereby minimising the spread of pathogens. The system features a high-capacity conveying system consisting of an open feed channel with chain that delivers feed to the entire house quickly as soon a feeding starts.

These two core systems aside, Big Dutchman also can help to elevate biosecurity in poultry production with lots of other equipment and technologies. These include a wide range of sensors and alarms for house security, fly screens for wall ventilation inlets and the use of higher-class air filters.  

Let’s Not Forget the Human Element of Biosecurity

We must remember that the degree of biosecurity measures – no matter how comprehensive – will not matter if the human element is not taken into account. Humans are typically carriers of various contaminants, which means the critical component of people and their activities must be monitored and guided, be it the staff working in farms or visitors.

From proper hygiene practises and disinfection processes to staff health monitoring and restricted people movement, these important operating procedures must be adhered to at all times. Farm staff and personnel must undergo rigorous training, keep comprehensive records and know how to swiftly manage biosecurity breaches to minimise their impact.

In essence, maintaining biosecurity in poultry farms is more than a safety measure – it plays a vital role in ensuring the security of poultry production and food supply. By prioritising biosecurity to prevent disease outbreaks, poultry farmers can safeguard the wellbeing of their flocks, ensure safe operations and contribute to the overall expansion of the poultry industry.

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More Poultry Biosecurity Insights: 

Biosecurity In Livestock Houses 

Big Dutchman Builds Salmonella-free Concept Farm in Thailand