Animal Health Australia (AHA) has called on livestock producers to take action on farm biosecurity as new research shows the vast majority do nothing to protect their animals from catching disease from new stock.
The research, conducted in April and released today, shows that only 37% of livestock producers isolate new stock - and of those, almost half only quarantine them for a week or less.
AHA Manager Disease Risk Mitigation Duncan Rowland said that producers were taking significant risks, given that the science recommends that new stock be isolated for 10 days.
"Introducing new stock is the key way disease can enter properties. Keeping new or returning animals separate from the rest of the herd in a receival paddock is one of the simplest ways to protect your livestock and your business," Mr Rowland said.
"A receival paddock is a place for new stock to adjust to their new environment and empty their stomachs of weed seeds. It also gives time for signs of any disease to show up before they are introduced to existing stock," Mr Rowland said.
Mr Rowland said that while AHA research earlier this year showed a new interest in farm biosecurity, it was disappointing that so many producers had not learned the most basic lessons from the equine influenza outbreak and recent disease outbreaks overseas.
"We have seen how easily disease can spread from animal to animal, and placing new stock in a receival paddock inhibits disease spread to existing stock," Mr Rowland said.
"The good news is that 84% of those producers who do isolate new stock report that their receival paddock is either double fenced, or some distance from other stock."
Mr Rowland said that while it was encouraging that livestock producers were keen to improve their farm biosecurity, the research showed that many need more information about basic biosecurity.
"We've developed an online resource at www.farmbiosecurity.com.au to help livestock producers understand the risks to their properties, and take simple steps to reduce them," he said.
Any producer noticing unexpected or unusual signs of disease, abnormal behaviour or unexpected deaths in their stock should immediately call a veterinarian or the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Animal Health Australia (AHA) is a not-for-profit public company established by the Australian Government, state and territory governments and major national livestock industry organisations. The company manages national animal health programs on behalf of its members.
For further information, please contact Thea McNaught-Reynolds on 0411 504 727.
Audio grabs are available from the News section of the Animal Health Australia website
www.animalhealthaustralia.com.au/news_events/media_releases
Research commissioned by Animal Health Australia and conducted by Quantum Market Research from a national sample of 300 livestock producers.
The introduction of new stock to any farm is a risk to those animals that are already there, because we have no idea what hidden diseases may be carried by the newly introduced stock.
Keeping new or returning stock separate from the rest of the herd or flock on your property is the simplest way of reducing the spread of disease.
Newly introduced stock should be kept in isolation for at least 10 days.
The research that AHA undertook just recently shows that 37% of livestock producers isolate new stock, and that's not very good, that's quite poor as a matter of fact.
A receival paddock is simply an area where all new stock spend some time before being mixed with existing stock.
Every time an animal enters your property, your existing stock are at risk of catching a disease.
Farm Biosecurity website.wav (308 KB)
Animal Health Australia has developed an information source, www.farmbiosecurity.com.au, and presents farm biosecurity issues in an easily obtainable manner.