Here are some simple steps you can take to shore up your border to protect your farm and the animals and plants inside it from a range of risks.
Your farm is an island
A good way to start thinking about biosecurity on your farm is to see your farm as an island with your boundary as the border.
Ensuring your boundary fences are secure helps to protect your stock, limit contact between your stock and the neighbours’ animals and reduces biosecurity risks.
Many farms also limit the number of entry points to the farm so it’s easier to control who’s going on and off the property through a single entry and exit point.
Clean-on, clean-off
We encourage farmers to adopt a clean-on, clean-off policy wherever possible. It’s an easy and quick action to provide visitors with a footbath, scrubbing brush and somewhere to wash their hands. It also helps to encourage visitors to arrive clean and have clean equipment then clean off again when they leave so they don’t carry anything to the next farm.
Many farms have a sign-in and sign-out process that provides a record of who’s been on-farm. It also provides a chance for you to tell visitors that you’re a biosecurity-aware farm and share any requirements they need to comply with.
The more we talk about biosecurity, the more it encourages other farmers and those involved in the farming sector to become more biosecurity conscious.
Traceability is key
Tagging your animals is only half the job. You must also register your animals online and tell Nait which tags you’ve used.
Farmers need to record and confirm all livestock movements within 48 hours of the animals going off-farm or arriving on-farm. If you use an information provider, such as Minda or CRV Ambreed, to record movements in the first instance, Ospri recommends you check the livestock movements have also been captured in Nait. This is critical for effective traceability.
Biosecurity during grazing
If you’re sending calves to grazing make sure they’re tagged and registered and that their movements are recorded. To protect the calves’ health while they’re grazing check with your vet to ensure all animals have had recommended vaccinations before leaving.
You’ll also want to discuss your expectations with your grazier.
It’s preferable for animals from different farms to be managed as separate mobs during grazing. Find out more at dairynz.co.nz/biosecurity-at-grazing
It’s also best if mobs from different farms aren’t mixed when being transported to off-farm grazing. For more on how to help protect your farm, business and animals go to dairynz.co.nz/biosecurity
Key points
• Think of your farm as an island to prevent biosecurity incursions;
• Have a clean-on, clean-off policy;
• Ensure animal movements are recorded and;
• Talk to your grazier about biosecurity.
