Canadian Beef Cattle On-Farm Biosecurity Standard: Summary

1. Manage & minimize animal movement risks

• 1A. Manage Commingling:
  • 1A.1. Segregate and, when warranted, vaccinate, test, and otherwise treat, incoming animals.
  • 1A.2. Obtain and share information about commingled animals with previous and future owners.
  • 1A.3. Minimize contact with animals of other species and from other operations to the extent possible.
• 1B. Manage movements of high-risk and highly susceptible animals:
  • 1B.1. Manage and minimize movements of, and contacts with, high-risk and highly susceptible animals.
  • 1B.2. Use or request clean trucks for movement of highly susceptible animals.

2. Manage The Movement Of People, Vehicles, Equipment, and Tools

• 2.1. Apply sanitation practices that are relevant to personnel, visitors, vehicles, equipment, and tools on entry to, within, and on exit from production areas.
• 2.2. Minimize the use of the same equipment for both “clean” and “dirty” tasks.
• 2.3. Ensure production area perimeters are sufficient to contain livestock, with access points that can be closed to prevent access by people, other than deliberate non-compliance.
• 2.4. Post biosecurity signs at access points to production area and farmyard.
• 2.5. Manage and dispose of deadstock and manure to minimize contact with live animals.
• 2.6. Minimize pests to reduce exposure to livestock to the extent practical.
• 2.7. Manage livestock to reduce exposure to wildlife to the extent practical.
• 2.8. Ensure facilities are maintained and clean.

3. Manage Animal Health Practices

• 3.1. Establish and maintain a working relationship with a veterinarian.
• 3.2. Manage herd health according to a documented Herd Health Plan (HHP), prepared in consultation with a veterinarian.
• 3.3. Obtain water, feed, medications, and other inputs from safe and reliable sources, and manage or store these resources to ensure their ongoing safety and efficacy.

4. Educate, Plan, Record

• 4.1. Ensure that personnel understand how and why biosecurity is applied on their operation.
• 4.2. Develop, document, and maintain a biosecurity plan that is specific to the needs of the operation.
• 4.3. Ensure that personnel know how to respond to the range of animal health situations typical to the operation.
• 4.4. Ensure that personnel know how to respond to an unusual animal health situation.
• 4.5. Maintain ongoing records for animal health management.

Objectives

The primary objective of this Implementation Manual is to provide Canada’s beef cattle producers with information that will assist them in implementing the Canadian Beef Cattle On-Farm Biosecurity Standard. Key principles of the Standard are to:

• Manage and minimize animal movement risks, specifically those from commingling, high-risk animals and highly susceptible animals.
• Manage the movement of people, vehicles, equipment and tools.
• Manage animal health practices.
• Educate, plan and record.

A second objective is to assist those producers who wish to establish Biosecurity Plans specific to their operations, by providing them with information enabling them to prepare the key elements of such a plan:

• Plans for: incoming animals; sanitation for personnel, visitors and equipment; deadstock and manure disposal; initial disease response; high-risk biosecurity
• Record keeping templates for: visitors; livestock movements; health treatments and vaccination; feed purchases

The Standard and Implementation Manual are some of the tools that are available to producers who wish to better understand and apply biosecurity. Given the breadth of subject matter and complexity of various operations, these or any other tools should not be construed as the only such tools a producer should use.

Biosecurity is increasingly important to individual operations and to the industry as a whole. Producers are encouraged to regularly review the biosecurity of their operation and to make use of all available tools while doing so, including the involvement of their veterinarian.

A Biosecurity Plan is the critical component of most disease prevention strategies.

Format of this Manual

The Standard itself provides the basic Principles, supported by Target Outcomes, for managing disease within the beef cattle industry.

This Implementation Manual is organized to align with the Standard and provides producers with further explanations and information for each of the Target Outcomes. It specifically addresses:

• The rationale: Why is it important?
• How it can be achieved: Suggested risk management practices
• References to Schedules that provide specific ‘How to’ information, including samples, examples and records

Development of the Standard

The Standard was developed through consultation led by industry and involving all sectors of the beef cattle industry, together with a broad range of technical advice from government and academia.