Basic biosecurity: bringing new animals onto your property
Story by Bruce Jackson, Treasurer of Permaculture Tasmania
This article will focus on chickens as they are the most common animal on permaculture properties, but the principles, especially isolation for a period after introduction, apply to all poultry and to other species such as sheep and goats, though there will be some tests and treatments while in isolation that differ.
Diseases don’t care whether you bought, borrowed or found the new animal, so it doesn’t matter whether it is a new rooster, several new hens, a rescue chicken, a rooster returning from some R & R with the neighbour’s hens, or show birds returning from a show, they can all represent a threat to your flock’s disease status and your peace of mind if you just bring them home and mix them in with your resident flock.
Diseases like salmonella, lice, mites, worms, coryza, coccidiosis, avian tuberculosis, Marek’s disease, leucosis and potentially avian influenza (if it arrives in Tasmania) can make your chickens miserable, may kill them, and give you stress you don’t need. Diseases such as salmonella, chlamydia and avian influenza may also transmit from infected chickens to humans.
Cheap birds may cost you a lot if they introduce a new disease into your flock; always get your birds from a reputable source.
First decide what degree of biosecurity suits your operation – a permanent flock will require a more rigorous program compared to a limited duration chicken enterprise to do some ‘chook tractor’ work in your garden, and actions will also vary with the current disease status of your resident birds.
So, how can you reduce the risks?
Consider these options:
- Inspect the chickens before purchase:
- look for signs of disease such as swollen eyes, open-mouth breathing, diarrhoea, lack of body condition (sharp keel bone), crusts on the shanks of the legs
- talk to the person in charge and discuss health status.
- Isolate the birds on arrival (‘Hotel Quarantine’):
- have a secure, separate pen on a different part of your property where you can keep the introduced birds for at least 10 days, preferably a month
- tend to your own birds first every day, then the new chickens, and wash/disinfect your hands and boots afterwards.
- Treat:
- treat the birds for mites and lice as soon as possible after arrival, whether you can see insects on them or not, as light infestations can be hard to find
- treat for worms, as soon as possible after arrival, for both roundworms and tapeworms
- try to collect and dispose of manure for a few days after treatment especially if you see worms in the manure.
- Observe:
- inspect the birds for illness every day while in “Hotel Quarantine” (isolation)
- diagnose any illness – write down an accurate description of the symptoms, take photos and talk to a vet or experienced poultry person if you are not sure
- postmortem any bird that dies – a vet is best, but if you wear gloves and a mask you can open the bird and take photographs of anything that looks abnormal and send to a vet or experienced poultry person
- call your vet or the EAD Hotline on 1800 675 888 if you see any signs in a number of chickens that could have avian influenza or virulent Newcastle disease such as:
- Sudden deaths
- Respiratory symptoms (noisy or rapid breathing, coughing, sneezing, increased nasal secretions)
- conjunctivitis
- swelling of the head
- purple discolouration of the comb and wattles
- rapid decrease in feed and water intake
- decreased egg production
- ruffled feathers
- depression
- closed eyes
- diarrhoea
- neurological symptoms (twisted neck, inability to stay upright, inability to fly, uncoordinated movement, walking or swimming in circles, partial or full paralysis).
- Check again just before you release from isolation:
- repeat inspections for body condition, ‘wet vent’, lice and mites, respiratory signs etc.
- Identify the introduced birds with a distinctive leg band.
- Release:
- only then consider mixing the introduced chickens with your resident flock.
- Record where you obtained the chickens, dates, any disease findings, any deaths, treatment records, identification of the birds, isolation pen, other comments.
… and don’t forget everyday ongoing biosecurity:
- maintain good chicken pen fences, ideally exclude all wild birds, especially wild ducks, from contact with your chickens, feed and water. If you do free range, make sure wild waterbirds and your poultry do not share the same pond or dam
- wash your hands before and after handling chickens, eggs etc.
- use the town water supply rather than run-off from your roof to water chickens
- store feed in a steel drum with a lid
- control/exclude rats and mice from chicken areas
- dispose of carcases securely and promptly. Composting with a thick layer of sawdust over the carcase is fine.
- keep pigs separate from chickens
- never smuggle any animal or plant product in from overseas
- keep yourself and others away from your chickens for 10 days if you/they have been in contact with poultry overseas.
- · Have shoes/boots only worn in your chicken facility
- manage contact between your flock and other people who keep chickens. Ask them not to enter your chicken facilities, or to wear clean, disinfected footware and not handle your chickens if they do. Likewise, don’t carry contamination from your friend’s chook facility back to your own
- if you provide a bird bath or feed wild birds, do this well away from your chicken facilities.
Report any suspicion of Emergency Animal Disease to your vet or the Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Resources:
Tasmanian Livestock Health Report: animalhealthaustralia.com.au/tas-health Subscribe for a free monthly email newsletter, includes reports on chicken diseases in Tasmania.
Phone A Vet: A telemedicine app that caters for smallholder chicken producers as well as other species. Download the app from your usual provider. You can select your vet and use video, photos or texting to discuss your case. Experienced smallholder chicken vets are available. See: phoneavet.com.au/
Backyard Egg Production – A how-to guide for safe, healthy hens australianeggs.org.au/assets/Backyard-Egg-Production-Manual.pdf
Backyard poultry. DPIWE Guide for hobby farmers: nre.tas.gov.au/Documents/Backyard_Poultry.pdf
