Biosecurity Resources
Ensuring the health and well-being of poultry flocks requires a collective commitment to biosecurity. Poultry companies and producers of all sizes must actively implement preventive measures to protect their birds from disease. Both industry and governments play a vital role in supporting these efforts.
To minimise the risk of disease introduction on poultry farms, a thorough risk assessment must be conducted for each facility. A farm-specific biosecurity plan serves as a crucial management tool to address identified risks and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
The ACMF has gathered a range of essential readings, manuals and guides on biosecurity to assist producers in meeting their biosecurity requirements. The video below discusses essential biosecurity protocols in place before visiting a meat chicken farm.
AUSVETPLAN – Avian Influenza
Avian influenza. Version 5.3 AUSVETPLAN is a series of technical response plans that describe the proposed Australian approach to an emergency animal disease incident.
The manual contains the nationally agreed approach for the response to an incident — or suspected incident — of avian influenza (AI) in poultry, or cage (aviary) or zoo birds in Australia. It has been developed to guide decision making to ensure that a fast, efficient and effective response can be implemented consistently across Australia with minimal delay.
National Farm Biosecurity Manual for Chicken Growers
The National Farm Biosecurity Manual for Chicken Growers provides a minimum set of biosecurity standards applicable to all aspects of meat chicken production from hatchery to processing. This manual covers responsibilities such as documentation and record keeping, facility standards, personnel procedures, and more.
While individual producers and companies may wish to develop their own tailored biosecurity manuals, they must incorporate these minimum standards in addition to any company-specific requirements.
National Farm Biosecurity Manual for Poultry Production
The National Farm Biosecurity Manual for Poultry Production is a comprehensive guide designed to help Australian poultry farmers implement effective biosecurity measures to protect their flocks from diseases.
It provides a set of minimum standards that all commercial poultry farms should follow, covering various aspects of poultry production, including animal health management, record keeping, biosecurity practices, site selection, and emergency preparedness.
Resources
Site Map
A site map is a visual representation of a property or facility, showing the layout, structures, and key areas. A site map helps pinpoint areas that could be vulnerable to disease introduction or spread.
Production Audit Checklist
A production audit checklist is a crucial tool that demonstrates to auditors that biosecurity standards are consistently applied across the farm.
Quarantine Declaration Form
A quarantine declaration form is a document signed by and agreed upon by production area employees to follow the necessary biosecurity protocols. It is designed to minimise the risk of disease transfer by production employees.
Conditions of Entry Poster
Conditions of entry can help prevent the introduction of pathogens, parasites, or other harmful agents onto the farm. These guidelines can include requirements for disinfection, quarantine, or restrictions on visitors.
Water Sanitation Records
Clean, pathogen-free water is crucial for the well-being of poultry and can help prevent the spread of diseases. In the event of a disease outbreak, water sanitation records can be used to trace the source of the infection and identify potential points of contamination.
Visitor Logs
Visitor logs are essential for biosecurity on chicken farms because they provide a record of who has entered the premises and when. This information can help identify potential sources of infection, and support disease tracing efforts.
Rodent Control Records
Rodent control records provide a record of rodent control activities, helping to identify infestations early, monitor effectiveness, document compliance, improve control strategies, and trace disease outbreaks.
Biosecurity Training
Biosecurity training is fundamental for chicken meat production personnel to proactively prevent disease outbreaks and maintain a state of readiness.
For information on Avian Influenza please visit:
QLD: Outbreaks of avian influenza | Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland (daf.qld.gov.au)
NSW: Avian influenza (nsw.gov.au)
VIC: Avian influenza | Poultry diseases | Animal diseases | Biosecurity | Agriculture Victoria
WA: Avian influenza | Agriculture and Food
NT: Avian influenza | NT.GOV.AU
TAS: Avian Influenza | Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (nre.tas.gov.au)
Animal Health Australia: Avian Influenza – Animal Health Australia
CDC: Bird flu | Australian Centre for Disease Control (cdc.gov.au)
CSIRO: Keeping track of avian influenza – CSIRO
DAFF: Avian influenza (bird flu) – DAFF (agriculture.gov.au)
Outbreak.gov: H7 high pathogenicity avian influenza | Outbreak
WHO: Avian Influenza A (H5N1) – Australia (who.int)
Wildlife Health Australia: Wildlife Health Australia update on avian influenza and wild birds
WOAH: Avian Influenza – WOAH – World Organisation for Animal Health
Biosecurity-related research projects funded by the AgriFutures Australia Chicken Meat Program currently in progress include:
- Chicken producer and processor visitor biosecurity risk assessment and management (PRO-015813)
- Comparative validation of Newcastle disease serology tests – project summary (PRJ-012307)
- Increasing Australia’s preparedness for vvIBDV – project summary (PRJ-010978)
- Dynamics of ILT spread and role of dust in epidemiology, diagnostics and control (PRJ-010639)
For a list of completed projects visit AgriFutures’ ‘Completed biosecurity research projects’ page.
