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4-H Livestock Biosecurity Tips

Biosecurity benchmarks to help keep you and your animals safe.

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Updated:

September 6, 2017

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Be Biosecure

Watch your animals and learn to recognize the differences between healthy and unhealthy behavior.

Isolate unhealthy animals, new animals, or animals that have been off your property. Limit visitors to driveways.

Sanitize everything from your boots to your trailer. First step: provide a boot-washing area for visitors.

Educate yourself, establish a plan, and hold everyone to the details of the biosecurity plan.

Share your biosecurity measures with visitors, including family, farm friends, feed and animal deliveries, agencies, and vets.

Small-farm Biosecurity Measures Rubric

Use these biosecurity benchmarks to help keep you and your animals safe.

2 Points	1 Point	0 Points	Total
Watch your animals and learn to recognize the differences between healthy and unhealthy behavior.
Daily routine consists of less than one visit per day.	Daily routine consists of two visits per day.	Daily routine consists of more than two visits per day.
Daily time spent with animal(s) is less than 10 minutes.	Daily time spent with animal(s) is 11 to 30 minutes.	Daily time spent with animal(s) is more than 31 minutes.
Average temperature of individual animals at rest is not recorded.	Average temperature of individual animals at rest is recorded but not monitored	Average temperature of animals is recorded at various times of the year and monitored on a regular basis.
None of your animals are vaccinated either because of choice or the characteristics of the species.	Only project animals receive required vaccines and/or recommended vaccines are absent from the routine.	All animals on the premises are fully vaccinated with required and recommended vaccines.
Isolate unhealthy animals, new animals, or animals that have been away from your property. Recognize that trucks, trailers, and other vehicles can carry disease.
No quarantine facility is available.	A separate area is identified for quarantined animals, but it is in the same building as the healthy animals.	A separate area is identified for quarantined animals in an isolated building.
The same tools, equipment, and feed storage are in one location and used for all animals.	Feed is stored in one location for all animals, but separate tools and equipment are kept for isolated animals.	Separate feed storage is available for isolated animals, and specific tools and equipment are identified for quarantine area only.
No signage is available to let visitors know that biosecurity measures are in place. Traffic entering the farm is not guided or directed in any manner.	Biosecurity signage is visible and traffic entering the farm is limited to specific driveways and lanes.	Biosecurity signage is visible, traffic entering the farm is directed to stop at a “clean/dirty" line, and agents are asked to enter on foot.
Sanitize everything from your boots to your trailer. Recognize that disease can survive longer in organic matter, and cleanliness is the key factor in containing or preventing disease.
One pair of shoes or boots is worn for all farm chores and trips off of the farm for farm business.	A separate pair of boots or shoes is worn in quarantine areas and/or when going off the farm for farm business.	A boot wash is in place for regular use, and a separate pair of boots or shoes is worn in quarantine areas and/or when going off the farm for farm business.
Trucks, trailers, feed pans, buckets, and equip-ment are rarely sanitized after traveling to other farms, shows, or events.	Trucks, trailers, feed pans, buckets, and equipment are sometimes sanitized after traveling to other farms, shows, or events.	Trucks, trailers, feed pans, buckets, and equipment are always sanitized after traveling to other farms, shows, or events.
Educate yourself, establish a plan, and hold everyone to the details of the biosecurity plan.
No biosecurity plan is in place.	A biosecurity plan has been created but is loosely practiced.	A biosecurity plan is in place and best management practices are an integral part of the farm.
Education on biosecurity is not a priority.	Education on biosecurity is practiced but not shared with others.	Education on biosecurity is a priority and information is shared with others.