Review biosecurity plans and train staff often

Last week the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle for the state of Wisconsin was reported. I haven’t seen where they have identified the route of transmission into the herd, but poultry cases around the state have been on the rise.

I know I talk about it a lot, but I feel we need to continue to stress the continued importance of basic biosecurity practices. Biosecurity is like an insurance policy. It is a necessity you hope you never have to use.

However, it doesn’t appear HPAI is ever going to go away, and there are emerging threats that may become a reality for more producers down the road. Beyond limiting exposure to disease outside of the herd, biosecurity also can help control illness within the herd.

There was a recent survey by the Farm Journal Magazine that surveyed 300 dairies to determine their biosecurity practices. The survey found 68% of dairies with at least 250 cows had a biosecurity plan. However, 34% of those dairies acknowledged they do not routinely review or update their plan.

The good news is 72% of the dairies surveyed said they are working to improve their biosecurity practices. Those dairies that were not making improvements said they don’t think biosecurity improvements are needed, they think what they have is good enough or they can’t afford improvements. Sometimes you must prove to yourself that something works, and there are small steps you can take to work your way toward better biosecurity practices and improved herd health.

The first point I will always share is you need to have a great relationship with your veterinarian. They should be assisting you in designing and implementing a holistic animal health program. At the end of the day, a healthy animal will be better able to resist disease and illness. They also can work with you to help determine where your real biosecurity risks are so you can find the holes and start addressing those problems.

The simple things you can do will cost you some time but not necessarily any money. To start with, you should be quarantining all new livestock. It doesn’t matter if you purchased a replacement at the stockyard or if you bought it from a breeder you know very well. An animal may be able to resist a disease in one environment but may not in a new one.

Any new animal should be isolated from the rest of the herd for a minimum of 30 days. This gives you time to implement your herd health program with the new animal and gives time for the illness to show if they had contracted anything. You should have your veterinarian examine the new animal prior to introducing it to the rest of the herd.

Second is to work with your farm personnel on hygiene and sanitation. Speaking specifically about HPAI, the concentrations of the virus are highest in the milk. Those people working in the milk parlor are susceptible and should be washing their hands at the end of the shift and wearing safety glasses to keep milk from getting into their eyes. As a note, milk purchased from the grocery store is completely safe as the pasteurization process kills the virus. You also should milk sick cows last and make sure your equipment sanitation procedures are doing their job.

The most important thing you can do is to just make biosecurity a part of everyday life. You should create a written biosecurity plan and talk to your staff about it all the time. Some people need to know why you do things the way you do. You may not feel you need to explain yourself, but still, some need to know why.

Your plan should be reviewed at least annually, and then a few times a year, you need to go over it with the staff. You can’t undercommunicate how important it is to your operation and the role the staff play in accomplishing their goals.

January will kick off our winter programming season. Frank and I have a great list of opportunities lined up for the county’s producers. There will be programs offered each week. These will include Private Pesticide/Fertilizer Recertifications, 2026 Ag Outlook, The Basics of Commodity Marketing, Beef Quality Assurance Certification, 2026 Agronomy School and The Small Farm Financial College.

There also are a series of online webinars from the OSU beef, sheep and forage teams. Program flyers will be sent out with our Quarterly Ag Newsletter in the first week of January. You also can keep an eye on our OSU Extension Wayne County events calendar at wayne.osu.edu. If you would like to sign up for our newsletter or would like more information on our programs, give me a call at 330-264-8722.

John Yost is an ANR educator with Wayne County OSU Extension.