Biosecurity for Canadian Dairy Farms - Producer Planning Guide
Appendix 2: Risk Assessment Tool
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Using the Biosecurity Risk Assessment Tool
The Biosecurity Assessment Tool is based on Biosecurity for Canadian Dairy Farms: National Standard and designed for use by producers working with their herd veterinarian. The questions posed in this document pertain to biosecurity practices for all types of dairy production operations, and are intended to be used in developing an assessment of a farm's biosecurity at any point in time. There may be additional risk factors that are important for each individual farm, and further review of the biosecurity best practices provided in the Producer Planning Guide will assist with a more in-depth risk assessment.
The tool is designed to be used to identify biosecurity risk areas and lead to a focused discussion on the risk practices on the farm with a herd veterinarian. There may be risks that the producer chooses to accept and those that can be mitigated by changes in practices on the farm.
Farm Details
Name of Farm:
Date of Assessment:
Owner:
Address:
Livestock type and numbers:
Biosecurity Assessment
To complete this assessment, check the appropriate boxes as they relate best to your dairy operation. If a question does not apply to your farm please select "not applicable" and continue with the assessment. After completing the exercise, review the areas that require additional efforts and then refer to the relevant sections in the Producer Planning Guide for recommended biosecurity best practices.
Always | Sometimes | Never | Not Applicable | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1-2 Does your livestock operation have a relationship with a herd veterinarian? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-3 Does your livestock operation have an Animal Health Management Plan? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-4 Does your livestock operation have and follow a veterinarian-approved vaccination program against specific diseases of concern? Current list of diseases of concern: |
Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-5 Does your livestock operation perform post-mortems for unexplained deaths to monitor disease? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-6 Does your livestock operation monitor the ongoing health status of cattle on a regular basis? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-7 Does your livestock operation keep lifetime animal health records for individual animals that include vaccination details, diseases, and treatments? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-8 Does your livestock operation pass animal health records along when animals are sold or moved? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-9 Does your livestock operation take measures to protect the feed or water supply from contamination by manure, rodents, pets or wildlife? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-10 Does your livestock operation test drinking water for bacterial contamination? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-11 Does your livestock operation purchase feed from suppliers with demonstrated good production practices? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-12 Does your livestock operation keep feed records on the source and dates of delivery? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-13 Does your livestock operation store feed in an area that prevents contamination (e.g. by urine, feces etc.)? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
1-14 Does your livestock operation group animals by susceptibility to disease (e.g. calves) and maintain separation between groups? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
Always | Sometimes | Never | Not Applicable | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2-1 Does your livestock operation operate a closed herd? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-1 I. If not, do you limit number of additions to the herd (i.e. only when necessary and with advance planning) | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-1 II. If not, do you purchase replacement animals from herd with known health status? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-1 III. If not, do you source animals directly from the herd of origin? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-1 IV. If not, do you know the animal health practices of all suppliers? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-1 V. If not, do you test replacement animals for specific diseases of concern? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-1 VI. If not, do you isolate replacement animals for 14 to 30 days? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-1 VII. If not, do you transfer information including animal health records for all new animals? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-2 I. Does your livestock operation isolate new additions to the herd? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-2 II. Does your livestock operation isolate new animals from different sites separately until their health status is known? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-2 III. Does your livestock operation isolate animals that return after leaving the farm? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-2 IV. Does your livestock operation isolate clinically sick animals? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-3 Does your livestock operation collect and keep information on individual animals? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-3 I. Does the information include where each animal was born? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-3 II. Does the information include where each animal was raised? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-3 III. Does the information include the animal's movement since birth? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-3 IV. Does the information include the animal's vaccination and disease history? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-4 Does your livestock operation have and follow a movement plan (e.g. work with animals from youngest to oldest, healthy to sick) if practical? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-4 If not, are other precautions taken? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
2-5 Prevent direct contact between animals of different disease status and indirect contact through manure or other excretions? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
Always | Sometimes | Never | Not Applicable | |
---|---|---|---|---|
3-1 Does your livestock operation have a Restricted Access Zone (RAZ) and Controlled Access Zone (CAZ)? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-2 Does your livestock operation prevent animals from having fence-line contact with livestock from other farms (i.e. provide a buffer zone that allows for a space)? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-3 Does your livestock operation have written instructions for cleaning and disinfecting different types of equipment? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-4 Does your livestock operation have written sanitation and disinfection procedures and schedules for all animal holding areas/facilities from which pathogens could spread? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-5 Does your livestock operation have appropriate and effective cleaning and disinfection materials available for use? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-6 Does your livestock operation ensure that vehicles and equipment that circulate into or across zones are cleaned when they arrive or before crossing zone boundaries? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-7 Does your livestock operation disinfect equipment (livestock related) between uses? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-8 Does your livestock operation practice sanitation to minimize contamination of livestock waterers by manure and urine? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-9 Does your livestock operation have specific cleaning and sanitizing protocols for higher-risk practices (e.g. AI or treatment of sick animals)? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-10 Does your livestock operation keep buildings and facilities well maintained and in good repair? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-11 Does your livestock operation have walls, ceilings and facility parts that are easy to clean and disinfect? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-12 Does your livestock operation remove and renew bedding on a regular schedule and dispose of used bedding so it does not contaminate animals, water sources and facilities? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-13 Does your livestock operation scrape manure from alleyways on a regular schedule? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-14 Does your livestock operation dispose of manure on the farm by spreading, storing and/or composting it in a way that prevents drifting, leaching and potential contamination of other areas? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-15 Does your livestock operation have a deadstock disposal protocol that ensures dead stock is removed from animal housing quickly so that no other livestock have contact with the carcass? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-15 Does your livestock operation have a deadstock disposal protocol that defines the pickup protocol for deadstock services? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-15 Does your livestock operation have a deadstock disposal protocol that disposes of deadstock by burying, composting or pickup by a deadstock disposal service? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-16 Does your livestock operation use equipment for a single purpose only (i.e. do not scrape manure and feed with the same shovel)? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-17 Does your livestock operation avoid using equipment that is used on other farms (borrowing, lending, custom operators)? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
3-18 Does your livestock operation have a pest control program (insects, rodents, wildlife, weeds)? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
Always | Sometimes | Never | Not Applicable | |
---|---|---|---|---|
4-1 Does your livestock operation prohibit visitors from entering the farm buildings without permission? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-2 Does your livestock operation post biosecurity signage? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-3 Does your livestock operation have a written copy of the farm's biosecurity protocol(s) with specific requirements for entry into controlled access zones and restricted access zones? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-4 Does your livestock operation advise visitors and service providers of your biosecurity practices? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-5 Does your livestock operation have a visitor log to record all people who enter the farm? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-6 Does your livestock operation prevent international visitors from visiting the livestock within five days of arrival? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-7 Does your livestock operation inquire about recent animal contact by visitors? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-8 Does your livestock operation require everyone working with the herd to wear clean coveralls and footwear dedicated only for use in the animal holding facilities? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-9 Does your livestock operation require everyone working with the herd to change coveralls when moving between different animal groups, including isolation areas? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-10 Does your livestock operation require everyone working with the herd to disinfect or change footwear when moving between different animal groups? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-11 Does your livestock operation require visitors and farm service providers to wear clean coveralls and boots or plastic booties? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-12 Does your livestock operation require truck drivers to stay in their cab while loading or unloading? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-13 Does your livestock operation have a designated, signed parking area for visitors and farm service workers that is away from the barn, animal facilities, and routes travelled by animals and/or mobile farm equipment? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
4-14 Does your livestock operation ensure that vehicles that must approach animals or animal housing areas (e.g. milk trucks or feed trucks) have specified routes to follow? | Box | Box | Box | Box |
Action Plan:
(Consider practices associated with questions that were answered "no" above):
Things that are done well:
Opportunities for improvement:
- Date modified: