Creating a biosecurity plan is one of the most powerful means of preventing disease-related problems in beef cow-calf herds. The primary goal of a biosecurity plan is to prevent the introduction of disease into the herd. This can be coupled with efforts to prevent transmission of disease within the herd and plans to eliminate disease carrying individuals. This is particularly applicable to purebred producers in that a disease-free status can add significant value to marketable seedstock. Similarly, however, smaller commercial producers can also benefit greatly from some basic biosecurity practices.
Many factors must be considered when establishing biosecurity for any herd. Variables to consider include: herd’s current disease status, diseases to be controlled, risk of exposure, consequences of exposure and cost of prevention. Respiratory disease with emphasis on bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) and sexually transmitted diseases such as trichomoniasis are among those diseases commonly considered in biosecurity plans. Other considerations include Johne’s disease, leucosis (BLV) and brucellosis. Biosecurity and biocontainment practices including vaccination, testing and elimination of carrier individuals have proven very effective in nearly eliminating brucellosis in the U.S. with all states currently being considered brucellosis free. This is an excellent example on a nationwide level of what can be accomplished in individual herds with other diseases.
A herd’s risk of exposure depends largely on the presence and frequency of opportunities for exposure. For most herds the largest risk comes with the introduction of new animals to a herd. This may include new bulls, replacement heifers or stocker calves introduced year to year. Fence to fence contact and especially breeches in fencing with regard to neighboring herds can also be sources of exposure to disease. Less common but still important risks also include wildlife reservoirs, feed and water sources and people or equipment. Risk assessment tools are available for assisting producers in determining herd risk and also for evaluating the best biosecurity protocols such as the bvd risk assessment tool developed at Kansas State University, which can be found at www.ozarksfn.com.
Certain diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) come with drastic consequences if introduced into a herd. Likewise, reproductive diseases can have serious economic consequences if numerous cows end up open at the end of the breeding season. The cost of preventative measures for diseases such as these is easily justified when the consequences of disease introduction are taken into account.
Certain basic tools can be effective for preventing many diseases, are relatively easy and inexpensive to implement and are advisable for most any herd, purebred or commercial. Quarantining new additions to the herd allows the producer to discover any incubating disease prior to introducing the animal to the resident herd. Typically, new animals are quarantined for 21-30 days. For those diseases that may present a carrier state such as Johne’s disease or BLV, testing new herd additions is advisable. Vaccinating the resident herd against potential disease threats is another very common way to minimize the risk and impact of introduced diseases.
Biosecurity protocols should be considered for every farm. Supervision by your veterinarian can help tremendously, especially as it pertains to individual disease risks.
Darren Loula, DVM, is a large animal veterinarian at Fair Grove Vet Service in Fair Grove, Mo.
