Proper Sanitation 1 Why is sanitation important in

Proper Sanitation 1

Why is sanitation important in animal production? Proper sanitation can relieve stress and prevent disastrous disease breakouts Sanitation will save money by helping to produce healthier animals more economically in a shorter length of time 2

What are the seven proper sanitation practices? 3 1. Provide adequate space for all animals. When large numbers of animals are kept in a confined area, the stress put upon the animal from overcrowding will make the more susceptible to disease and parasites. 2. Provide adequate fresh air to the animals. When kept in confined housing animals produce gases and vapors that can lead to stress and respiratory problems. Ventilation can be obtained by passive means, such as opening a door or window, or mechanically with the use of fans and flues.

What are the seven proper sanitation practices? 3. Temperature control is necessary to prevent chilled animals in the winter or heat strained animals in the summer. Animals will be better producers when given an environment without temperature extremes. 4. Keep animal housing areas clean and dry. Manure, urine, bedding and unused feed should not be allowed to accumulate in the animal’s pen. These can be breeding grounds for parasites and disease organisms. 4

What are the seven proper sanitation practices? 5. Provide proper drainage for pens and housing facilities. Once pens are washed and disinfected, wastewater needs to be collected and disposed of properly. Excessively wet or damp areas due to poor drainage can lead to disease or injury due to slippage by animals or humans. 6. Rotation of pastures is an approved practice with all classes of livestock. While pasture rotation is essential to good range management, it can also be used to control some kinds of parasites. If a parasite is to be controlled by pasture rotation, specific including the number of days livestock must be restricted from a particular section of range. 5

What are the seven proper sanitation practices? 7. 6 Use appropriate disinfectants on facilities and equipment. After pens and areas are physically cleaned, a disinfectant, when selected and used properly, and kill any residual microorganism that were not removed by the physical cleaning. Be sure to read the label directions for selection, mixing, usage and disposal of containers and waste material. Animal pens must not only be cleaned of manure and other animal wastes, but must on occasions be disinfected in order to prevent the spread of disease.

What are three ways that animal owners may prevent and control diseases? Manure Disposal Proper Feeding Equipment Carcass Disposal 7

Manure Disposal Manure should be cleaned out of buildings daily, but this may be impractical from a labor standpoint. Remember that allowing manure to accumulate for long periods of time will permit insects and other vectors to spread disease from the manure to the animals. Manure may be disposed of by spreading it on arable fields where animals cannot come in contact with it. If manure must be stored temporarily before being spread, animals should not get into the storage area and a good fly control program should be followed 8

Proper Feeding Equipment All feed and water containers should be constructed of nonporous material. Using old grease barrels and such things as insecticide and herbicide containers for feed containers can cause residual toxicity in animals. Feed containers should be washed with soap and water frequently and thoroughly rinsed after the washing. Feeding off the ground is a poor practice that leads to parasites 9 infestations and nutritional problems. Healthy animals should never be fed with the same containers used for sick animals in isolation.

Carcass Disposal The importance of proper carcass disposal cannot be overemphasized. Death, even if not caused by an infectious disease, can cause contamination of lots, pens or pastures because of putrefaction and the release of organisms by the dead animals. Disease vectors, such as flies and maggots, may accumulate and spread from a carcass left rotting in the open. A carcass left where drainage is a factor might spread disease organisms over a large area. Never allow animals to lie and rot away. 10

Carcass Disposal Continued If a post-mortem examination is indicated, a veterinarian should be consulted as soon as the animal dies. Never open a dead animal. Airborne pathogens may be released from the carcass. Burning is the best method of disposal, but expensive and time consuming. Burning should take place, when possible, at the site of death. The advantage of burning is that all disease organisms perish with the carcass. However, local and county codes may prohibit the burning of any material. 11

Carcass Disposal Continued Burial is a very common and cheap method of disposal. If this method is adopted, the carcass will usually have to be transported some distance. The carcass must be buried at least four feet deep and away from any possible water supply. The dead animal should be buried in lime. Remember to carefully disinfect all equipment used to transport and to bury the animal after disposal. Rendering plants will normally take dead animals if 12 one is located near enough to serve your area. Remember that the truck from the rendering plant is a possible source of infection. It may be best to transport the animal near to a place of easy access for the truck so that the truck does not have to enter the yards or lots.