Webster Dictionary defines biosecurity as: "Security from exposure to harmful biological agents and measures taken to ensure this security."

Farmers Coop Society has always taken measures to secure biosecurity for our customers. Our Staff and mills use measures to protect your livestock by following protocols to prevent the spread of disease. 

Farmers Coop Society has audit systems to ensure your livestock is receiving safe products.

With the recent African Swine Fever outbreaks in the world, Farmers Coop Society has implemented a 30-day quarantine of all at-risk ingredients. Our suppliers, along with Farmers Coop Society, understand the importance of this requirement for the protection of your herd. Farmers Coop Society has audit systems to ensure your livestock is receiving safe products. We are constantly looking at ways to improve our system. Processes in this audit will evolve as we learn more about issues that arise worldwide. Our quality control team and ingredient purchaser, alone with our suppliers, have been working hard to keep our producers in-the-know to provide quality products to our customers.

Here are things you can do as a producer to ensure your biosecurity:

Think clean. Wash your hands before and after working with livestock. Use specific footwear and clothing for working your livestock. Establishing a clean/dirty line is a simple way to do this. No outside footwear is to cross that line. Many producers use a bench that you actually can sit on and remove your outside footwear and swing over and use barn-specific footwear. 

Implement a good rodent control program. Have bait boxes outside of your building and check them regularly to make sure bait is fresh, and replenish as needed. 

Limit your exposure to other livestock and visitors to your sites. Utilize a visitor log to track visitors that need to visit your site and specific reasons why. 

Power washing your hog building at the end of the turn is a necessity to break the cycle and help promote a good start for the next batch of pigs. Use a good disinfectant and allow time to dry before placing pigs back in the barn. Your disinfectant will not work if you still have organic matter left on the slats, feeders, or drinkers. Perform an inspection of the barn before disinfectant is applied. Rewash if needed. 

If you have questions regarding your swine operation, please feel free to visit with any of our Swine Specialists. 

Written by: Mindi Hulshof, Swine Specialist