Biosecurity

Hygiene in Animal Housing : A step-by-step Guide to Cleaning your Livestock Shed

May 7, 2023

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Hygiene in Animal Housing : A step-by-step Guide to Cleaning your Livestock Shed

As the world human population increases, it also increases demand for milk, meat and animal products which resulted in changes in livestock farming practices. The farmers are more interested in intensive farming causes enhancement in stock densities which leads to more disease problems and consequently greater financial losses to the farmer.

Now a days, the whole world is facing problems of infectious diseases that affect man and animals, and their effective control is crucial for human and animal health, for safeguarding and securing national and international food supplies and for benefits of animal rearing farmers.

Prevention and control of infectious disease in animals mainly relies on the maintenance of a healthy environment through a hygiene programme which includes cleaning and disinfection. Cleaning is the process of removal of dust, dirt, waste and other undesirable materials from the livestock shed which can facilitates the spread of infectious agent.

However, Disinfection is the process of elimination of infectious organisms by using chemical or physical agents. Proper cleaning and disinfection of the livestock farms also plays a crucial role in increasing the livestock production.

Effective cleaning and disinfecting methods can decrease transmission by reducing pathogens in the environment below infectious level. By reducing the number of surviving infectious agents, they will also reduce the chance of disease being passed to an uninfected livestock flock.

Cleaning of Animal Sheds

CLEANING OF ANIMAL SHEDS:-

Cleaning of animal sheds can be easily done with the use of tap water, proper lifting and disposing of all dung and used straw bedding, providing drainage, to the animal house for complete removal of liquid waste and urine.

The daily removal of feed and fodder left over in the manger, reduces the fly nuisance. Periodical cleaning of water through eliminates the growth of algae, bacterial and viral contamination and thus keeps the animal healthy.

Sanitizing the Animal Shed

Sanitizing the animal shed is necessary for the eliminations of all micro organisms that are capable of causing disease in the animals. The presence of organisms in the animal shed can contaminates the milk produced in dairy animals thus reducing its self life and milk production.

Dry floorings also help to keep the animal shed dry and protects the foot from injury. Similarly the presence of flies and other insects in the animal shed also serves as a form of disturbance for the animals which can lead to disease outbreak.

Sanitizers

Sunlight is the most potent and powerful sanitizer which destroy most of the disease producing organism. Disinfecting of animal sheds means making the animal shed free from disease producing bacteria.

This activity is mainly-carried out by sprinkling chemical agents such as bleaching powder, Iodine and lodophor, sodium carbonate, Washing soda, Slaked Lime (Calcium hydroxide), Quick Lime (Calcium oxide) and phenol. etc.

Insecticide

Insecticides are the substances or preparations used for killing insects. They can be highly poisonous, should be handled carefully and they should not come in contact with food material such as feed, concentrates, water. etc.

Precautions while using disinfection In Insecticide.

Remove dung and used bedding completely.
Avoid spilling of dung and used bedding while carrying it out.
Avoid the use of dirty water in cleaning the sheds.
Never put the fresh fodder over: the previous day’s left over fodder in the manger.
Prevent algae to grow in the water troughs
Use proper concentration of disinfectant / insecticide solutions to avoid any toxic effects poisoning.
Avoid of the mat the milking time as milk absorbs these quickly.

Procedure

Remove the dung from the floor and urine channel with the help of a shovel and basket (iron) and transfer it to the wheel – barrow.
Remove the used bedding and leftovers from the mangers in a similar way.
Empty the water trough and scrape its sides and bottom with the help of a floor brush.
Wash the water trough with clean water and white wash it with the help of lime mixture once a week.
Scrape the floor with a brush and broom and wash with water.
Clean and disinfect the splashes of dung on the side walls, railing and stanchions.
Remove the cobwebs periodically with the help of a wall brush.
Sprinkle one of the available disinfecting agents in the following concentration. Bleaching powder should have more than 30% available chlorine. Phenol 1-2% solution. Washing Soda (4% solution).
Allow adequate sunlight to enter in to the shed.
Spray insecticides at regular intervals especially during the rainy season (Fly season).
Whitewash the walls periodically by mixing insecticides init to eliminate ticks and mites living in cracks and crevices

Other Things to Look Into:-

The animal sheds should have proper facilities for milking barns, calf pens, calving pens and arrangement for store rooms.
Arrangement should be made for feeding manger, drinking area and loafing area.
The shed may be cemented or brick paved, but in any case it should be easy to clean.
The floor should be rough, so that animals will not slip.
The drains in the shed should be shallow and preferably covered with removable tiles.
The roof may be of corrugated cement sheet, asbestos or brick and rafters.
It is always desirable to plant some good shady trees for excellent protection against direct cold winds in winter and to keep cool in summer.

Cleaning: An essential step for disinfection

During disease condition, survival time of a microorganism outside the animal body is increased by the presence of waste material. Removal of this animal waste and undesirable material from shed is an essential element in the disinfection process, particularly before the disinfection process starts.

It is accepted that, under experimental conditions, cleaning alone removes approximately 90% of bacteria. Further removal of 6-7% of bacteria is obtained in disinfection practice, and a further 1-2% by fumigation. Fumigation, which is also an important aspect of disinfection is a process of removal of infectious agents from the animal shed with the help of certain chemical fumes.

Effective disinfection requires basically a clean surface because all disinfectants used in shelters are inactivated by organic material such as faces, litter, saliva, sneeze marks and plain old dirt to some extent, so if they are not applied to a clean surface, they simply will not work.

Hence, proper cleaning and detergent washing of livestock houses is very essential for process of disinfection. Selection of disinfection is completely based on its cost, efficiency, activity, toxicity and residual activity.

Common disinfectants used in livestock farms

Washing soda (NaHCO3) dissolved in water (4 % solution) is one of the powerful disinfectants and can be used to remove pathogens like bacteria, virus and fungus.
Fresh lime when sprinkled over the floors, walls, ground; as soil becomes un-favourable for germs growth in farm (1 Kg of lime is dissolved in 25 kg of water).
KMNO₄ is a good disinfectant and commonly used in livestock farms because it is cheap and also have antiseptic properties.
Chlorine compounds are also act as disinfectant on clean surfaces, but quickly inactivated by dirt and also effective against bacteria and many viruses. They are relatively inexpensive disinfectants.
Bleaching Powder is calcium hypochloride and it contains up to 39% available chlorine which has high disinfecting activity.
Mercuric Chloride is a very strong disinfectant but corrosive to metal and secondly it is poisonous.
Quaternary Ammonium are greatly odourless, colourless, non-irritating, and deodorizing compounds. They also have some detergent action, and when used properly, all are good disinfectants but inactivated in the presence of some soaps or soap residues. Like most disinfectant, their antibacterial activity is reduced in the presence of organic material.
5 % solution of phenol (Carbolic acid) is also a disinfectant and are effective against bacteria, fungi and many viruses. They may retain more activity in the presence of organic material than iodine or chlorine-containing disinfectants.
Formaldehyde gas is most commonly used in fumigation. Crystals of formalin are mixed with chromic acid that react to release formaldehyde into the air. In order to be an effective disinfectant because the toxic gas can penetrate well into small cracks and crevices. But Formaldehyde gas can be extremely toxic to humans and other animals, so proper caution is essential.
Formalin: 5 % solution is used as disinfectant and sprayed in at least 10 hours complete air tight condition (closed vicinity).
Iodine is commercially available as iodophores and contains between 1-2% available Iodine which is an effective germicide. They are good disinfectant, but do not work well in the presence of organic material. It is the least toxic of all other disinfectants.
Some natural disinfecting agents are Sunlight rays and proper ventilation. Sun rays having disinfectant properties and proper ventilation reduces the diseased condition in animal.

Methods of application of disinfectant

Mopping or wiping of disinfectant is one of the methods of disinfectant application by using a rag or paper towel is generally less efficient than spraying, but may be the only practical option in some circumstances, such as in rooms without drains.

Spraying as a method of application offers the advantage that disinfectant does not get contaminated by organic material as it would in a mop bucket. It also tends to be faster than mop bucket application. High-pressure sprayers coat the area to be cleaned more effectively than hand-held spray bottles.

Specific considerations for Disinfectant applications

Livestock removal from shed/farm- Disinfection and cleaning should be done after emptying the animal houses. It will facilitate proper space for cleaning process and also prevent animals to come in contact with harmful chemicals used in disinfection. Removal of livestock before cleaning and disinfection is essential for breaking a disease cycle from flock to flock.
Litter or manure removal- Litter or manure or animal waste should be completely removed from the animal sheds and transported as far away as possible or utilise it for other process after assessing contamination. Manure and litter may contain disease vectoring insects and infectious bacteria or viruses that were shed by the previous flock or diseased animals. After removal of animals and manure, area of shed should be cleaned properly.
Feed system sanitation- All remaining feeds from the previous livestock flock should be removed from the feed trough. Residual feed present in the animal feed trough may attract rodents and beetles as a food source, which can act as vectors for infectious agent. Feed trough should be thoroughly cleaned to prevent mould build-up. After applying a disinfectant, the feed trough is again cleaned and allow to dry which prevent animals to come in contact with toxic chemical of disinfectant.
Water system sanitation- Water lines should be flushed by openings the line at the end, to remove any build-up of loose slime or scale. All water filters should be cleaned properly. Chlorine compounds are good disinfectant in the absence of organic debris and also effective against bacteria and many viruses and hence it can be used for cleaning of tank water. Cleaning and removal of all feed and other organic material should be done from waterers before chlorination. Addition of disinfectants to water which is used for cleaning purpose of farm is necessary to prevent contaminated water from spreading disease.
Vector control- It is important to reduce or eliminate insects, free flying birds, and rodents as they can act as transmit infectious agent or pathogen. Insects can be finished by applying an insecticide and rodent’s population greatly minimised by cleaning of feed system. Be sure to remove away all dead insects and any dead rodents before disinfecting the house. Whitewash the walls periodically by mixing insecticides in it to eliminate ticks and mites living in cracks and crevices.
Housing and Equipments disinfection- The house should be swept from top to bottom and thoroughly dry-cleaned including fan blades, louvers, lighting fixtures, curtains and walls. Then it should be washed with a detergent solution that is best applied with a high-pressure sprayer. The spray should be applied with a minimum pressure of 200 psi to remove any remaining debris. Then disinfectant containing clean water should be sprayed, to wash off residual detergent and organic material. Finally, allowed to dry, then apply disinfectant by spraying it in all surfaces. It is also important for good penetration into cracks and crevices.
Re-stocking of farm animals- When the disinfection process is completed, the premises should be left empty for a period of time before re-stocking. This length of time depends on the disinfectant procedure and disease concerned. Re-stocking with healthy, uninfected animals should only be undertaken when post disinfection tests and/or susceptible animal evaluations reveal that the premises have a low probability of harbouring residual pathogens.

Good hygiene of animal housing is an integral part of human and animal welfare. Proper cleaning and disinfection of animal houses is essential for obtaining maximum benefits from livestock in respect of their productivity and services to the mankind.

A clean and infectant free shelter also adds the benefits of enhancing the comfort level of animal and presenting positive impacts on the health of the animal. Proper hygienic condition helps to avoid bacterial, viral, and parasitic infection and related illness in animals.

Daily cleaning of animals and farm help to reduce the objectionable odour in shelters and the environment. Use of disinfectants after cleaning can remove harmful infectious agent and also reduces the chances of disease in animals.

What Precautions Should You Take When Handling Livestock?

Biosecurity should be a major concern when handling livestock. This is the prevention of disease-causing agents entering or leaving any place where there is a potential risk to farm animals.

This should include regular procedures that will support the safety of livestock:

Make sure buildings are in a good state of repair and clear of rodents
Check buildings for rain or storm damage, and prevent any standing water gathering near water systems
Clean water troughs, buckets and cups routinely and sanitise nursing bottles and buckets after each feed
Store feed materials off floors, and clean storage areas around batch feed
Keep barrels and bins covered
Provide a clean environment for livestock birthing
Clean all manure from pens and disinfect walls and floors
Change bedding in pens before new animals use them
Provide good cleaning facilities for farm employees, and make sure they wash their hands thoroughly before milking, or working with sick animals
Keep sick animals segregated, and only use specific sick pens for them.
Use disposable gloves and boots to help prevent exposure to disease
Wash farm work clothing diligently and regularly.

Biosecurity should also involve the systematic disinfection of farm equipment and machinery, farm facilities, animal pens, water troughs and feed storage. This is in addition to regular and thorough cleaning.

The disinfection process should apply to: