Scoring biosecurity in European conventional broiler production

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Veterinary Public Health
• Agricultural Management

Background:

• Effective biosecurity is fundamental for maintaining healthy livestock populations and preventing disease transmission in commercial animal production.
• Quantifying biosecurity levels on farms is essential for identifying specific areas requiring intervention and improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively assess the level of biosecurity on conventional broiler farms across five European Union member states.
• To identify specific factors and farm characteristics influencing biosecurity performance.
• To pinpoint areas within biosecurity protocols amenable to improvement for enhanced farm health.

Main Methods:

• A standardized, risk-based weighted scoring system (BioCheck.UGent®) was employed to evaluate biosecurity.
• Data were collected from 399 conventional broiler farms, assessing 97 biosecurity questions across external and internal categories.
• Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to investigate correlations between biosecurity scores and farm characteristics.

Main Results:

• Broiler farms achieved higher scores for internal biosecurity (mean 76.6) compared to external biosecurity (mean 68.4).
• Significant variation in biosecurity scores was observed among different EU member states and within subcategories.
• The 'visitors and staff' subcategory for external biosecurity had the lowest mean score (51.5), indicating a critical area for improvement.

Conclusions:

• Substantial variability in both external and internal biosecurity levels exists on European broiler farms, indicating potential for enhancement.
• Farm size and number of employees showed a negative correlation with internal biosecurity, suggesting management challenges.
• Targeted education and improved biosecurity protocols for farm visitors and staff are recommended to elevate overall farm biosecurity standards.