Assessing implementation of biosecurity practices in Canadian dairy farms: An observational study

Biosecurity is central to disease prevention and control in livestock production, yet the implementation of some biosecurity measures remains low. The objective of this study was to assess: 1) the implementation of biosecurity practices recorded in the proAction Biosecurity Risk Assessment Questionnaire (BRAQ); and 2) farmers' adoption of specific veterinary recommendations provided during the proAction visit. A retrospective cohort study with a cross-sectional component was conducted on 345 dairy herds in 3 Canadian provinces: Québec, Ontario and Alberta. ProAction BRAQ and veterinary recommendations from proAction (a national quality assurance program in Canada) were collected, and an additional questionnaire was administered on-farm to gather information on farmer demographics and farm characteristics (e.g., type of housing, level of education, herd size), and adoption of veterinary recommendations. Implementation of biosecurity practices was compared across provinces, herd size and housing type using logistic regression, whereas factors associated with veterinary recommendation adoption were evaluated using logistic and multilevel mixed-effects regression models. In total, 676 recommendations were collected from 278 farms, with an overall adoption rate of 62.4% (n = 422). Implementation of biosecurity practices recorded in the BRAQ varied across provinces, herd size and type of housing. For instance, Québec farmers were more likely to use single-use needles than farmers in Alberta and Ontario, whereas farms with freestall housing were more likely to have a designated area to house sick animals. Adoption of recommendations did not differ by the farm's housing type or herd size, nor by owner education level or gender. In contrast, recommendation type and farmers' perception of the proAction veterinary visit were significantly associated with recommendation adoption, with farmers reporting a positive opinion being more likely to adopt the recommendations. This study suggests that farms' characteristics such as province, herd size, and housing matter for the implementation of biosecurity practices recorded in the proAction BRAQ, whereas the type of veterinary recommendation, and the perceived value of the veterinary visit are more influential for recommendation adoption.