Beefing Up Biosecurity: A must for bull sale events

Sellers and buyers alike look forward to bull sale season as it’s the culmination of years of hard work meeting the excitement of anticipating the next generation of calves.

Picture it: multiple beef producers visiting different farms, auction markets and ag societies while looking for the next addition to their herd, all in the context of biosecurity and preventing diseases entering and spreading within your herd, or even to your family members.

Implementing these straightforward practices isn’t just about this year’s calves; it’s about safeguarding the health and productivity of your entire herd, and your family. So, whether you’re a buyer, seller or sales staff, taking a moment to consider these biosecurity tips can go a long way in ensuring every herd and everyone is safe.

HYGIENE PRACTICES

During calving and sale season, take the time to review good hygienic practices with family and staff. This
includes maintaining separate footwear, a change of clothes, or coveralls, and washing clothing regularly.
Another important but often overlooked aspect of biosecurity is to wash your hands – A LOT, especially
when returning from cattle facilities that aren’t your own.

BIOSECURITY RESOURCES

Visit the Beef Cattle Research Council’s new biosecurity resource, which includes how to build a biosecurity plan for your farm. Included in the resource page is guidance on how to develop protocols for your operation to prevent diseases from entering and spreading to your herd or someone else’s operation. This along with other great information on common available practices can be found
at BeefResearch.ca

When purchasing replacements, consider the following:

• Herd Health History
  • Confirm with the previous owners the herd health or animal history of new purchases
• Seclusion Pens
  • Plan for seclusion pens for incoming cattle to prevent nose-to-nose mingling for three to four weeks.

If you are selling cattle, consider the following:

• Public Facilities
  • If taking cattle to public facilities like auction markets or ag societies, consider seclusion pens for returning animals to prevent nose-to-nose contact with your main herd or at least high-risk animals.
• On-Farm Sale
  • If hosting an on-farm sale, minimize visitor access to production areas and cattle at higher risk of disease.
  • Keep a log book of all visitors and basic contact information, including sale staff, for your records. This also serves as a useful marketing tool for sending next year’s catalogue.

• Delivery to Multiple Customers
  • If delivering cattle to multiple customers in one day, consider bringing a change of clothes and footwear, and/or a disinfectant, especially if touring facilities.

In the dynamic world of bull sales, biosecurity isn’t just a precaution – it’s a pledge to preserve the health
and vitality of your herd and ensure the future of the Canadian beef industry. By adopting these simple yet effective practices, buyers, sellers and sales staff can contribute to the resilience and well-being of every herd and everyone.

This article was first published in Volume 4 Issue 1 of ABP Magazine (February 2024). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.