Biosecurity risk assessments made easy
Biosecurity measures are critical for preventing the introduction and spread of infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria and parasites that affect chicken and human health. As...
Biosecurity
Biosecurity
Biosecurity is ‘a set of measures designed to protect a property, or business, from the entry and spread of pests and diseases, including food safety pathogens.
Chicken farm, and processing plant, biosecurity is your responsibility, and that of every person visiting or working on your property or business’ (Animal Health Australia and Plant Health Australia).
Practising good biosecurity is important for everyone who works in or is involved in the Australian chicken meat industry. On this page you will find links to biosecurity-related manuals, guides and tools, videos, and research.
Biosecurity resources
Manuals, guides and tools
National farm biosecurity manual for chicken growers
The National farm biosecurity manual for chicken growers May 2020 (PDF, 2.39MB) is available from the Farm Biosecurity website along with tools and resources you can use in your own business.
Industry guides
These guides were developed as part of and from research projects, click on the links below to go to the online version of each guide.
- Best practice litter management manual for Australia meat chicken farms
- Industry best practice manual for water quality management and sterilisation on-farm
- Poultry waste composting guidelines
- Rodent control on meat chicken farms
Poultry legislation search tool
The Poultry legislation search tool has been developed specifically for the Chicken Meat industry, bringing together Australia’s legislation and standards and guidelines into a single, easily searchable location.
Videos
Watch these videos to see what biosecurity practices are in place on Australian chicken farms and what it is important to do before, and when, you visit one.
- Poultry meat biosecurity video, 13:58 minutes published February 2017
- Visiting a meat chicken farm video, 5:42 minutes published February 2019
- Exhibition bird biosecurity video, 12:22 minutes published February 2017
- Feed mill biosecurity, 6:42 minutes published November 2019
Further detailed webinars available here.
Research
Biosecurity-related research projects funded by the AgriFutures Australia Chicken Meat Program currently in progress include:
- Chicken producer and processor visitor biosecurity risk assessment and management (PRO-015813)
- Comparative validation of Newcastle disease serology tests – project summary (PRJ-012307)
- Increasing Australia’s preparedness for vvIBDV – project summary (PRJ-010978)
- Dynamics of ILT spread and role of dust in epidemiology, diagnostics and control (PRJ-010639)
For a list of completed projects visit our ‘Completed biosecurity research projects’ page.
Biosecurity is closely related to chicken health and welfare, and to the environment—visit our health, environment, welfare and water pages for more information.
Keep up to date
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This website is administered on behalf of the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program.
For more information about the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program, click here.
