JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Protect the health of your animals by practicing good biosecurity at the fair! Biosecurity is a set of management practices used to prevent the introduction and spread of diseases. Keeping your animals healthy increases the potential for success and profit.
Follow these tips at the fair to practice biosecurity:
- Monitor your animals closely for signs of illness.
- Wear dedicated clothing and footwear when working with your animals.
- Remove manure from pens and barn isles regularly.
- Cover feed and store it in sealed containers.
- Clean and disinfect equipment shared between farms.
- Keep your veterinarian’s contact information on hand.
- Isolate new or returning animals to your farm, as advised by your veterinarian.
The first step in developing a biosecurity plan is to register for a premises ID number (PIN). PIN registration is administered by the state of Missouri and allows animal health officials to quickly and precisely identify where animals are located in the event of an animal health or food safety emergency. Information gathered through premises registration will be used solely for animal health purposes. This critical data will provide animal health officials with necessary contact information in case of a disease concern.
Practicing good biosecurity is important for your operation and for the industry as a whole.
Learn more about creating a biosecurity plan and register for a PIN at agriculture.mo.gov/biosecurity
— Missouri Department of Agriculture
