Hygiene and sanitation play a vital role in animal farming, especially when you are herding pets like hens and goats as they are susceptible to illness. A bit of carelessness on your part regarding the hygiene in and around the farm can be very troublesome to these animals, but also to your farm as well.
There is a saying ‘Prevention is better than cure’ which tells us that it is better to take care of things before it’s too late.
If you are into animal husbandry, then this article can surely help you a lot. Here are 8 things that you must keep in mind to maintain hygiene in and around your farm.
Proper Cleaning
Cleaning of the farm on a regular basis matters a lot in animal farming. If the farm is not properly cleaned and has a lot of clutter, then the animals within would be very uncomfortable which will make them and unhappy and therefore less productive. Secondly, farm animals are very susceptible to diseases and unhygienic environment promotes illness which will affect all the farm animals you own.
So it is better to keep the farm clean and disinfected to keep your pets happy and healthy.
Your Farm’s Location
The location of the farm is the second most important thing to take into consideration. Setting up a petting farm near a lake with unclean water or any other location that is short on cleanliness is never a good idea. Flies and rodents can easily spread infections and virulent particles from these dirty places to your farm which can spread diseases among animals.
So it is always suggested to setup a farm in a clean and faraway location to avoid the spreading of such contagious diseases.
Quarantine
When new pets are purchased on a farm, they should be kept under observation of a skilled veterinary so that things like their productivity, time for laying eggs, gestation period, and sickness if any can be known about.
In some European countries it is necessary to keep the newly purchased animals in quarantine for observation. Usually, animals are kept for 4 to 6 weeks under observation but the time may differ depending on the breed of the animal, the season etc.
In case any defect in the purchased animal is found, it can be dealt with before any other animal on the farm can get infected by it.
Keep pets away from visitors
Animals should be kept away from the visitors as much as possible. Coming in touch with people from different places might be harmful for the animals because in case there is an active infection, it cannot be good for the pets or the visitors.
So people should wash their hands properly before entering a farm.
Transportation –
In case of transporting farm animals from one farm to another, care has to be taken that it is done very carefully. Before taking pets to a new spot, ensure that the place is thoroughly cleaned and sterilised to put a stop to any cross contamination.
For cleaning of animals only water is not sufficient as it can’t remove the organic dirt thoroughly. For thorough and complete washing, you need a slightly alkaline detergent to bathe and clean the pets properly as alkaline helps remove dirt like fats and protein and detergent gets rid of inorganic dirt like lime scale.
Even when a truck (for bringing or taking animals) enters into a farm, it should be checked for cleanliness and only then animal should be allowed to go in.
Footbaths
Even in homes, we install a footbath at the entrance so to avoid the dirt and mud from outside the house to enter. Similarly, footbaths for pets should be installed in the farms to keep the pet’s hooves clean and mud free.
For perfect cleaning first the feet should be cleaned and then dipped into the foot dip. Wipe away their feet gently after or place a mat or a rug that can absorb the moisture.
Regular Clipping and Trimming
Regular clipping in animals is as important as a haircut is for human beings. The long and unclipped hair can irritate the pets and invite small but dangerous creatures like lice, ticks and mites especially in big animals who have rapid hair growth like a horse. So periodical use of horse clippers to cut and trim the hair on a regular basis is a must to make your steed look sleek and healthy.
Only disinfection without cleaning does not make any sense and is a waste of money. The dirt particles along with organic soil can lead to contamination among animals. So, it is better to keep them free of it as much as possible from all inorganic and organic dirt with the proper use of water, detergent and alkaline. If you are into pet farming, never miss these things to keep your animals healthy and happy.
