Animals can be exposed to diseases due to various factors and agents. Diseases can be spread from animal to animal, to and from humans, and from the environment. Diseases that can spread between animals and humans are called zoonotic diseases. Regardless of the source of the disease, there are many ways the disease can … Read more
As we move into summer and the weather gets warmer, we tend to see an increase in vector-borne diseases (VBD). Vectors are insects, rodents, birds, or other animals that can carry disease pathogens. The most common vectors are insects that suck blood, such as mosquitoes and ticks. VBDs occur in both animals and humans. Every … Read more
What is Bovine Tuberculosis (TB)? While bovine tuberculosis is uncommon in the United States, it is prevalent in many developing countries. A bacterium causes bovine TB. It is important to know the signs, to protect yourself and your herd. Bovine TB can affect various species, but primarily cattle and buffalo. Bovine TB can spread to … Read more
Diseases can be spread in a variety of ways – through humans, the environment, and other animals. Knowing how diseases spread can help you take actions to protect your animals. Routes of disease spread are listed and discussed below. Aerosol transmission Aerosol spread happens when droplets are spread through the air by coughing or sneezing. … Read more
The Livestock Project has put together a user-friendly disease prevention plan template for organic and alternative farms and ranches. This template can be customized to fit your farm and your goals! Disease preventions actions are needed daily to help ensure the health of your livestock and poultry. These same actions can also help prevent zoonotic … Read more
The Livestock Project has created a Self-Assessment Disease Prevention Checklist for use on organic or alternative livestock and poultry farms. This easy to use checklist can help point out your strengths as well as areas for improvement This short checklist can be printed and filled out, or filled in online and saved. If you participate … Read more
Items moving on and off your farm or ranch can bring disease. Recognizing movement risks can help you prevent them. The Livestock Project has created a Step 1: Movement risks checklist that can help you recognize and think about the types of movements that happen on your operation. In addition, the checklist can help you … Read more
If you have ever traveled abroad, upon arrival back in the U.S., there are several questions you have to answer. “While you were traveling, did you visit any farms?” is one of them. A separate screening is often required if your answer is yes. Along with the prohibition of bringing fresh produce, meats, and cheeses … Read more
The Livestock Project just posted new resources. The reportable and foreign animal disease FAQ and infographic are available on our website in the Resource section: Reportable and FAD FAQ for organic/alternative producers. With highly pathogenic avian influenza making its way across the US, and African Swine Fever in our hemisphere, it’s more important than ever … Read more
Practicing good animal husbandry helps your herd or flock stay healthy and happy. To do this, we need to train ourselves to monitor the health of our animals. Animal health monitoring involves keeping a close eye on your livestock for signs of illness to catch problems early and prevent minor dilemmas from becoming significant issues. … Read more