Did you know that food borne illness prevention starts at the farms where food is produced? Today’s blog looks specifically at poultry farms and how they help prevent illnesses such as salmonella and campylobacter.
Pro-biotics and Pre-biotics
Poultry farmers across the world use pro-biotics and pre-biotics to help sustain healthy growth in their flocks. Probiotics are made from lactobacillus and other “good” bacteria that help keep salmonella, campylobacter, and other “bad” bacteria at bay. These bacteria multiply quickly and crowd out the undesirable bacteria. Pre-biotics are ingredients that either improve the health of the bird or help the beneficial bacteria to grow and multiply. They may include things like herbs, yeast, and enzymes. Pre-biotics and pro-biotics are often added in the feed manufacturing process. Some pro-biotics can be added via drinking water. Another method of controlling disease is adding essential oils which help provide a more natural protection and many times add flavor to the poultry’s feed. This helps to ensure that the birds are eating the feed which conveys the pro-biotics. (1)
Vaccines
Vaccines are used to control various diseases in poultry, including Marek’s disease, Newcastle disease, and Salmonella. This builds the bird’s resistance to disease by building up antibodies to the disease, not unlike our bodies when we get immunized against mumps, measles, or the flu. (2)
Clean Environments
Good poultry management ensures that bacteria are not provided a foothold in the barn. Clean water and fresh litter go a long way to provide a healthy place for the birds to live. Making sure that the number of birds in the house is sufficient to provide ample space for the birds to walk, flap their wings, and move freely throughout the barn is an absolute must. Overcrowding is a sure way to ensure way to ensure that the birds are more prone to disease. This is why many studies have been done to ensure that the optimum densities are used.
Rodent and Wild Bird Control
Rodents and wild birds are another way that disease can be introduced in poultry houses. Farmers make sure that brush, tall grasses, and weeds do not grow close to poultry houses and that there are no rodent harborages near the barns. Old farm machinery, wood piles and other places rats, mice, and birds can hide must not be allowed near poultry houses. To aid in discouraging pests, farmers ensure that no feed is left where it can be available to pests, such as making sure that no feed is spilled by the feed hoppers, and keeping their barns in good repair. Even the smallest holes can allow mice to enter. Bird netting is used where natural air and light is introduced into the barns to ensure that vermin can not enter. (3)
Biosecurity
Biosecurity of flocks is of the utmost importance. This means that only a limited number of people can enter the barn and they have dedicated clothes and boots that are worn into the barns. Tyvek suits and boot covers are also worn by visitors and service technicians to ensure that they are not introducing harmful bacteria and viruses into the environment. Antimicrobials are used to disinfect boots, clothes and other items that are introduced into the bird’s environment. Hand sanitizers are used to ensure that bacteria on the farmer’s hands have been controlled, just the same as the hand sanitizers that you see at the grocery store, pharmacy, or other public places since the outbreak of Covid-19.
The methods that are used to control foodborne illness are many, varied, and continue to evolve as more research is done. It is everyone’s job to help control foodborne illness and it starts with the farms where food is grown. This is not just part of the poultry farmer’s life, but extends to the farms that produce beef, pork, and fruits and vegetables. In the coming weeks we will visit other types of interventions and strategies to prevent foodborne illness.
As always, wash your hands, stay safe, and read the cooking instructions on your food!
1. McDougal, T. (2019, May 29). [No title]. https://www.poultryworld.net/Health/Articles/2019/5/Interventions-reducing-the-risk-of-poultry-meat-contamination-433697E/
2. Poultry :: Breeds :: Vaccination Schedule For Poultry Birds. (n.d.). Retrieved August 21, 2021, from https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/animal_husbandry/ani_poultry_vaccination%20schd.html
3. EPA, U. S., & OCSPP. (2013). Identify and Prevent Rodent Infestations. https://www.epa.gov/rodenticides/identify-and-prevent-rodent-infestations