Design and hygiene control of the site and production buildings

The selection of the farm location is a critical component of biosecurity. The site must be chosen to minimise the risk of disease introduction from the surrounding environment.

Minimum distances should be respected as much as possible:

• from other poultry farms and backyard flocks;
• from major roads with frequent vehicle movement;
• from water bodies (lakes, rivers, wetlands) that attract wild birds.

The site should be positioned in an area with low poultry density and limited external activity.

A simple risk assessment (“risk map”) should be carried out before installation to identify potential contamination sources around the site (e.g. neighbouring farms, markets, water points, traffic routes).

The layout of a breeder production site is a key component of biosecurity and has a direct impact on the health and performance of the flock. A well-designed farm layout allows effective control of movements, separation of activities, and reduction of contamination risks.

During the design of the breeder production site, the farmer must aim to:

1. Prevent the introduction of pathogens onto the farm;
2. Prevent the multiplication of pathogens within the farm;
3. Prevent the spread of contamination from the farm to the surrounding environment.

These three principles form the foundation of biosecurity.

To apply these principles in practice, the farm layout must be carefully designed to control all flows (people, animals, equipment, vehicles) and to ensure a clear physical separation between different areas of activity.

Zoning of the site is therefore essential:

• PUBLIC ZONE areas where visitors may move freely (e.g. administrative offices,access roads, parking areas)
• PROFESSIONAL ZONE areas restricted to authorised personnel only may move about (e.g. the storagefacilities, internal pathways, changing rooms)
• REARING ZONE areas reserved strictly for animals and the staff responsible for their care (e.g. brooder house).

Each zone must be physically separated (fencing, walls, or barriers) and accessed exclusively through designated hygiene entry points (cloakrooms).

The movement of personnel, equipment, eggs, and animals, as well as the delivery of raw materials and the removal of waste (including eggs and carcasses), must be strictly controlled. All flows should be separated to prevent cross-contamination.

At all times the livestock farmer must ensure a high level of hygiene across the entire site, including:

• the cleanliness of the site and its surroundings;
• the hygiene of entry facilities for personnel and equipment;
• the hygiene of the dispatch area for hatching eggs (HE);
• the proper condition of storage areas and waste handling facilities (e.g. freezer, rendering containers);
• the correct operation of cleaning and disinfection equipment;
• the implementation of effective rodent and pest control programmes;
• the monitoring of water quality, including bacteriological testing at least once or twice a year, both at the building inlet and at the end of the watering line.

To reduce health risks on risks on sites with multiple buildings, single batches rearing should be preferred over multi-batch systems.

The entry of vehicles onto the livestock site must be limited to the strict minimum. Access should be restricted to essential vehicles only, and all non-authorized or unnecessary vehicles must be prohibited.

Vehicles involved in deliveries (feed, gas, other consumables, breeder pullets) or dispatch (hatching eggs, cull hens) often travel from farm to farm and therefore represent a significant biosecurity risk. They must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before entering the site.

Drivers also move frequently between farms, and their sanitary status cannot be guaranteed. Under no circumstances should drivers be allowed to enter poultry houses or production areas, even to assist with operational tasks (e.g. loading or unloading animals).

A disinfection system (e.g. a wheel dip or disinfection ramp) should be installed at the site entrance to ensure systematic and effective treatment of all incoming vehicles, provided it is correctly maintained and used.

During partial depopulation or culling operations on sites with multiple buildings, where not all houses are emptied simultaneously, vehicles should not enter the site. This measure helps to reduce the risk of introducing pathogens between buildings.

Equipment used within each building must be dedicated exclusively to that building to minimize the risk of cross-contamination. The introduction of external equipment should be restricted to the strict minimum.

Any equipment entering the livestock building must be thoroughly disinfected prior to entry, and, where possible, cleaned before disinfection to ensure optimal effectiveness.

A dedicated disinfection area (e.g. a hygiene entry or disinfection room) should be provided at the entrance to the building or site for this purpose.

Access to the livestock site and buildings must be strictly limited to personnel directly involved in animal care, such as farmers, technicians, and veterinarians. All individuals must comply fully with hygiene procedures and use the cloakroom correctly.

There is often a temptation to bypass the cloakroom or ignore its different zones, particularly when under time pressure or fatigue. To prevent this, the cloakroom must be designed in a restrictive manner, with appropriate fences and physical barriers to ensure that passage through it is compulsory.

It is recommended to divide the cloakroom into three distinct zones.

For example, a cloakroom located at the entrance to the professional zone may include:

• an outer zone, where personal clothing (including shoes) is removed;
• an intermediate zone, where personnel take a full shower (body and hair) and disinfect their hands;
• an inner zone, where dedicated farm clothing is put on, including undergarments, overalls, head covering, and footwear.

If the installation does not allow for a complete shower and change of clothing, a minimum requirement is to provide dedicated overalls for the building and a handwashing station.

The cloakroom must be regularly cleaned and disinfected (at least once a week) to maintain hygienic conditions. Each building should be equipped with its own cloakroom to allow personnel to change into clothing specific to that building. The intermediate area must include facilities for proper hand washing and disinfection.

Technical tip: A footbath loses its effectiveness rapidly over time, particularly with frequent use. To prevent it from becoming a source of contamination, it should be emptied, cleaned, disinfected, and refilled at least once a day, in accordance with the disinfectant concentrations recommended by the manufacturer.

Waste represents one of the main vectors for disease transmission in livestock farming. It is therefore essential to plan for proper waste management during the design of any livestock site.

Several types of waste must be considered, including:

• cull hens;
• carcasses;
• non-hatchable eggs;
• manure and droppings;
• used disposable equipment;
• wastewater.

Carcasses must be stored in a freezer located within each building before being transferred to a rendering container. This transfer should take place shortly before collection.

To avoid the entry of rendering or slaughter vehicules into the production area, the rendering container should be positioned outside the livestock site.