POULTRY FARM BIO-SECURITY MEASURES FOR WV VENDORS

All farms are bio-secured areas and traffic is being kept to a minimum.  All visits to transport litter from the farm must be coordinated with the appropriate grower/producer and the following outlined steps should be followed at all times.

v      All vehicles entering a poultry farm must stop at the farm entrance and fill out the visitor’s log (if available).

v      All vendors must disinfect their tires before entering.  The acceptable disinfectants are the following: Virkon-S, Quaternary Ammonia (Quat), and Phenols. Poultry growers will be responsible for providing disinfectant.  (10 minute shiny-wet saturation time)

v      Personnel driving or riding in a vehicle that goes onto the farm must have protective boots and clean coveralls.   Either rubber or plastic boots must be put on before getting out of the vehicle and disinfected before leaving operation.  Boots must be worn the entire time you are on the farm.  Farm employees should not ride in vendor vehicles.

v      Entry into the poultry house by the vendor is strictly prohibited by the grower and the poultry companies.

v      When exiting the farm, the disposable boots should be put in receptacle provided at the entrance of the farm.  Hands, rubber boots and any tools used on the farm must be washed and disinfected.  Vendor must wear clean coveralls between farms.

v      Vendor vehicles must be kept clean at all times. A complete spray down (carwash) and disinfection of tires should occur before entering subsequent farms.

v      All single truck loads of poultry litter must be shipped from the same farm.  In other words, one load cannot be filled from multiple farms; it must come from the same operation.

v      Visits to multiple farms within the same day are discouraged.

v      West Virginia State Law requires that all loads be covered during transportation.

v      Vendors who are also poultry producers are discouraged from entering onto other poultry operations.

v      Transportation vehicles must be constructed and equipped to prevent the contents from dropping, sifting, leaking or other wise escaping while traveling on public roads.

v      All non-composted animal carcasses are prohibited from transport.

v      It is recommended that the poultry litter be composted before being transported (3 days at 140 degrees F. 

v      Additional biosecurity measures may be established by the State Veterinarian.

PROPER VEHICLE CLEANING & DISINFECTION PROCEDURES

To help prevent the spread of disease via transportation, The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has adopted the following procedures for vehicle cleansing and disinfecting. Vendors traveling from farm to farm MUST properly disinfect and clean their vehicles to prevent the spread and transmission of disease.

Removal of Debris

v     Enclosed trailer only, scrape and brush the sidewalls, floor and tail lift of the vehicle.

v     Remove any deposits of mud, shavings, etc from the wheels, wheel arches, mudguards and exposed chassis.

Cleansing and Rinsing

v     Using an approved disinfectant at the proper dilution rate, soak all surfaces of the vehicle allowing at least 10 minutes contact time for it to penetrate and loosen dirt prior to disinfections (10 minute shiny-wet saturation time).

Disinfecting

v     Disinfect all vehicle surfaces inside and out using an approved disinfectant at a dilution rate

v     Outside, start at the top and work down each side and over the trailer, paying particular attention to the wheels, wheel arches mudguards and underside of vehicle. Inside ensure that the ceiling, sidewalls and floor of the vehicle are disinfected thoroughly finishing the procedure on the tailgate

v     Disinfect all vehicle equipment and belly box.

v     10 minute shiny-wet saturation time on all surfaces

Cab Disinfecting

v     Remove all removable items e.g. mats and boots from the vehicle cab and brush any debris or mud into a bucket or dustpan. Dispose of the cab waste into a refuse sack.

v     Wash the cab floor, mats and vehicle pedals with approved disinfectant allowing 10 minutes for it to penetrate and loosen dirt.

v     Using a clean cloth soaked in approved disinfectant wipe the cab floor, mats and foot pedals

Finally

v     Park the vehicle on a slope to drain and dry.

v     Once the vehicle is removed from the wash area, wash down the concrete surface with approved disinfectant at the proper dilution rate making sure no muck or debris remains.

v     Disinfect overalls and boots with approved disinfectant.

This information is being provided to you through the West Virginia Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the West Virginia Conservation Agency.  It is suggested that you integrate these procedures into your litter transportation program.  Any questions should be directed to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s Poultry Specialist at 304.538.2397.