Mar 11
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Good management in ostrich farming will include recording, monitoring and controlling disease. This section of a Veterinary Health Plan (VHP) is designed to identify and clearly define the strategies for recording, monitoring and controlling disease. This section is not about treating diseases, it is about measures for monitoring and controlling disease.
The farm should have normal production data recorded, such as ostrich eggs laid, hatchability and mortality. Farm management records should also include such things as feed consumption per pen. Movement records will also be standard records to record movement of all birds onto the farm, movement within the farm and off the farm. Feed consumption per pen is calculated by total feed fed less uneaten feed removed. Any unusual change in feed consumption can be the first key indicator to possible impending health problems in a pen and/or in the whole flock.
The VHP should record all medication provided in-food, in-water and all routine medication on each quarterly update with suitable review periods on an on-going assessment. As part of the quarterly review, discussions and advice should be towards the control of disease by management factors, vaccines and anti-toxins rather than antibiotic medication. The impact of disease can be assessed by reference to the management production parameters.
This section of the VHP can include written procedures that keep in mind local regulations as well as what are the best management practices for such things as:
- Safe disposal of pharmaceutical waste, needles and other sharps
- Clear labelling on all medications and storage in accordance with the label instructions
- Secure storage of all medicines to ensure safety from animals, children and birds
- Nominated personnel responsible for management of medicine stores, maintenance of appropriate records, appropriate stock control system
- Nominated personnel responsible for ensuring medicaments used are appropriate for the country of production and also the country or consumption when meat products are exported and in accordance with customer requirements
- All personnel involved in the administration of animal medicines are fully trained and competent to do so
When infections and/or disease are identified on farm it is essential to keep excellent records. Examples of items that require recording under this section are such things as disease present, age and type of ostrich affected, methods of control put in place, review periods and changes incorporated as a result of the control programme.
These records, monitoring systems and identification of control methods should be basic requirements that good management in ostrich farming would implement whether or not they are required by your buyers.
