Biosecurity in the

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Hatchery: to
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KALIE PET TIT, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
HY-LINE NORTH AMERICA
Biosecurity: What is it?
Procedures intended to protect
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humans and/or animals against

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diseases and the agents (bacteria,

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fungi, toxins, etc) that cause them

Reduction of risk, not elimination of

risk

UNL Water
Biosecurity vs Sanitation
Biosecurity = keeping the bad stuff out (or the bad stuff in) of your

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area of operation

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Sanitation = reducing the levels of bad stuff within your area of

◦ Webinar 42 Keeping it Clean with Tommy Lively - YouTube

Biosecurity is never-ending

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The Importance of Hatchery Biosecurity with Henry Kohl:

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80mc4Lybuos

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Why have a biosecurity program?
Animal safety Food Safety

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◦ Prevent reductions in flock performance ◦ Number one consideration for customers
when choosing food options

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◦ Decreased egg production/Decreased egg
weights ◦ Salmonella species other than SE

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◦ Reduced egg/shell quality ◦ Public perception
◦ Increased mortality ◦ India—coronavirus came from chicken
◦ Depopulation/complete loss of a flock ◦ China—Covid-19 detected by PCR on frozen chicken
◦ Foreign animal diseases (FADs)
Human Safety
◦ +/- indemnity
◦ Covid-19
◦ NPIP 14 Points of Biosecurity
◦ Influenza
◦ Miscellaneous diseases (E.coli, erysipelas,
respiratory issues)
Biosecurity on a farm…

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 …Is not much different that in a hatchery
Potential Sources of Contamination
People
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Rodents

Wild Birds
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farms)

Eggs (External
farms)
Water (Feed?)

Equipment
Vaccines
Waste Removal Supplies
 …Is not much different that in a hatchery
Avian People
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Influenza
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Rodents
Mycoplasmosis
Wild Birds
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farms)
Egg Drop Syndrome
Eggs (External
farms)
Water (Feed?) Avian
Encephalomyelitis
Equipment
Salmonella Vaccines
Waste Removal Supplies
Avian Leukosis Virus
Identify your risks
Waste management: Garbage, Chick/Shell waste
◦ HIGH risk

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Pests: Rodents, Birds, Insects, etc

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Employees: In-house vs contract—trained the same in biosecurity?

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Supplies: Vaccines, paper products, pallets; storage of new products not yet in use
Trucking, deliveries, egg movement
Testing of source flocks for vertical/trans-ovarian diseases (SE, pullorum/typhoid, MG,
CAV, EDS etc)
Equipment necessary to complete tasks associated with any of the above tasks
Quantify your risks
Ownership: determine the level of risk reduction willing / necessary

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◦ $$$ spent at this level

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$$$ + Time + Effort vs Benefit

Biosecurity = Reduction of risk. Every system will have a different answer; even
two hatcheries within the same system may have a different biosecurity plan.
NPIP 14-Point Biosecurity Audit – A good
place to start
1. Responsibility
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2. Training
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3. Line of Separation (LOS) 11. Water Supply
4. Perimeter Buffer Area (PBA) 12. Feed, Replacement Litter, and Supply
Storage
5. Personnel
13. Reporting of Elevated Morbidity / Mortality
6. Wild Birds, Rodents, Insects
14. Auditing
7. Equipment and Vehicles
8. Mortality and Waste Disposal
Responsibility and Training
Biosecurity is only as strong as the leaders who create it and the employees who
understand it.
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A leader or a team must take responsibility to design, implement, and monitor a
biosecurity program.

Training for ALL employees and visitors must be implemented such that all
individuals that enter the hatchery not only know the “how’s” but understand
the “why’s” of biosecurity.
Personnel
Explain biosecurity to management, employees, and visitors

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so they understand why all of the steps implemented are
important

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◦ Biosecurity is only as strong as your weakest link

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Work with employees to understand risk factors at home
◦ Not going to stop employees from hunting, visiting friends with
poultry, etc—so work with them to design mitigation strategies
Allow employees to be part of the solution—“vested
interest”
Line of Separation (LOS)
The not-so-invisible line that separates the CLEAN (the inside of the hatchery)

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from the DIRTY (the rest of the world—which has an unknown disease status).

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An LOS should be visibly marked and illustrated for employees/visitors at all
entrances to the clean area.

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◦ Shoe/footwear change/disinfect
◦ Clothing change
◦ Employee entrances, exits to dumpsters, smoking patios, break areas, etc

When designing an LOS, think of the diseases you are trying to keep out and
the interventions necessary
◦ Avian influenza—physical contamination—clothing change
◦ Salmonella Enteritidis—internal egg contamination—testing measures
LOS

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LOS

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CFSPH
Wildlife control
Interventions at the LOS should be designed to keep wildlife out as well
◦ Wild birds
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◦ Rodents
◦ Insects
◦ Dogs/cats
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Live traps/bait boxes around exterior and at all entrances
Bird-proofing roof inlets, fans, truck bay doors
Insect bait, bug zappers, positive pressure
◦ Cleanliness/sanitation—spilled egg waste, debris, etc attracts insects and rodents!
Perimeter Buffer Area
Designed to help reduce likelihood of tracking disease across the LOS; minimize

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traffic (foot and vehicle) by limiting access to facilities

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Perimeter Buffer Area
Restricted access?

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Disinfection points?

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Egg traffic vs chick traffic?
Who unloads?
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Trash/dumpster placement?
Repair/contractor access?
Vehicles
Personal: Inside or outside the PBA? Disinfection

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procedures? Company-owned car wash?

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Egg trucks: status of company farms? Contract delivery of
eggs?

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Chick trucks: Assume all farms not owned/managed by
the company are contaminated; steps necessary to
eliminate disease on/in a returning chick truck?
◦ Fumigation of chick boxes? De-stack when returning!
◦ Disinfection of truck—how often?

Non-company-owned vehicles: same procedures as

internal?
Eggs
Know the disease status of source flocks/farms!

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Dedicated area for egg delivery/holding

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Fumigation and/or disinfection after arrival

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◦ Wet disinfection? Dry fumigation?
Employee flow—egg side vs chick side separated? Same employees? Eggs first
or chicks first?
◦ Salmonella—more likely to show up in the hatch…chicks = “dirty”
◦ Avian influenza—virus neutralized in incubation…eggs = “dirty”
Supplies
Non-company delivery vehicles

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◦ Deliver to a warehouse? To the hatchery?

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◦ Dedicated drop area?
◦ Fumigation and/or disinfection?
Storage of new supplies
Test or trust?
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Storage of supplies before delivery??
Warehouse/supplier audits?
Supplies

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Supplies

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Vaccines
Important to protect chicks/birds from disease, but…

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Contaminated vaccines can be carriers of disease.

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contamination.
Use reputable manufacturers.
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Consider external contamination and internal
Boehringer Ingelheim

Dewar disinfection? Delivery dewars stay on loading dock,

use of internal dewars?

Merck Animal Health USA

Water
…The often-forgotten component

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Source of water? Municipal? Well? Pond/river?
Disinfection?
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Water is used on/in every aspect of the hatchery we need to keep clean
Waste management
HIGH risk of contamination
Garbage:
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◦ Dumpster location?
◦ Contract company or removal by employees?

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◦ Garbage removed from hatchery throughout the day or at
the end of the day? Employee walking to dumpster then
back into hatchery?

Chick waste / shell waste:

◦ Is it going to a compost site dedicated to only your poultry
waste, or a common site used by other poultry companies?
◦ Dump trucks/waste tankers disinfected prior to return?
Auditing/Self-assessments
Conduct internal self-assessments/audits to determine where (not “if”) gaps in

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the biosecurity program exist

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Self-assessments can also help identify areas of lack of understanding by
management/employees

Get feedback from employees—regular meetings? Anonymous dropbox?

Shows employees that biosecurity is as important as other benchmarking

parameters
In summary
One size does not fit all

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Work with your employees and management to ensure understanding

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Start by understanding your risks and the diseases you are targeting when
designing a biosecurity program

Never assume anything…plan for the worst, hope for the best
Questions?

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Feel free to reach out to me with additional questions!
kpettit@hylinena.com