Basic Biosecurity: How To Keep Your Chickens Disease-Free
On a small plot outside Chinhoyi, 400 broilers are almost ready for sale when three birds are found dead in the morning. By the third day, more than half the flock is gone. The culprit? Newcastle Disease — introduced, the farmer later realises, by a neighbour who walked straight from his own fowl run into the house without washing his boots.
Disease is the number one risk in poultry farming. A single outbreak of Newcastle or Infectious Bursal Disease (Gumboro) can wipe out weeks of feed, labour, and hope. The good news is that most outbreaks are preventable with simple, low-cost biosecurity habits.
FFA Explainer:
Biosecurity means controlling how people, animals, equipment, and materials move on and off your poultry unit so that disease organisms don’t get a free ride into your flock. It’s not about expensive equipment; it’s about consistent routines.
Here are the golden rules of basic biosecurity for Zimbabwean poultry farmers.
1. All-In, All-Out Management
Never mix birds of different ages in the same house. Young chicks and older birds face different diseases and can infect each other.
- Stock each house with one batch at a time.
- When that batch leaves, empty the house completely before restocking.
- Do not add new birds to an existing flock “just to fill space” — it’s one of the fastest ways to spread disease.
2. Foot Dips At Every Entry Point
Most poultry diseases travel on shoes and tyres long before they spread through the air.
- Place a shallow tray (about 20 cm × 60 cm) filled with disinfectant solution at the entrance to each poultry house.
- Use products like Virkon S, or common household bleach diluted roughly 1:10 with clean water.
- Everyone — including you — must step through the dip before entering.
- Change the solution every two to three days, or whenever it looks dirty.
3. Restrict Visitors
Every visitor is a possible carrier of disease from another farm.
- Avoid unnecessary visitors in the chicken house.
- If buyers insist on seeing birds, bring a few outside instead of allowing people to walk through the flock.
- Ask anyone who must enter to use the foot dip and, where possible, provide clean gumboots reserved just for the poultry area.
4. Control Rodents And Wild Birds
Rats, mice, and wild birds spread disease and eat your profits.
- Seal gaps and holes in walls, doors, and roofs where pests can enter.
- Use rat bait stations or traps around the outside of the house.
- Keep the yard tidy: remove tall grass, old boards, and rubbish piles where rodents hide.
- Prevent wild birds from entering the house by using wire mesh on openings and fixing any tears.
5. Clean And Disinfect Between Every Batch
Even a healthy-looking flock leaves behind germs in litter, dust, and on equipment. Break the cycle between batches:
- Remove all litter and manure and dispose of it far from the poultry house.
- Sweep down floors, walls, and ceilings to remove dust and cobwebs.
- Wash all surfaces, feeders, and drinkers with water and detergent.
- Apply disinfectant by spraying or mopping, following label instructions.
- Leave the house empty (“rest” it) for at least 7–14 days before bringing in new birds.
This rest period gives time for many disease organisms to die off naturally.
6. Vaccinate On Schedule — Every Time
Biosecurity and vaccination work together. One without the other is not enough.
- At minimum, vaccinate every batch against Newcastle Disease and Gumboro according to a clear schedule, such as:
- Newcastle: around day 7 and day 21.
- Gumboro: around day 14–18.
- Keep a written vaccination record for each batch: date, vaccine used, and method.
- Store vaccines in a fridge at about 4°C; never leave them in the sun or at room temperature.
- Use opened vaccine within the recommended time — old vaccine may not protect your birds.
7. Isolate Sick Birds Immediately
Fast action can make the difference between one sick bird and a full-house outbreak.
- At the first sign of a problem — drooping head, reduced feeding, laboured breathing, watery or bloody droppings — remove the bird to a separate “hospital” cage.
- Observe closely and, if more birds show signs, contact a vet, para-vet, or Agritex officer for advice.
- Do not keep obviously sick birds inside the main flock “to see if they improve.”
When Disease Strikes Despite Precautions
Even with good biosecurity, some outbreaks still happen. When they do:
- Increase cleaning and disinfection frequency in and around the affected house.
- Stop all movement of birds, equipment, manure, and people from that house to others.
- Seek professional help from Agritex or a registered poultry vet for diagnosis and treatment advice.
- Dispose of dead birds safely: deep burial (about 60 cm) away from water sources, or burning. Never throw carcasses in open fields or rivers.
Good biosecurity costs almost nothing compared with the price of lost flocks. Make these habits part of your daily routine from day one, so that your birds — whether indigenous or commercial — can grow, lay, and earn without the constant shadow of preventable disease.
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