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Appendix 10 - Pick-up and Transport to Processing Plant
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- Pick-up and Transport to Processing Plant
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An issue that deserves a special mention is biosecurity during pick-up and transport to a processing plant. During that procedure, the aim of appropriate biosecurity measures is to prevent the spread of any disease or microbial contamination from one farm to another. This can happen readily through the movement of people, vehicles and equipment, for example transport crates, and measures have to be taken by all those involved in this operation to minimise the likelihood of such exposure.
In the majority of commercial arrangements, the processor is responsible for organising pick-up and transport, while the task is often carried out by specialised contractor crews. The onus is on the processor to ensure that those involved in this operation are fully aware of the biosecurity requirements and implement and enforce have appropriate standards.
The table below should assist in clarifying the roles and responsibilities for contract growers. It lists the main steps and procedures that need to be considered and indicates who is responsible for each step and who is usually expected to undertake the necessary action. For arrangements that differ from the contract grower/processor situation found in the majority of meat chicken operations, the responsibilities may shift more towards the grower. Regardless, the tasks and actions to be undertaken remain the same, and these need to be assigned and carried out appropriately.
|
Task/Action |
Responsibility |
Execution |
|---|---|---|
|
Scheduling farms for daily pick-up from youngest to oldest bird population |
Processor |
Pick-up Crew |
|
Scheduling farms for daily pick-up so that farms or flocks with real or suspected health issues are picked up last |
Processor |
Pick-up Crew |
|
Cleaning of crates, modules and trailers before the start of work each day |
Processor |
Processor |
|
Cleaning catching barriers, all other machinery and equipment, vehicles, trucks, forklifts etc. before the start of work each day |
Catching Contractor |
Catching Contractor |
|
Disinfecting shoes and hands at the start and at the conclusion of work in each shed |
Pick-up Crew |
Each Member of Pick-up Crew |
|
All personnel involved in pick-up operation to wear clean clothes and boot (at beginning of each shift) |
Pick-up Crew |
Each Member of Pick-up Crew |
In addition to the above daily requirements, every 12 months all personnel should be screened for:
- nil contact with poultry, pet birds or pigs in home environment
- nil contact with commercial caged birds, racing pigeons, hatcheries and non-commercial aviaries.
The practice of partial depopulation, while important to the industry’s economic viability, is recognised as having the potential of introducing new disease or contamination into the remaining flock. For this reason, it is particularly important to be meticulous about the biosecurity measures taken at each step.
19 Jan 2010