BIOSECURITY

At Onion Creek Ranch in Texas, I am very particular about biosecurity. Every person who enters the ranch must put the soles of his boots or shoes into a broad spectrum disinfectant solution. I don't want disease-causing organisms brought on my ranch.

It is vitally important that you, your workers, and your visitors not bring diseases onto your property or into animal housing areas. Saving just one animal's life will pay for the cost of the mat and the disinfectant that I am recommending.

In 2014 at GoatCamp(tm), I tried a new product sold by Jeffers (1-800-533-3377) or www.jefferslivestock.com. This disinfectant mat is designed to be placed at the entrance of any area you wish. I placed it at the ranch entrance gate where people parked their vehicles. When filled with the disinfectant solution, the mat disinfects the boots and shoes of everyone stepping onto it. The mat's bladder is made of a tough poly mesh over a foam core and is not removable. The poly bottom is not permeable, so it doesn't leak. Made in the USA, this one-piece design reduces the likelihood of tripping. Do not use chlorine bleach. Place on level ground and fill with 1.5 gallons of any liquid disinfectant or sanitizer. The foam core will soak up the liquid. Mat dimensions are 24 inches x 28 inches. Red or blue in color. Items AP-DA and AP-DB in Jeffers catalog.

I used the broad-spectrum disinfectant Trifectant by Vetoquinol as the disinfecting solution. The label says It is effective against E. Coli, mycoplasma, gallisepticum, infectious bronchitis, haemophilus somnus, calf rotavirus, foot & mouth disease, rhinopneumonitis, equine influenza, staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus pyogenes, canine parvovirus, distemper & much more. Item # T6-T3 (50 ct bottle) at Jeffers.

I was very pleased with the performance of these products at GoatCamp™. Further, clean-up and storage were quick and easy. I recommend using this mat to provide biosecurity on your farm or ranch.

Suzanne W. Gasparotto, Onion Creek Ranch, Texas 11/11/14

The author, Suzanne Gasparotto, hereby grants to local goat publications and club newsletters, permission to reprint articles published on the Onion Creek Ranch website under these conditions: THE ARTICLE MUST BE REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE AUTHOR'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND CONTACT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REPRINT. We would appreciate notification from any clubs or publications when the articles are used. (A copy of the newsletter or publication would also be a welcome addition to our growing library of goat related information!)

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