Assessment of Biosecurity in Poultry Farms in Chitwan, Nepal

The occurrence of poultry disease is one of the major problems for poultry farmers. Proper implementation of biosecurity practices leads to a reduction in entry, occurrence and spread of pathogens on farms, that have negative consequences for animal health, human health and economy. The goal of the study was to assess biosecurity measures implemented by broiler and layer farmers in Chitwan, Nepal. A total of 400 poultry farmers were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. The mean conceptual, structural and operational biosecurity scores obtained by the farms were 4.7 ± 1.2, 11.6 ± 2.7 and 17.1 ± 4.1, respectively. The average biosecurity score recorded was 33.4 ± 6.7. The lowest score obtained by a farm was 7, whereas the highest score obtained was 47. It was found that out of 400 farms, 44.2% (177/400) maintained a satisfactory level of biosecurity, while the remaining 223 (55.8%) exhibited an unsatisfactory level. The chi-square test revealed that the main occupation (χ² = 31.832, p < 0.001), experience in poultry farming (χ² = 13.618, p < 0.001), attending poultry farming training (χ² = 23.107, p < 0.001), biosecurity training (χ² = 15.331, p = 0.002), farm capacity (χ² = 41.794, p < 0.001), farm type (χ² = 25.002, p < 0.001), flooring system (χ² = 35.906, p < 0.001) and presence of workers in the farm (χ² = 44.024, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with the biosecurity level in poultry farms. This study reveals that there is much space for improvement in the adoption of biosecurity measures by poultry farms. Future training programs for poultry farmers should focus on providing knowledge on the proper implementation of biosecurity measures as a strategy for disease prevention and control.