Royal GD ‘Manure supply is a risk of pathogen supply’

Many livestock farmers are currently considering supplying animal manure. This means that there is a chance that pathogens will also be supplied, warns Royal GD. For example, the manure may contain salmonella, paratuberculosis bacteria and the pig roundworm Ascaris suum.

It was already known that the supply of pig manure is associated with a higher risk of outbreaks by Salmonella Typhimurium. Research has shown that Dutch dairy farms that supply manure from other cattle and dairy goat farms more often have an unfavorable paratuberculosis status than farms that do not supply manure. There is also a trend that the supply of manure to farms with a favorable paratuberculosis status more often leads to loss of that status.

Royal GD advises not to supply animal manure to livestock farms because of the risks to animal health. If, despite these risks, it is still necessary to supply manure, it is recommended to only supply manure from farms with a favorable status for paratuberculosis and salmonellosis. Prior to delivery, the manure from the company of origin can be tested for these bacteria. It is not recommended to store supplied manure in the manure pit under the barn. Manure transport across the yard should also be avoided.

By only using the supplied manure on arable land, the risk of salmonella spreading from the manure can be reduced. If grassland is fertilized with supplied manure, the risk of contamination with Salmonella can be reduced by waiting at least 6 weeks after spreading before grazing cattle on that plot and by planning at least one silage or hay cut between spreading and grazing. . Feeding fresh grass from this land is strongly discouraged. The risks of salmonella can be further reduced by storing the manure separately for at least four months before spreading.

Paratuberculosis bacteria remain infectious on grassland for more than 12 months and survive ensilage. Cattle or goat manure supplied from a farm with a paratuberculosis infection is therefore not safe to use on grassland intended for roughage extraction or grazing. If such manure has been applied to grassland, it is important not to feed roughage from this grassland to the young stock, because young stock is more susceptible to an infection than adult cattle.

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