Assessing Biosecurity Compliance in Poultry Farms: A Survey in a Densely Populated Poultry Area in North East Italy

Simple Summary In intensive animal farming, biosecurity represents a crucial point to guarantee animal welfare and health. Therefore, it is necessary that proper biosecurity measures are complied with and implemented. To date, several tools to assess biosecurity compliance in poultry farms are available with the general purpose of providing an evaluation of the implemented biosecurity measures. With this study, we aimed to assess the level of compliance with biosecurity measures in poultry farms located in the most densely populated Italian poultry area. Standardized biosecurity checklists according to national legislation were used to collect information. The main findings of our study show an overall good level of biosecurity implementation with some measures still requiring improvement. Our study may help to highlight the importance of biosecurity compliance in poultry farms by identifying the main achievements/challenges in a context in which measures are to be implemented by law and poultry production is vertically integrated. Biosecurity in poultry farms represents the first line of defense against the entry and spread of pathogens that may have animal health, food safety, and economic consequences. The aim of this study was to assess biosecurity compliance in poultry farms located in a densely populated poultry area in North East Italy. A total of 259 poultry farms (i.e., broilers, turkeys, and layers) were surveyed between 2018 and 2019 using standardized checklists, and differences in biosecurity compliance between the poultry sectors and years (only for turkey farms) were tested for significance. Among the three sectors, turkey farms showed the highest compliance. Farm hygiene, infrastructure condition, cleaning and disinfection tools, and procedures were the biosecurity measures most complied with. Some deficiencies were observed in the cleanliness of the farm hygiene lock in broiler farms, as well as the presence of the house hygiene lock in broiler and layer farms and an adequate coverage of built-up litter in turkey and broiler farms. In conclusion, this study highlighted a generally high level of biosecurity in the visited poultry farms (probably due to the stringent national regulation and the integration of the poultry industry) and identified some measures that still need to be improved.