Tendency of sheep and goat farmers to monitor direct and indirect contact between animals in some parts of Iran

Iran has a small ruminant population of over 70 million heads that is dispersed throughout every region of the country. The country has also been a center for some lethal infectious and transboundary diseases. Therefore, it is mandatory to keep an eye on direct and indirect contact between animals. The current study investigated the practice of Iranian farmers regarding body disposal, on-farm slaughtering, disinfecting equipment, or quarantine measures. Results showed that 87% of farmers would slaughter animals on-farm of whom an overwhelming majority used the leftover as dogs’ feed. Likewise, 78% of farmers would use the bodies of dead animals as dogs’ feed, while 52% would perform post-mortem examination. Four tenth of farmers used their shearing instruments mutually with their colleagues. Of these, 31% would disinfect the instrument before the shearing started. Most farmers kept a reasonable distance with other flocks in case of disease outbreaks, and one-third would isolate sick animals from the rest of the herd. Investigating the behavior of farmers in the study area can help policymakers have a general estimation about biosecurity practice in other regions. These findings can be used to develop and carry out appropriate intervention programs.

Keywords:

biosecurity , control measures , small ruminants , disease prevention