Development and use of Biocheck.UGent™ scoring system to quantify biosecurity in conventional indoor (turkey, duck, breeder) and free-range (layer and broiler) poultry farms

• Published in: Preventive veterinary medicine 2024-09, Vol.230, p.106288, Article 106288
• Main Authors: Amalraj, Arthi, Van Meirhaeghe, Hilde, Caekebeke, Nele, Creve, Rhea, Dufay-Lefort, Anne-Christine, Rousset, Nathalie, Spaans, Annick, Devesa, Aitor, Tilli, Giuditta, Piccirillo, Alessandra, Żbikowski, Artur, Kovács, László, Chantziaras, Ilias, Dewulf, Jeroen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: algorithms; Animal Husbandry - methods; Animals; Audit; Biosecurity; Chickens; disease transmission; Ducks; farms; Internet; Poultry; Poultry Diseases - prevention & control; poultry production; questionnaires; Ranking; Risk; Scores; stakeholders; Surveys and Questionnaires; Turkeys; veterinary medicine
• ISSN: 0167-5877; 1873-1716; 1873-1716
• DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106288

To assess and enhance the application of biosecurity measures in poultry farming, an objective measurement tool (Biocheck.UGent™) was already available for broiler and layer. This study describes the development, validation and application of a risk-based weighted scoring tool for breeder, turkey, duck, free-range layer and free-range broiler production. In collaboration with an expert panel (n= 38), five different questionnaires were developed, following the format of the existing Biocheck.UGent scoring tools. Weights were attributed to external (7–9 subcategories) and internal (3–4 subcategories) biosecurity categories, as well as to the corresponding individual questions within each subcategory. The biosecurity measures were prioritized and weighed based on their relative importance in preventing disease transmission. Upon completion of the questionnaire, and upload of all answers to the Biocheck.UGent website, the algorithm generates a biosecurity score varying between ‘’0’’ which equals the total absence of any biosecurity measure up to ‘’100’’ which refers to full application of all biosecurity measures. The final scoring systems are available online (https://biocheckgent.com/en) for free and have been used to assess biosecurity in 70 breeders, 100 turkeys, 23 ducks, 16 free-range broilers, and 15 free-range layer farms originating from 12 countries so far. On average, the overall biosecurity score (mean ± std. dev) was 78 ± 7 % for breeders, 73 ± 11 % for turkeys, 71 ± 8 % for ducks, 73 ± 8 % for free-range layers and 70 ± 13 % for free-range broilers. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in biosecurity (both at the overall and subcategory levels) across different poultry types. The overall farm biosecurity score for breeders was significantly higher than that for turkey (p