Biosecurity on cattle farms – protection for people, animals and the farm

^{As at October 2026}

Dr. Rebecca Simon, Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen
Saskia Markmann, Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen
Leonie Schnecker, Landesbetrieb Landwirtschaft Hessen

Livestock keepers are responsible for the health of the animals in their care, for good animal husbandry practices, for minimising the risk of disease spread, and for taking appropriate measures to protect against biological hazards and maintaining the relevant documentation (biosecurity management plan) (see AHL). Acute disease outbreaks, such as those of bluetongue (BTV-3 and BTV-8) and foot-and-mouth disease in recent years, have once again made it clear that the issue of biosecurity must not be neglected on cattle farms either.

Note

Biosecurity = protection against biological hazards (e.g. animal diseases)

Viruses do not move independently, which is why it is important to identify and interrupt vectors (carriers) and routes of transmission in order to curb the spread of diseases – this can be achieved through various biosecurity measures.

Biosecurity measures

Biosecurity measures can be divided into internal and external measures. Internal measures comprise all precautions taken within a farm to prevent the transmission and spread of pathogens. External measures, on the other hand, aim to prevent the introduction of pathogens, for example, onto a farm (into a system).

The implementation of and compliance with biosecurity measures help to

Protect one’s own farm
Protecting neighbouring farms
Receiving compensation in the event of an outbreak
Avoiding restrictions on trade in animal products

Note

Basic protection measures must be observed on all cattle farms. In the event of an outbreak, further measures may be made compulsory.

One of the most important measures, particularly for preventing the spread of disease, is the control of movements. To this end, it is important to be aware, within one’s own business, of which movements take place regularly or even just occasionally. Knowledge of and awareness regarding the farm’s biosecurity measures and the reasons behind them apply to everyone on the farm. Regular training sessions should therefore be held for staff.

Biosecurity plans

On the initiative of the Lower Saxony Animal Disease Fund and Landvolk Lower Saxony, biosecurity plans have been developed for poultry, pig and cattle farms. These help livestock farmers to analyse existing hazards and potential routes by which pathogens could be introduced onto the farm, to assess risks and to define appropriate measures to reduce or prevent them. These measures are set out in writing in a farm biosecurity plan and should be reviewed and updated regularly.

The University of Vechta’s ‘risk traffic light’ is a free online tool that can be used to carry out a risk assessment for one’s own farm in order to decide whether further measures should be taken.

Farmers can find (further) support from vets, animal disease insurance schemes (in some cases in conjunction with animal health services) and advisory organisations run by the federal states.

Note

Since 1 July 2026, biosecurity plans have also formed part of the QM standard. Since 1 July 2026, QS has required an assessment of the potential for disease introduction at participating holdings using the ‘Risk Traffic Light System for Cattle’.

Addendum:

Farmers must protect their herds from animal diseases by means of an individual biosecurity plan, regardless of the size of their holding. In Lower Saxony, a lack of supporting documentation in the event of an outbreak may in future lead to reductions in compensation. The ‘Risk Traffic Light’ system developed by the University of Vechta and other recognised approaches are available for risk assessment. For QS cattle farmers, risk assessment has been mandatory since this year and must be demonstrated during audits from 1 July 2026.

Animal Health Law (AHL) Regulation (EU) 2016/429

Animal Health Act

Animal Welfare Act

Animal By-products Disposal Act

Animal Welfare and Livestock Husbandry Regulation

Regulation on the Movement of Livestock

as well as regulations specific to each federal state

In addition, in the event of an outbreak:

Delegated Regulation (DEV) (EU) 2026/322

As well as regulations specific to each federal state

Poster on biosafety

The comic series ‘Biosecurity on Cattle Farms’ is intended to highlight some key aspects of biosecurity and serve as an accessible reminder.

The correct way to access the cattle shed

Note

As well as washable, reusable coveralls and boots, disposable coveralls and shoe covers can also be used as protective clothing. However, these should only be used once and then disposed of.

Note

If there is not enough space in the stable building to accommodate a hygiene checkpoint, homemade solutions for changing facilities can be used, such as containers or telephone booths.