Always take time to ask the vendor questions regardless of whether you are purchasing
directly from a farm or from a market. Minimum questions for vendors:
Do they test or monitor for any disease (Including anthelmintic resistant worms)?
What does the farm routinely vaccinate for?
Does the farm currently have any of the diseases you wish to avoid?
In the past has the farm had any of the diseases you wish to avoid? How long ago?
Have these animals been tested, treated or vaccinated for anything?
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If so, what has been done and when?
Be cautious:
•
You must judge the accuracy of the information you are given by the vendor and
evaluate the disease risks that purchased animals from this source might pose to your farm.
•
Judge the effectiveness of any vaccine or treatments given on the source farm.
What are the risks if animals haven’t been treated correctly?
•
Ask the vendor if they can provide any supporting evidence or if you can contact
their vet about the health status of the farm.
•
Consider arranging for animals of unknown disease status to be tested before purchase.
When risks are identified there are usually actions that can be taken to reduce these risks.
Work with your vet to develop a specific action plan for animals entering your farm.
Quarantine
The quarantine period provides an opportunity
to monitor animals for signs of disease that were
not present on the day of purchase. Regardless
of the source, all purchased animals should be
placed in isolation for a minimum of three weeks.
The isolation period may vary for different diseases;
specific disease advice should be discussed with
your vet.
Buyer’s checklist
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