Written by Larry Chestnutt - Account Manager, (Swine/Poultry)
With all the diseases our industry faces today, we can agree that a strong biosecurity program is essential to protect our pigs and facilities. I view biosecurity as a chain. We must keep all links in the chain strong. Once a link gets weak, and we don’t catch it, the chain could eventually break and cause us major issues. Let’s take a close look at a thorough cleaning and disinfecting process.
Needed items to start this process:
You will need an applicator for your detergent and disinfectant. Options might include:
- Power washer with flow rate ranging from 3.5-3.9 gallons per minute–typically a 3.5 gallons per minute unit
- Handheld 1 – 2-gallon pump-up sprayer
- Foam cannon attachment for your pressure washer or hose
- The correct dilution tip for the product
Step 1: Cleaning
Whether it is a farrowing room, nursery, finisher, or a live haul trailer, the preparation is the same. Let’s start by pre-washing or rinsing the facility or trailer to knock down and remove any loose manure by using our pressure washer or sprinklers. The next step is to apply a detergent to help break down organic matter and other soils. Kersia’s portfolio includes several specialized detergents, like Barnstorm with specially formulated acids to target scale and soils. Using a 2 oz. per gallon dilution rate, completely cover the area you are working with and allow a 15–20-minute contact time.
Once the detergent contact time has elapsed, let’s do our final wash down to rinse away all suds and soil. Once that final rinse happens and you’ve allowed your surface to dry with no standing water, we can begin disinfecting.
Step 2: Disinfection
All phases of cleaning and disinfecting are important, but applying our disinfectant correctly is vital to achieve efficacy against labeled viruses and bacteria. Kersia’s Synergize is labeled at ½ oz to a gallon of water – it is a dual-active, non-corrosive formula, with broad-spectrum efficacy.
Let’s look at 3 different disinfection scenarios:
- Farrowing Room – 22 crates, 2,596 sq/ft
- Nursery Room – 3,296 sq/ft
- Double Deck, Straight Trailer – 4,016 sq/ft
All operations are not alike. These are examples you can use to calculate your farrowing, nursery, finisher, or trailer needs.
How long should it take to disinfect a 22-crate farrowing room (2596 sq/ft)?
- Power Washer: standard output 3.5 gal/minute with .5 disinfecting tip
- Estimated application time: ~30 mins
- Calculation details:
- 1 gallon of Synergize RTU (.5oz concentrate + 127.5 oz water) covers 24 sq ft using .5 disinfecting nozzle
- 2596 sq ft/24 = 108 gallons of stock needed
- 108 gallons/3.5 gal per minute output = 31 minutes total
How long should it take to disinfect an 800-head nursery room (3296 sq/ft)?
- Power Washer: standard output 3.5 gal/minute with .5 disinfecting tip
- Estimated application time: ~ 30 mins
- Due to open space in nursery ~80% stocked
- Calculation details:
- 1 gallon of Synergize RTU (.5oz concentrate + 127.5 oz water) covers 24 sq ft using .5 disinfecting nozzle
- 3296 sq ft/24 = 137 gallons of stock needed
- 80% (137) = 109.6 actual stock solution needed
- 109.6 gallons/3.5 gal per minute output = 31 minutes total
How long should it take to disinfect a double deck, straight deck trailer (4016 sq/ft)?
- Power Washer: standard output 3.5 gal/minute with .5 disinfecting tip
- Estimated application time: ~ 60 mins
- Calculation details:
- 1 gallon of Synergize RTU (.5oz concentrate + 127.5 oz water) covers 24 sq ft using .5 disinfecting nozzle
- 4016 sq ft/24 = 167.3 gallons of stock needed
- 167.3 gallons/3.5 gal per minute output = ~48 minutes total
- Note: may require extra time to disinfect the outside of trailer, sides, back, wheels, undercarriage, etc. ~15 mins extra.
No matter what space you are cleaning and disinfecting, be sure to follow all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) recommendations on the labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Once you have covered all your surfaces to disinfect with Synergize solution, allow them to dry.
Cleaning and disinfecting are vital components of keeping our swine healthy and protecting our operations. The swine industry hits all parts of our daily lives by supplying protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As I mentioned at the beginning, “the stronger we keep the links, the stronger the chain” – we can achieve this through deploying a thorough cleaning and disinfecting program and by using the best products the market has to offer.
