The management of animal housing is essential in keeping the well-being of the animals in question to a high standard, and to ensure that the health and safety of all personnel working on site (whether it is a farming, testing or research facility) meets regulatory standards. Keeping animals clean takes stringent procedures and state-of-the art cleaning equipment and industry-specific disinfectants and detergents.
The best animal housing management programmes are designed, defined and delivered in a way that allows for the animals to be able to grow healthily, to mature naturally and to reproduce, all without suffering from bad health in the process. Even in those situations and locations where there is little room for necessary equipment and other factors, there is the possibility of keeping animal housing to an ultra-clean standard as long as clear boundaries and processes are put in place, and the best equipment and cleaning products used to maintain cleanliness and good hygiene levels.
Of course, the correct approach will depend on various factors. These include the species being housed, the breed, and the age of the animals, current health, sex and size. There is a danger that animal housing can be cleaned too often, especially when considering animals that are pregnant and lactating. Other animal-specific factors include whether the animals will form social groups or remain as single inhabitants. For those animals that group together, smell can form an important part of the physical and mental well-being, so cleaning processes have to be performed in such a way as to not disrupt certain patterns.
As for the location itself, much is determined by the size available for construction of the animal housing, the project and tasks at hand, which can include breeding, production, testing, research or teaching purposes. The housing will have a different dimension depending on whether there are potential hazardous materials close by that could potentially cause disease, and depending on the length of the time the animals are expected to be held at the location.
The cleaning of animal housing will therefore be specific to a number of factors, but it can be worked out that there are underlying standards to be maintained at all times by those tasked with the cleaning itself. These standards include:
- That all animal rooms and houses are kept clean and tidy at all times, with proactive measures to prevent vermin from entering the housing, and that all materials are kept to a high standard of repair.
- All bedding should be changed as often as is necessary, depending on the animals in question, in order to keep them dry and comfortable.
- Create a strict cleaning schedule that works based on the cage system, the animal type and amount of animals housed, as well as the capabilities of the ventilation in place.
- Use cleaning products that are of a high standard and do not disturb the animals, or contaminate the enclosure.
- Create a strict pattern of movement of personnel between all rooms within an animal facility, with clean and dirty areas that allow for thorough cleaning and maintenance without contamination of all areas.
Keeping animal housing clean requires careful planning and use of high quality cleaning products and equipment that help to create the best possible environment for the animals under your care.