Sublette County Health recommendations for brandings
by Brendan Fitzsimmons MD, County Health Officer, Sublette County
April 15, 2020
Branding is a crucial task in raising and producing livestock, a central economic activity in Sublette County. These Recommendations are suggestions to help the Livestock Producers of Sublette County accomplish this activity in the safest manner during the Covid 19 Pandemic. Inasmuch as the Livestock Producers are able to follow these recommendations, you will have the gratitude of Sublette County Public Health and the People of Sublette County.
1) Please limit participation to those personnel whose presence is functional and even essential. We understand that Branding has always been a very social activity, but we ask you this year to focus on the functionality of Branding and forego inasmuch as is reasonable the social aspect of it.
2) Segregate tasks physically when able and/or practical with > 10 feet between different groups of workers/different tasks.
3) Promote aggressive hand hygiene between animals/tasks and ensure adequate access by participants to soap and water or hand sanitizer at all times. Inasmuch as it might be practical, maximize the use of gloves (work gloves or examination gloves) and masks or bandannas.
4) Discourage participation by anyone who is sick.
5) For those with a bit more water under the bridge (>80 years of age) or chronic medical conditions, consider foregoing participation or remaining well in the background with aggressive social distancing.
6) If you feel you must have a Post Branding meal, please have 1 person, in mask and examination gloves, serving individually and consider the use of disposal paperware and disposable utensils.
While there is presently no specific concerns that this corona virus (Covid 19) poses a threat to livestock, corona viruses are a large family of viruses that do often infect animals in general and occasionally livestock specifically. The measures that you take to impede the transmission of this virus between neighbors may bear some rewards in impeding transmission to your livestock. The Public Health Department of Sublette County thanks you in advance for your diligence in these matters.
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