TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOLOGY - Preferred Process: The protected bacteriophage strain(s) and/or phage component is administered in a treatment dosage of 107-1013 pfu/animal/day. It is administered in a maintenance dosage of 105-1010 pfu/animal/day. The process further comprises treating the animal waste ex vivo with an additional dosage of the bacteriophage strain(s), or phage components. The animal waste is manure and in the step of treating the manure ex vivo, the bacteriophage strain(s) and/or phage components is added to the manure while the manure is being liquefied, while the liquefied manure is being pumped, while the liquefied manure is in a primary storage tank, and/or in the treatment of fecal waste from poultry and aquaculture operations. In the step of treating, the bacteriophage strain(s) and/or phage components is added to the animal waste at 105-1010 pfu/gram.Preferred Components: The protected bacteriophage or phage component(s) comprises encapsulated bacteriophage or phage components, immobilized encapsulated bacteriophage or phage components in a capsule form, immobilized encapsulated bacteriophage or phage components in a tablet form, unencapsulated immobilized bacteriophage or phage components in a capsule form, unencapsulated immobilized bacteriophage or phage components in a tablet form, unencapsulated bacteriophage or phage components immobilized on a matrix, and/or lyophilized bacteriophage or phage components. The matrix is skim milk powder, soya protein, albumin powder, single cell proteins, trehalose, mannitol, sugar, sugar alcohol, other water-soluble carbohydrate-based materials, and/or synthetic plant-derived plastic. The protected bacteriophage strain(s) and/or phage component is encapsulated using vegetable fatty acids, fatty acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, animal wax, vegetable wax, Carnauba wax, or wax derivative. It is encapsulated using sugars or soluble non lipid-based materials. The phage component is a phage tail, and/or phage protein. EXAMPLE - Manure sample (5 L) was spiked with Ec4 (an E. coli O157:H7 strain). The manure was treated with phage R4 at 105 cfu/ml and left at room temperature without stirring. Samples were analyzed for E. coli O157:H7, total E. coli and phage. A stepwise decrease in the E. coli O157:H7 bacterial count was observed, and was below detection limits by day 7. Total E. coli count was the same in both the treated and control samples. No significant change in the bacteriophage count was observed in this study.