UNP-2099

ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

How to Develop a Disaster Management Plan for Livestock

www.aces.edu

Introduction

The animals we own are an important part of our lives whether we consider time spent with them as a way to earn a living or as a blessing, combining a lifelong goal with an occasionally lucrative hobby. You might even lovingly refer to them as your “babies” or simply see them as financial investments and a lot of hard work. Either way these animals are dependent on you as their owner, and you are obligated to plan for their care, especially before, during, and after a natural or manmade disaster. Domesticated animals are particularly vulnerable and their lives are often disrupted when a disaster occurs. Now is the time to plan to prevent unforeseen losses to your livestock and investment.

Disaster Management Plan for Livestock

Any disaster management plan for livestock should cover: 1) pre-disaster preparation; 2) plans to assist animals that remain in danger during a disaster; and 3) plans to get your animals back to normal behavioral patterns as soon as possible after a disaster. Each area requires careful planning, and the more animals you have, the more effort it will take to develop a comprehensive plan.

Pre-Disaster Preparation Pre-disaster preparation encompasses long-range planning that will be the same across the board for all livestock, such as gathering medical and vaccination records, registration and other important papers, and photos of your animals.

These documents should be kept together in a waterproof container in your disaster “go bag” to grab in case of evacuation.

Some pre-disaster preparations are specific to different types of livestock and need to be made weeks in advance of any disaster, such as preparations for dairy herds. A good source of information for dairy farmers is Disaster Readiness for Dairy Producers [www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/5D589B06-C3FB-42C1-AFE5-5C995A52A977/25660/Pub2949LDairyProducers.pdf], a comprehensive publication by the Louisiana State University AgCenter. Other suggestions are more general and apply across the board.

For example, consider obtaining statements from non-family witnesses concerning your livestock herds in case of insurance or possible loss claims to provide proof of ownership. It is also vastly important that all livestock owners identify their animals individually and by farm/ranch on the ear tag, tattoo, or by electronic identification since ear tags and tattoos can be identical if they just designate a farm/ranch or an

2 Alabama Cooperative Extension System

animal for your records. Identifying both individual animal and farm/ranch will help identify animals that are mixed together when evacuated or if they escape during an event and are recovered later. Pre-disaster is the time to start to prioritize your animals. If you have large herds or large animals such as beef cattle it may be impossible to evacuate or rescue every one of your animals due to time or financial restraints. If this is the case, the most valuable stock will have to be evacuated or moved first to safer fields on your property. If those decisions are made in advance, then the appropriate stock can be moved to holding pens at the first signs of an approaching emergency so that things run smoother and more can be accomplished with fewer problems.

Plans to move any livestock must include a safe destination site for the animals that comes complete with holding pens and unloading facilities. You should also prepare for possible biosecurity issues if herds are to be intermingled at the destination site or even from reusing trucking equipment without adequate time for proper cleaning procedures; emergency water supplies at the destination site are important as well. Goats and sheep need 1-2 gallons of water a day, horses need 5-15 gallons a day, and both beef and dairy cattle need 15-20 gallons a day. Regardless of the disaster or breed of livestock, be sure to keep emergency cash on hand for necessary purchases since credit cards may not work if the power is out or if phone lines are jammed.

Plans to Assist Animals Make plans to assist animals that remain in danger during the disaster without placing yourself in danger. If you are a farmer or rancher, you may not be able to completely remove large herds of animals from harm’s way without major time, money, and equipment efforts. Therefore, some animals may have to remain in danger. Ways to assist these animals involve moving them either to different

fields in more secure locations. Poultry can be confined in a sturdy building with high areas on which to perch and a fresh supply of food and water. Each field where livestock is moved during a disaster should be at least an acre in size and should be free of non-native or damaged trees that could uproot easily, overhead power lines or poles, barbed wire fencing (woven wire fencing is preferred), and debris. If you do not have enough fields available that meet these criteria to hold your livestock, then try to make plans to evacuate well in advance. Remember, NOW rather than later is a good time to designate shelter for your animals since disasters occur quickly and sometimes with little or no warning time.

Also, remember to prioritize when faced with an actual disaster even though your animals may have great financial and/or emotional value to you. Your first priority must be the personal safety and welfare of you and your family, followed by that of your neighbors and other persons caught in the disaster including emergency personnel. A lower level of importance must be given to animals and property. This is why following your livestock disaster management plan will save you time, money, and needless worry.

Plans to get Animals Back to Normal Behavioral PatternsAnimals that have endured disaster (sheltering in place) or have been evacuated before or after a disaster will be stressed. Some animals may have

How to Develop a Disaster Management Plan for Livestock 3

commingled with stock from other herds either during the evacuation or while sheltering in place, which caused a breach in biosecurity measures and possibly increased their risk of pneumonia and abortion. For the safety of your entire herd it is imperative to increase herd immunity through nutrition and vaccination. Dairy cows also face the danger of mastitis due to a disruption in milking schedules.

If livestock have been standing in water for long periods, especially contaminated water, they may have skin infections, tetanus, problems from drinking the contaminated water, and feed changes. Contact your local veterinarian if needed.

Printed resources and online courses that will help you prepare for short- or long-term animal emergencies as a result of disasters are available on these websites:

• EDEN Animal Agrosecurity and Emergency Management Course [http://eden.lsu.edu/EDENCourses/AnimalAgrosecurity/Pages/default.aspx] A free course offered by the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) to help producers ensure a safe food supply. It is a train-the-trainer course that equips participants to educate others within their communities.

• IS-111.A: Livestock in Disasters [http://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=is-111.a] FEMA offers this online course to mitigate the impact of disasters on agricultural animals. This course helps participants to determine susceptibility to hazards and to learn how to reduce economic losses and human and animal suffering in disasters.

• Preparing for an Agroterrorism Event [http://eden.lsu.edu/Topics/AgDisasters/Agrosecurity/Pages/PreparingforanAgroterrorismEvent.aspx] An EDEN site that provides a

good head start on a plan to keep livestock safe in case of an agroterrorism event. Included are signs of impending problems, advice on who to contact in case of an actual event, and a list of local, state, and federal authorities that should be contacted.

• Protecting Farms – Agrosecurity Principles [http://eden.lsu.edu/Topics/AgDisasters/Agrosecurity/Pages/ProtectingFarms-AgrosecurityPrinciples.aspx] Another EDEN Agrosecurity website that focuses on crops, farm workers, and livestock while covering a wide range of security topics: theft, terrorism, accident, and natural disasters. This is a good starting place for all-around information for producers interested in protecting their farms. It includes links to agrosecurity resources from a wide variety of research-based sources.

• Disaster Assistance Program [http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/index] The United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency provides assistance for natural disaster losses resulting from drought, flood, fire, freezing weather, tornadoes, pest infestation, and other calamities. It includes a list of available help for particular events.

• Livestock, Horses, and Poultry[http://www.ncagr.gov/disaster/Livestock.htm] A North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services disaster preparedness website that takes into consideration the constraints caused by the animals’ size and their shelter and transportation needs. Sheltering in place and evacuation issues are discussed.

• Disaster Preparedness for Farm Animals [http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/animal_rescue/tips/disaster_preparedness_for_livestock.html]

Jean Hall Dwyer, MS, Extension Communications Specialist, EDEN Point of Contact, Alabama A&M University

For more information, call your county Extension office. Look in your telephone directory under your county’s name to find the number.

Published by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. An Equal Opportunity Educator and Employer. Everyone is welcome!

January 2016; UNP-2099© 2016 by Alabama Cooperative Extension System. All rights reserved.

UNP-2099

This Humane Society website addresses the specific needs of large animals and livestock in disaster planning.

• Disaster Preparedness for Horses [http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/animal_rescue/tips/disaster_preparedness_horse.html] Here’s another Humane Society website that addresses the specific needs of horses in disaster planning.

• There is a downloadable series of print publications produced by Colorado State University concerning disaster care of livestock: Caring for Livestock Before Disaster [www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/livestk/01814.pdf]; Caring for Livestock During Disaster [www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/livestk/01815.pdf]; and Caring for Livestock After Disaster [www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/livestk/01816.pdf]

The information and suggestions available on websites and in publications will give you a good foundation for your livestock disaster management plan.

Remember, it’s important to have an emergency management plan in place for your home and for your animals in the event of an emergency that could strike at any time! Don’t get caught off-guard!

References

Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). (2009). Preparing for an Agroterrorism Event. http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/publications/Publications+Catalog/Disaster+Information