|Food and Water Requirements
Water should ALWAYS be available to all animals. Animals (except birds), like people, can go extended periods of time without food, but
can only last a couple of days at the most without water. The values, below, are approximate per adult animal per day and may vary greatly
with temperature, workload, stress and disease. Sources of feed should be identified before a disaster.
In general, most herbivorous animals are going to eat approximately 1-2% of their body weight through some form of "roughage."
Roughage is hay or hay-like products (pellets, cubes, hay, etc.). In an emergency grain products ("concentrates") need not be given.
Disaster Plan Food Schedule
SPECIES WATER FOOD FEED FEED
(Summer/Winter) (Type) (Quantity) (Frequency)
Beef Cattle 5-15 Gallons alfalfa &/ or oat 15-30 lbs Daily
Dairy Cattle 5-30 Gallons alfalfa 15-40 lbs Daily
Horses 5-15 Gallons alfalfa &/ or oat 8-15 lbs 2x Daily
Pigs 1-2 Gallons pig pellets/mixed grain 1-7 lbs (depending on weight of pig once or twice daily
Llamas 2-5 Gallons alfalfa &/ or oat hay 2-4 lbs 2x Daily
Sheep 1-2 Gallons alfalfa 2-5lbs Daily
Goats 1-2 Gallons alfalfa &/ or oat hay 1-5 lbs Daily
|DISASTER Preparedness for Livestock
_ Make a disaster plan to protect your property, facilities, and
animals. Create an emergency telephone number list, including
your employees, neighbors, veterinarian, poison control office,
local animal shelter, animal care and control office, county
extension service, local agricultural schools, trailering resources,
and local volunteers. Include a contact outside the disaster area.
Give family members and employees copies.
_ Make sure every animal has durable and visible identification.
_ Ensure that poultry have access to high areas on which to perch,
as well as access to food and clean water.
_ Reinforce your house, barn, and outbuildings with hurricane
straps. Perform regular safety checks on all utilities, buildings,
_ Use only native and deep-rooted plants and trees in landscaping
to prevent storm damage.
_ Remove all barbed wire, and consider rerouting permanent
fencing so that animals can move to high ground in a flood
and to low-lying areas in high winds.
_ Install a hand pump and obtain enough large containers to water
your animals for at least a week in the event of municipal water
_ Identify alternate water and power sources. A generator with
a safely stored supply of fuel may be essential, especially if
electrical equipment is necessary for your animals’ well-being.
_ Secure or remove anything that could become wind-blown
debris, including trailers and propane tanks. If you have boats,
feed troughs, or other large containers, fill them with water
before any high-wind event.
_ Make sure the wiring for heat lamps or other electrical machinery
is safe and any heat source is clear of flammable debris.
_ Label hazardous materials and place them all in the same safe
area. Provide information about their location to local fire and
rescue and emergency management authorities.
_ Remove old buried trash, which can be a source of hazardous
materials that may leach into crops, feed supplies, water
sources, and pasture during flooding.
_ Review and update regularly your disaster plan, supplies,
_ Sheltering in Place
If evacuation isn’t possible, you must decide whether to confine
large animals to available shelter on your farm or leave them loose
in pastures. While it may seem that animals will be safer inside
barns, in many circumstances confinement can reduce their
ability to protect themselves.
Survey your property for the best location for shelter. If your
pasture area meets the following criteria, your large animals
may be better off in the pasture than being evacuated:
_ No non-native trees, which uproot easily
_ No overhead power lines or poles
_ No debris or sources of blowing debris
_ No barbed-wire fencing (woven-wire fencing is best)
_ Not less than one acre in size (if less than an acre, your
livestock may not be able to avoid wind-blown debris)
If your pasture area doesn’t meet these criteria, you should
evacuate. Whether you evacuate or shelter in place, make sure
that you have adequate and safe fencing or pens to separate
and group animals appropriately.
Work with your state department of agriculture and county
extension service. If your animals can’t be evacuated, these
agencies may be able to provide on-farm oversight. Contact them
well in advance to learn their capabilities and the most effective
The leading causes of death of large animals in hurricanes and
similar events are collapsed barns, dehydration, electrocution,
and accidents resulting from fencing failure. Take precautions
to protect your farm animals from these hazards no matter
what the disaster potential for your area.
Evacuate animals as soon as possible. Be ready to leave once
the evacuation is ordered. In a slowly evolving disaster such as
a hurricane, leave no later than 72 hours before anticipated
landfall, especially if you will be hauling a high-profile trailer
such as a horse trailer. Remember: Even a fire truck fully
loaded with water is considered “out of service” in winds
exceeding 40 mph.
_ Work within your community to establish safe shelters for
farm animals. Potential facilities include fairgrounds, other
farms, racetracks, humane societies, and convention centers.
Survey your community and potential host communities along
your planned evacuation route.
_ Contact your local emergency management authority and
become familiar with at least two possible evacuation routes
well in advance.
_ Set up safe transportation including trucks and trailers
suitable for livestock and appropriate for each type of animal,
along with experienced handlers and drivers.
_ Take all your disaster supplies with you or make sure they
will be available at your evacuation site. These include feed,
water, veterinary supplies, handling equipment, tools, and
generators, if necessary.
_ If your animals are sheltered off your property, make sure
that they remain in familiar groupings, securely contained
and sheltered from the elements.
Farm Disaster Kit
Make a disaster kit so that you have supplies on hand in the event
of a disaster. Place the kit in a central location and let everyone
know where it is. Check the contents regularly to ensure fresh
and complete supplies. Include the following items:
_ Current list of all animals, including their location and
records of feeding, vaccinations, and tests
_ Proof of ownership for all animals
_ Supplies for temporary identification of your animals,
such as plastic neckbands and permanent markers to label
them with your name, address, and telephone number
_ Basic first aid kit
_ Handling equipment such as halters, cages, and appropriate
tools for each kind of animal
_ Water, feed, and buckets
_ Tools and supplies needed for sanitation
_ Disaster equipment such as a cell phone, flashlights, portable
radios, and batteries
_ Other safety and emergency items for your vehicles and trailers
_ Food, water, and disaster supplies for your family
Your local humane organization, agricultural extension agent, or
local emergency management agency may be able to provide you
with information about your community’s disaster response plans