Important to have a disaster plan etc for livestock – could be very costly otherwise
I was totally shocked when I sat in the comfort of my family room and watched helplessly as a HUGE F-4 tornado came barreling towards and then right through a pig farm the other week. The huge violent tornado tunnel devastated the farming operations of a long time family farmer.
Even with most of the farm torn to bits there were still at some of the pigs that were alive and in their stalls. Besides all the other issues after a tornado, the farmer had to ensure thee well bing and care of the pigs.Emergency housing for the pigs and necessary water and feed for them needed to be arranged for as well. I hope the farm was well prepared for such a disaster, but from the sound of things in the post tornado event interview with the farmer, it doesn't sound like it.
When interviewed the farmer said he and his family had been farming in that area for 3 or generations and they knew that they were in a tornado belt but never thought that it could happen to them. It did. It hit BIG time. There was little left of the farm from the barns that housed hundreds of pigs to the silos not to mention the farm house not too far away. Broken farm equipment looked like it had been the result of a child’s temper tantrum. Equipment, trucks, cars, tractors and wagons all tumbled about and many upside down. My initial guess is a total loss on many of the vehicles.
It is important for farmers to have a comprehensive copy of all records of their animals, including medical and insurance records as well as a complete inventory of their equipment and buildings. No one ever knows what could develop as a result of a disaster in the matter of moments.
Many farmers feel that since they may not be directly on the coastal shore that they are relatively safe from hurricanes. It is important to remember that there are many tornadoes that are created as a result of a hurricane hundreds of miles from the eye of the hurricane.
All livestock need to be well marked. To safeguard your livestock you should have at least 3 emergency contingency plans need to be developed in writing and available to all farm staff long before a disaster hits or the hurricane season starts. Rehearse each plan at least once per year to ensure all are clear on what is to be done and when. This rehearsal will also help to see where things have changed over the past year, where the problem areas are in the emergency plan so they can be fixed.
Just like pets, livestock need to have their emergency preparedness checklist and emergency preparedness necessities as well. At least a 10-14 day of extra feed needs to be on hand preferably not in the same location as the regular feed since if one resource of food is destroyed then the other feed facility may have been spared if the distance is significant.
Also plan for how to get water should electrical power be out and the water pumps are not operating. EVERY farm and household should have at least one generator. If most of your equipment is powered by diesel fuel then get a diesel generator. If the majority of the equipment operates on gasoline then get a gasoline powered generator. The reason for that is that in a dire emergency you can siphon off the fuel from the not used equipment to run the generation longer until help can arrive.
Remember if the disaster is significant and over a large area such as is often the case in hurricane situations, then it may be upwards of 2 weeks before help may arrive. That is a long time for animals to be without the emergency preparedness necessities to get them though the aftermath of a disaster especially after being traumatized by a disaster.
In certain circumstances, it will be necessary to transport your livestock quickly out of danger. This is often the case when there is flooding. Have your emergency plans ready a head of time, all transport equipment in good repair and know of at least 2 main evacuation routes and one alternative evacuation route.
Make sure your farm and your livestock are registered with the
emergency management service department in your community so they can help you in th event of a disaster. Those who are registereed will often be some of the first ones to be offered assistance
COMMENTS WELCOMED!
Please share your thoughts, emergency preparedness tips and stories here on this blog.
All I ask is that everyone be respectful and sensitive of each other and that identifying information about a person who is not the author be limited to protect their privacy.
Be Safe – Be Prepared – Help Others!
Terrie
www.trainforahurricane.com
No comments:
Post a Comment