Preparing Livestock for Flooding: Part I

When making your safety or farm disaster plan for livestock with flood advisories, there are some questions that you should ask yourself: 

1. TRANSPORTATION 
   How will you move livestock?
   Where can you secure enough trucks/trailers to move livestock in a timely fashion?
   Who will be available to help?
   Might they have their own livestock to move?
   If I am able to stay in my home, will I be able to get to the livestock location?
2. LOCATION
   Where can I take livestock that is safe from floodwaters?
   Is there appropriate shelter and fencing at the temporary site?
   Is there feed at the site or will I have to haul feed there?
   Do I need to move implements and feeding equipment?
   What about bedding material?
   Where will I access fuel for implements?
3. CARE
   Is there feed at the site or will I have to haul feed there?
   How will I move feed?
   When should I move feed?
   How much feed will I need?
   Is there adequate water on the site?
   Are there adequate water fountains or tanks?
   If my usual source of commercial feed is unable to deliver feed, what alternative sources do I have?
   If I have to reduce feeding amounts to stretch the supply, how will I ration it out?
   
   
4. On Site Care (if you cannot transport your livestock and you stay at home) 
   Are you safely able to feed and water your livestock?
   Are they able to access shelter and/or have adequate ventilation?
   Are you able to access your dairy animals for their milking schedules?
   If a commercial farm, can you keep your milk cool, clean and mostly fresh for the market?
   Are you able to easily access your emergency generators, and do they work?
   How long can your generator run, and can you keep it fueled up for awhile?
   In the event an animal needs to be euthanized, how will you deal with it?
   Is there anyone who can come to help or rescue if the work needs to get done?
   Have you considered whether you would re-establish the business you now have if it entirely disappeared to a natural disaster?
   
5. On Site Care (If you have to leave and cannot transport livestock)
   Are you able to access your gates to leave them open, and through that gate are your animals able to access higher ground? Or conversely, do you have an area to drive your herd of animals through in time? 

Luckily, the team at Peace Region Evac Helpline can help with sourcing a lot of these options out. We have a list of people available for transport and boarding in emergency situations. If you're in need of anything, feel free to contact us on the Facebook Group (Peace Region Evac Helpline), comment here or send us a message at peaceregionevachelpline@gmail.com. We can always find something or someone to help.