Make a plan and prepare your farm |
- List emergency phone numbers such as employees, neighbours, veterinarian, poison control, animal shelter, animal care and control, local agricultural schools etc.
- Ensure every animal has visible identification
- Ensure that poultry have high areas in which to perch if they are in a flood-prone area
- Reinforce your house, barn and outbuildings and perform regular safety checks on utilities, buildings, and all facilities on your farm
- Have an available water supply or large containers to water your animals for at least a week (municipal water supplies and wells are often contaminated during a disaster)
- Identify alternate water and power sources - a generator with fuel may be essential
- Secure trailers, propane tanks and other large objects
- If you have feed troughs or large containers, fill them with water before any high-wind event
- Make sure the wiring is safe and any heat source is clear of flammable debris and check all heat lamps or other electrical machinery for safety
- Place hazardous materials in a safe area and have them well-labeled/ tell the local fire department where hazardous materials are
- Remember hazardous materials can leech into crops, feed supplies, water sources, and pasture during flooding
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Create a farm emergency kit |
Keep your kit in a central location and let others know where it is, and regularly check to make sure it is up to date and adequately resourced - Current list of all animals, records of feeding, vaccinations/tests and proof of ownership for all animals
- Temporary identification for animals (plastic neckbands or large permanent markers to mark animals with your name)
- Basic first aid kit
- Handling equipment such as halters, cages and tools for each kind of animal
- Water, feed and buckets
- Tools and supplies
- Emergency equipment such as cell phone, flashlights, portable radios and batteries, generators
- Other safety and emergency items for vehicles and trailers, gas, oil, chains and tools
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Prepare for an evacuation |
- Evacuate animals as soon as possible once an evacuation is ordered
- High-profile trailers and horse trailers can slow you down in the wind
- Prepare ahead and find safe shelters for farm animals in your community - consider fairgrounds, other farms, racetracks, humane societies and safe facilities
- Plan at least two possible evacuation routes well in advance
- Plan your method of transportation: trucks, trailers and other vehicles for transporting livestock as well as handlers and drivers
- Carry an Emergency Kit or make sure everything you need is available at your evacuation site. You should have or be able to obtain feed, water, veterinary supplies, handling equipment, tools and generators if necessary
- If you move your animals, keep them in groups they are used to, securely contained and sheltered (cages, fenced-in areas, or buildings)
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Shelter in Place |
- Keeping animals inside barns may take away their ability to protect themselves.
- Survey your property for the best place to shelter animals. If your pasture area meets the following criteria, your large animals may be better out in the pasture rather than being evacuated:
- No trees which uproot easily
- No overhead power lines or poles
- No debris or sources of blowing debris
- No barbed-wire fencing
- Area no less than one acre in size (in less than one acre, your livestock may not be able to avoid blowing debris)
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Barn fires |
Prevent barn fires- Do not allow smoking in or around the barn
- Avoid parking tractors and vehicles in/ near the barn because engine heat and backfires can spark a flame. Store other machinery and flammable materials outside of the barn
- Inspect electrical systems regularly and immediately correct any problems. Rodents can chew on electrical wiring causing damage. Use stall fans, space heaters and radios only when someone is in the barn
- Install a sprinkler system
- Be sure hay is dry before storing it. Hay that is too moist may combust. Store hay outside of the barn in a dry, covered area
Prepare for a barn fire- Mount fire extinguishers in all buildings, especially at all entrances. Make sure they are current. Make sure family and employees know how to use them
- Keep aisles, stall doors and barn doors free of debris and equipment
- Have a planned evacuation route for every area of your farm and familiarize all family members and employees with your evacuation plans
- Post emergency telephone numbers at each telephone and entrance (e.g. veterinarian, emergency response personnel and livestock handlers). Keep your barn's street address clearly posted to relay to the 911 operator/emergency services
- Be sure your address and the entrance to your farm are clearly visible from the main road
- Install smoke alarms and heat detectors in all buildings. New heat sensors can detect rapidly changing temperatures in buildings. Smoke detectors and heat sensors should be hooked up to sirens that will quickly alert you and your neighbours to a possible fire
- Host an open house for emergency services personnel in your area to familiarize them with the layout of your property. Provide them with tips on handling your animals or present a mini-seminar with hands-on training
- Familiarize your animals with emergency procedures and common things they would encounter during a disaster/desensitize them to flashlights and flashing lights
During a barn fire- Call 911 or your local emergency services
- Do not enter any building if it is already engulfed in flames
- If it is safe for you to enter the barn, evacuate animals starting with the most accessible ones
- Move animals quickly to a fenced area far enough from the fire and smoke. Never let animals loose in an area where they are able to return to a burning building
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