Emergencies such as floods or bushfires can happen quickly. Planning how to take care of your animals before an emergency helps to keep everyone safe. With these SES resources, be ready for disaster before it strikes.
Useful Links
Keeping animals safe in an emergency
Create a Grab & Go bag
My animal emergency plan: what I will do with my animals during an emergency
Planning for large animals and livestock
Having large animals and large numbers of animals on property requires special consideration and planning in advance of an emergency to ensure their safety and survival. Large animals/livestock can include horses, cattle, alpacas, goats, sheep and pigs.
Before creating your plan, you should:
- Understand your flood risk and fire risk
- Check you have a Property Identification Code (PIC) for your animals - required for any property that has large animals or livestock. A PIC helps identify properties which may require emergency and recovery assistance. For more information or to apply for a PIC, visit NSW Local Land Services.
Your Plan: When? Where? How? What?
WHEN will I leave?
Relocating large animals takes time, so it is best to move them early.
- Know your local flood risk and fire risk ahead of time
- Stay informed - check weather conditions and warnings and emergency services advice.
- Animals can behave differently under stress. Moving them before they become panicked will keep you and them safe.
- Bring them closer to the house, yards or transport option so they are ready to load
- Relocate them to your safe area if you cannot take them with you.
WHERE will I take my animals?
Have a list of multiple properties in different areas where you can relocate your animals to safety. It is best to talk to these property owners in advance of an emergency. Consider agistment properties that can take your animals for the short term, in case you need to re-build fences before returning them home.
HOW will I take my animals?
Consider suitable transport to move your animals such as a float or trailer. Check the equipment is safe to carry your animals, e.g. solid floor, tyres and roadworthy. Plan in advance who could move your animals for you if you are not at home, e.g. neighbour, friend, family, someone from your pony club, riding group etc. Read a factsheet about creating good NEIGHbour networks.
For more information on the movement of livestock and horses in an emergency, contact your Local Lands Service office.
WHAT do I need to prepare/take for my animal?
- Prepare an emergency kit suitable for your animals. See example Horse Emergency Kit
- Ensure your animals have the correct identification:
- Cattle, sheep, goats and pigs are required to be identified with an approved NLIS ear tag or other NLIS devices.
- Use visual identification methods, in case you are separated from your animal. Identification for horses can include halter tags, mane tags, neck band with name and phone number, livestock marker, clipper shaved info in the animal’s hair etc. Identification for livestock can include ear tags, tail tags or leg bands, neck chains with ID, ear notches, microchips, brands or livestock marker.
If your animal is on an agistment property, it is important that you have shared your emergency plan with the property owner.
Practice your plan
Like people, animals can behave differently under stress so practicing your plan helps you and your animals to:
- build familiarity, confidence and speed of getting your animals in or out of a float/trailer
- work out how long it may take you to relocate animals, how many trips you will need to make if you have multiple animals and whether you need others to help you
- identify any flaws and improve your plan.
Source: SES
Found from: Greater Sydney Small Farms Network.
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