February 2010 Articles

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Disaster Preparedness for Louisiana Livestock Producer

Disaster Preparedness for Louisiana Livestock Producers Christine Navarre, DVM, LSU AgCenter, Theresia Lavergne, Associate Professor, LSU AgCenter

As August begins, it’s a good time for livestock producers to review their readiness in the event of a disaster. The largest threat this time of year would be a hurricane, but preparation for hurricanes can help producers prepare for other disasters (fire, hazardous spills, & animal disease outbreaks to name some potential disasters). It must be stressed that although help may be available from many sources following a disaster, producers themselves are ultimately responsible for the welfare of their animals, & should prepare accordingly. Well in advance of a potential disaster situation, producers should evaluate their herd health programs with their veterinarian. Cattle that undergo evacuation either before or after a disaster will be stressed and are likely to be commingled with other cattle resulting in a loss of herd biosecurity. Proper herd nutrition and vaccination can minimize potential problems such as pneumonia & abortions resulting from the loss of biosecurity. The ability to properly identify animals is critical in the face of any disaster since cattle may be scattered & commingled. Dangle tags & tattoos can be duplicated, so electronic identification as well pictures & videos of cattle can help identify animals after the disaster. Poultry producers need to monitor potential storms & be prepared in the event that they strike Louisiana despite being well over 100 miles north of the gulf coast. Proper inspection of facilities (regardless of species produced) should occur on a regular basis to make sure facilities are in good repair including electrical wiring. Prior to a storm making landfall, all outside equipment should be secured to prevent it from becoming airborne in the event of a storm. Dairy & poultry producers need to conduct regular generator maintenance checks & make sure their generators are always in working order. Fuel for the generators needs to be available at all times. A plan needs to be in place to receive fuel for the generators during and/or after a disaster. Also, producers need to make sure that they have enough feed on the farm to last through the storm & for a few days afterwards. Water lines need to be working properly, & the alternate water source needs to be working too. There is no way to prepare for every situation that arises in a disaster. However, by working closely with other producers & agricultural leaders, livestock producers can lessen the impact of a disaster on their operation.