TheDairySite Latest News
Preempting a Dairy Disaster
US - Dairy farms have contingency plans for minor disasters. In most cases, though, dairy farms rely on local emergency management infrastructure to get through tough ordeals, including tornadoes, floods, fires and vehicle accidents involving livestock.Chuck Schwartau, University of Minnesota Extension livestock educator, encourages dairy farmers to write plans, discuss steps to take when disasters occur and train for disasters. Schwartau lists several questions for dairy producers to ask themselves and their dairy teams at his blog posted on AgBuzz.com. AgBuzz is a cooperative blogging effort of University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota Farm Guide.
Schwartau asks producers to consider what they would do if the power goes off for several days due to storms, and how they would milk the cows and get water to the animals. What are some methods for ventilating the barns? How will the milk be cooled and stored? What are some methods for getting feed out of bins and storage and to the livestock if the power is off?
He encourages producers to check the emergency power generator to make sure it starts and determine how long the generator can run continuously. He suggests that dairy farmers have a back-up plan in case feed has to be rationed to last during an emergency. In the event of a tornado or fire, producers also need a plan to euthanize injured livestock and dispose of the mortalities.
Finally, if a livestock facility collapses or blows away, how and where can the livestock be confined? By writing up and practicing disaster planning, dairy farms could have important items in place to survive significant ordeals.
TheCattleSite News Desk
Latest Dairy Industry News
BLUETONGUE: Tighter Controls to Halt Disease
The Milky Way to Recovering the Chinese Dairy Sector
TB Reservoirs: Badger or Cattle Populations?
Phase One of NZ's Robotic Dairy Project
Facing Up to a Global Vet Shortage
FAO: Appeal for New World Agricultural Order
Strong Demand Continues for Irish Milk Quota
CME: Demand in 2009 an Overriding Concern- BSE NEWS: Seoul Wants Answers to Canadian Case
- Organic Dairy Struggle Coming to a Head
- Huge Dairy Project Delayed in Wisconsin
Jamaica Develops Dairy Development Board- GB Veterinary Associations meet at AFBI Laboratories
- Incidence of TB in UK Cattle
- CME: Crude Oil Prices Impact Livestock Production
