Take care of livestock, horses during storms

NICOLE KING
Staff Writer

Livestock and horse owners need to start preparing now for the hurricane season said the head of the Sumter County Disaster Animal Response Team, or DART.

"Right now would be a great time to reinforce barns with hurricane straps," said Sheri Evans, "and look at those trees that are next to the barns."

Evans said all families need an emergency plan, but it's especially important to cattle and horse owners. "They need to have it written down, so that if I were to come to their home, I would see it," she said. "Emergency contacts so that they know where to go with the livestock. Also, what are the cows branded with? Eartags don't work. You need to make sure that they have identifiable brands on them so we can get them back to you." Evans suggests spraypainting your phone number, address and name on the cattle because computers may not be accessible to look up brands.

"It's great that they have brands, but if we don't have a way to access that information, we won't know.We need to be able to identify them," Evans said.

She strongly urges not parking your trucks, horse trailers and vehicles under trees or power lines during a storm. Also, large livestock trailers should be tied down.

Horses
Evans said horses should be put in a debris-free field where they are away from power lines, trees and vehicles. Also, they should have access to high and low ground.

"If the horses need to be able to get to a low place, especially if they have a pond. It will provide them with water after the storm if it has not been contaminated." Evans said under no circumstances should horses or cattle be kept in a barn during a hurricane.

"Don't keep them in a barn no matter how good it is. The only deaths that we know of during the 2004 hurricane season were when barns collapsed," she said.

Evans also advises braiding some type of ID into their manes or tails. Something with an address, phone number, and out of state contact. Leave them plenty of food and water.

And evacuate with your animals early. "You need to be hours and hours ahead of the time when they evacuate," Evans said. "High profile vehicles like horse trailers can get overturned, or stuck in traffic. It would be a horrible thing to be stuck in traffic with those animals. I hear so many people say "Oh I'm leaving, but they are still here hours before the storm hits. I'm sorry - that's too late." Cattle

Evans said with cattle, most people are going to want to shelter them at their farm. The rules for cattle is the same as horses: spraypaint paint addresses and phone numbers on them, and keep them in a debris-free field with low and high ground. With no identification, responders may think cattle are unclaimed. Also, if fences are destroyed, try to get them up and repaired as soon as possible.

"It played a big factor in the Mississippi area. They got on the road and responders are trying to respond and they end up hitting these animals that are roaming around. If they need help, they need to be contacting us and getting help," Evans said. Evans said every farm should have a generator with enough gas and diesel to run it, and install a hand pump for water.

"A simple hand pump is awesome to be able to get water both for your family and your animals," she said. "The cattle and the sheep - that is people's livelihood. They need to know that services won't be up immediately and they need to think about themselves and their animals."