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Herd Health & Disease ManagementEmergency Preparedness for Dairy Farms
A dairy cannot pause for an emergency. Cows still need milking, water and feed, so the time to plan is before trouble starts.
Key points
- Write a plan and share it with everyone who works on the farm.
- Keep contacts, farm maps and records together.
- Plan for power, water, feed, milk and animal moves before an event.
- Practice yearly, and use generators and fuel safely.
Start with a simple written plan
An emergency plan does not have to be long, but it has to be written and shared. List the events most likely in your area, such as severe weather, flooding, wildfire, winter storms, power outages, fire and disease outbreaks, and write down what you would do for each.
Decide who is in charge, who does which job and how people will reach each other if phones are down. Keep copies in the house, the office and the parlor, and review the plan each year with everyone who works on the farm.
Plans fail when they live in only one person's head. Share the plan with your family, your crew and a trusted neighbor, and agree on who will cover for whom.
Contacts and information to keep together
Make a single sheet with phone numbers and addresses for your veterinarian, milk buyer, feed supplier, electrician, fuel supplier, equipment dealer, neighbors, county emergency management and local fire department.
Include a map of the farm showing buildings, water shutoffs, electrical panels, fuel tanks, chemical storage and gates, so responders who do not know the property can find what they need quickly. Update the sheet whenever a number changes, and check it twice a year. An out-of-date list is nearly as bad as none at all, so make a habit of testing a few numbers.
- Vet, milk buyer and feed supplier
- Electrician, generator service and fuel supplier
- Neighbors who can help with animals and equipment
- County emergency management and fire department
- Insurance agent and animal ID records
Power and water
Cows need milking on schedule and clean water at all times. Know what your farm needs to run: milking system, cooling, lighting, ventilation and water pumps. A backup generator or a plan to get one needs to be sized and installed by a qualified electrician.
Follow the generator manufacturer's instructions and electrical safety rules. Never run engines in closed buildings because of carbon monoxide, and never connect a generator to the farm wiring without a proper transfer switch.
Test your backup power on a schedule. A generator that has sat unused may not start when you need it, so ask your electrician or dealer what maintenance and test runs they advise.
Feed, animals and milk
Keep a reserve of feed and a plan for getting more if roads close. Think about how animals will be moved, identified and sheltered if a barn is unsafe, and how they will be kept cool or warm.
Talk with your milk buyer ahead of time about what to do if the truck cannot arrive or milk cannot be cooled. Ask about dumping rules, storage options and how to document losses for insurance.
- Feed reserve and alternate suppliers
- Animal identification that survives a move
- Shelter and trailer plan for the herd
- Milk storage and dump plan agreed with your buyer
Fire, floods and storms
Keep fire extinguishers charged and in view, keep barn aisles clear and keep wiring in good repair. Know where the exits are and teach everyone not to go back into a burning barn for animals.
In flood or storm warnings, follow local emergency management directions. Plan evacuation routes in advance and keep a basic first-aid kit and safety supplies. Check with FSA and NRCS for disaster assistance programs, noting that program terms change.
Practice, records and recovery
Run a short drill each year, such as a power-out milking or a barn evacuation. Drills expose gaps while the stakes are low.
Take dated photos of your buildings, animals, feed and equipment, keep insurance papers somewhere safe off the farm, and write down losses and actions taken during an emergency. After the event, review what worked and update the plan.
Training the people who work for you
Every worker should know where the plan is kept, who to call first and what their own job is. Walk new workers through the plan on their first week and test it with simple questions.
Make sure relief workers and family members know how to start a backup generator safely, shut off water and fuel, and move animals. Review safety rules with them and keep notes of who was trained.
- Plan reviewed with every new hire
- Labeled shutoffs for power, water and fuel
- Printed contact sheet in each building
- Named backup for every key job
Sources and further reading
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