Plan for livestock evacuation

With the fire season approaching, now is the time to update and practice household and farm fire plans, including how livestock, horses and pets will be managed.
Preparing early is the key to livestock fire plans, with adequate cleared areas needed to keep livestock safe.
Horses and cattle are quite good at avoiding fire but due to their mobbing instinct sheep may be better situated in an enclosed space such as non-flammable yards with a firebreak or a bared out paddock.
Take all flammable gear off horses and anything that has metal buckles.
It may be useful to leave on a rope halter and ID tag.
Enact a fire plan on days of high fire danger.
Livestock will be much easier to move in the cool morning than in the hot afternoon.
Water supplies must be adequate for five days or more in case the power goes off of owners cannot return to a property.
If evacuating with horses or pets, include collars, leads, cages, medication, food, water and bedding in the evacuation kit.
Identification is essential, with a visible collar and tag ideally backing up the permanent identification of a microchip for horses, dogs and cats.
Pre-planning where to evacuate to is extremely important because evacuation centres are an absolute last resort for horses and pets.
Arrange with friends, family or other suitable facilities now so there is no confusion during the emergency.
Don’t assume that the local oval or pony club will be available or safe to evacuate to.
If evacuating with horses or pet livestock they must be well practised at loading into floats or trailers, and be ready well before it is time to leave.
Ensure all vehicles are roadworthy and have a spare tyre.
Practice loading the children and pets into the car and carry out a mock evacuation.
Ensuring everyone knows what to do and how long it takes is very important and during an incident leave early – don’t get trapped on the road.
Property owners should ensure that their Property Identification Code (PIC) details are updated each season, including agistment blocks and current contact details.
DEPI Animal Health staff use the confidential PIC database to contact owners if their animals are injured after an emergency.
DEPI co-ordinates the animal welfare response following emergencies and deploys teams to assess livestock following fires.