How You Can Prepare Your Farm for Bad Weather

Running a farm comes with a lot of responsibility. That being said, you have to prepare for unexpected situations. This includes bad weather and intense storms, so knowing how you can prepare your farm for bad weather is vital. Let’s look over the different preparation methods and how to prevent as much damage as possible.

Before the Storm

There are a handful of things you should do before a bad storm. Get in contact with your employees and review emergency escape routes for each building. It’s essential that you have an emergency plan, and know that it may differ depending on the event itself, such as a tornado or flood.

Ensure that you document procedures to account for all employees and create an emergency contact list for owners, family members, employees, and suppliers. Assign roles and responsibilities to each employee to take care of livestock, call emergency contacts, and move equipment.

Prepping the Farm

A few ways to prepare your farm for bad weather are taking inventory, checking the livestock equipment, and looking over your insurance policy. You must know where everything is on the farm, mark animals so they can get returned if lost, and stock up on additional farm supplies such as fresh water and livestock feed.

As for equipment, have your generators in working order, turn off propane supply tanks, and close chemical containers. Once everything on the property is checked, meet with your insurance rep to ensure everything you own is protected and discuss the process for filing claims if a disaster occurs.

Prepping the Livestock

As bad weather approaches, ensure that you have a substantial shelter for your livestock. It should stand against high winds and heavy rain, keeping your animals dry and comfortable. Additionally, these structures should have enough space for each animal, and sit on high ground to prevent flooding.

Ensure that you have enough warm bedding, food, and water available. Access to food and water will keep your animals healthy during stressful events. Water can freeze ff you’re going to experience cold weather, so you must replace the frozen water or break up the ice.

After the Storm

When the storm finally subsides, assess the damage to the infrastructure and check the livestock for any injuries. If animals were hurt by flying debris, contact a veterinarian to inspect the wounds. Additionally, check if the waterers and other equipment are fully functional. If you lost power and the waterers aren’t working, quickly turn on a generator to restore power. Lastly, check the nearby fencing for any damages or destruction.