Livestock and animal management

There are many considerations for livestock producers when caring for their animals and restoring their properties after a bushfire.

PIRSA has teams to help:

  • assess burnt livestock
  • advise on how to access veterinary services
  • assist with euthanasing severely burned livestock on welfare grounds
  • locate livestock
  • inspect livestock
  • provide advice on disposal options for deceased livestock
  • coordinate emergency fodder, water and fencing through Livestock SA
  • coordinate recovery measures.

Read more on what to do and who to contact for assistance.

Inspect livestock for burns and injuries

Animal welfare is the responsibility of the owner or the person in charge of the animals.

When it is safe to do so, carefully inspect your livestock for burns or injuries.

If animals are injured and require treatment, or are too injured for treatment and need to be euthanised, get veterinary assistance as soon as possible.

Care for surviving animals

If you have experienced a power outage enact your plan for backup water, feeding, ventilation, milking to ensure surviving animals have access to everything they need.

Animals recovering from injuries should be isolated so they can be inspected regularly.

Livestock that have survived will need access to good quality clean water, suitable fodder and shade if possible, and may need monitoring for several days.

Always check your water sources for bad smells or taste before giving to animals, to ensure there is no ash contamination.

Keep in mind, sheep consume up to 10 litres of water per day each, cattle consume up to 50 litres of water per day, and stock will consume even more water in very hot weather.

Livestock SA is on hand to help with emergency fodder, agistment, water and fencing you many need to ensure the survival of your livestock.

SAVEM is also available to help with caring for animals after emergency events.

Disposing of carcasses

Disposal of animal carcasses is the responsibility of the animal owner. and must be done in a way that minimises disease risks and impacts on the environment.

The EPA has information on how to dispose of animal carcasses after a bushfire.

Major things to consider include:

  • Disposal method – think about the size of and how many animals
  • Selecting a disposal site – consider the type of soil and proximity of water
  • Marking a disposal site – always mark sites on a map or record using GPS
Page last reviewed: 31 Mar 2022

 


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