Farmed Animal Emergency Planning

Emergency planning for natural disasters and farm crises is essential for preventing mass suffering events among farmed animals.

Key Facts

Hurricane Florence (2018) killed an estimated 3.4 million poultry and 5,500 pigs in North Carolina
Power outages in poultry barns can cause rapid death from heat or ventilation failure
Farms with pre-established emergency protocols have significantly better animal survival rates
Insurance and crisis planning are both inadequate across most of the agricultural sector

Welfare Considerations

Farmed animal emergency planning prevents catastrophic welfare events. Animals in enclosed housing systems are entirely dependent on mechanical systems for ventilation and temperature control — power failure can be fatal within hours for poultry. Flooding that reaches barns causes suffering and drowning. Pre-planning that includes emergency power supplies, evacuation protocols, emergency contacts and insurance enables rapid response that saves animals from mass suffering events.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory emergency preparedness requirements for large livestock operations
Support organizations that respond to farm animal emergencies
Donate to HSUS or similar organizations that fund farm animal emergency response
Encourage farmers to develop and practice emergency protocols