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There is always the potential for trouble following any major storm. Whether it is a large thunderstorm, tornado, or hurricane it can cause severe damage to the farm’s livestock feeding system. Feed can get wet from rain or flooding and branches, or entire trees can fall into pastures. Any of these events can spell disaster to the livestock producer.
Wet grain can mold and heat quickly. Spontaneous combustion may occur within a short time and create a fire. Dry portions of the grain should be removed and stored separately in a dry area. Use one of the following methods for handling the wet grain:
Wet ear corn should be dried as soon as possible, if it is flooded. Separate dry ear corn and store it in a dry area. Handle wet ear corn as follows:
Wet hay will begin to heat and mold very quickly. Spontaneous combustion could occur within 2 or 3 days. Move and restack any dry portions of hay. Promptly remove wet hay from buildings and spread it out to dry. Turn and shake it frequently. Open wet bales and spread them out well. Mechanical drying is better and faster than manual drying. Construct a drying tunnel of dry hay bales. Stack the hay over the tunnel to a depth of not more than six feet. If you stack baled hay over the drying tunnel, break bale ties first.
Wet corn silage will most likely not be damaged if floodwaters are drained away from around the silo soon after flooding. Watch silage for evidence of spoiling as you remove it for feeding.
Livestock should be provided with clean uncontaminated water. Inspect feed supplies. Damaged feed grains and moldy hay can cause digestive disturbances or worse. Horses, sheep, poultry, swine, and cattle are affected most severely in that order from damaged feed. Do not force livestock to eat silage that has been flooded, even if it appears unchanged.
Standing water may have ruined some of your pastures. Lack of adequate forage could force animals to eat poisonous plants, which may be present in and around the pasture. Remove fallen wild cherry tree limbs from pastures to prevent animal poisoning. Wilted wild cherry leaves produce Prussic Acid that can kill an animal. Before restocking a pasture, remove debris, especially along fence lines and corners. Livestock may be injured from pieces of barbed wire, sharp metal, and trash. Also, be sure to inspect the fence around the pasture for signs of damage from fallen trees or debris from flooding that could allow animals to get out.
Wet feeds may produce mold spores, some of which are toxic to certain livestock. If you must feed wet or flood-damaged feed, proceed with caution. Watch animals carefully for signs of illness.
Mixed feeds, grains, and roughages, which have heated or spoiled, have little nutritive value for livestock, depending on the extent of the damage. Do not feed heated, badly molded, or sour feeds, or moldy legume hays to any livestock.
Once feeds have been dried, they can be fed in limited amounts to beef cattle and young dairy stock. Use extreme caution when feeding moldy protein concentrates. Mix moldy feed with 90% to 95% clean feed at first and then watch the cattle carefully. Beef cattle on full feed may go off feed. Milk production in dairy cattle may be lowered. Some animals may develop respiratory or nervous disorders from inhaling spores. Do not feed moldy feeds to horses, sheep, swine, or pregnant cattle. This can cause death.
Some diseases are spread by water. Any flooded feed could be contaminated, even when dried. Watch animals for signs of nervousness, listlessness, going off feed, and general unthriftiness. Contact your veterinarian if you observe any of these symptoms.
This is National Farm Safety Week, so be careful out there.