Fire Recovery: Experts offer advice on caring for livestock following wildfires
Following devastating wildfires in Nebraska and Kansas in recent weeks, post-fire livestock care is becoming increasingly pertinent as producers turn their attention to recovery.
Additionally, in the face of heightened fire conditions and unseasonably warm, dry conditions throughout the West, understanding strategies for caring for livestock following wildfires can help producers prepare for and recover from fire-related devastation.
To help mitigate the impacts of fire on livestock health, industry experts offer key considerations for assessing injuries, aiding nutrition and supporting recovery in the wake of wildfires.
Cattle health
In the aftermath of a wildfire, assessing animals for signs of physical injury and stress is of utmost importance.
Throughout the weeks following a wildfire, cattle should be assessed frequently and kept away from recently-burned areas until all hot spots are totally extinguished to avoid further risk of injury.
“Ashes, smoldering fencelines, hay piles and hot spots can cause significant injury to hooves and soft tissues,” writes Livestock Systems Extension Educator T.L. Meyer in a March 17 news release from the University of Nebraska-Lincolnʼs (UNL) Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Meyer adds burn-related damage – especially in hooves – can take time to show up in full.
For this reason, producers should keep cattle out of recently-burned areas and continue to keep a close eye on them, monitoring animal health multiple times per week.
Sensitive areas like hooves, udders, sheaths and testicles should be evaluated for burns or signs of swelling, while eyes and muzzles should be assessed for trapped soot, abrasions and ulcers.
Also, respiratory issues such as coughing or rapid breathing can signal health complications from smoke.
When these signs have been observed, and on days when smoke continues to hang heavy in the air, Meyer recommends avoiding unnecessarily moving or working cattle since respiratory irritation from smoke can worsen with handling.
Overall, consulting with a veterinarian can help producers prepare for a variety of outcomes and even aid insurance efforts.
“Consult a veterinarian early for burn treatment, pain management and antibiotics if needed and for guidance about which animals are likely to recover,” Meyer says. “In some cases, humane euthanasia may be the best choice.”
Meyer also recommends keeping all veterinary statements and sale receipts for fire-affected livestock, noting if these animals decline or die in weeks following the fire, they may qualify for insurance compensation.
Calf care
Additionally, cow/calf pairs are particularly vulnerable to wildfire-related health issues. Increased stress and complications with nursing may lead to a weakened immune system, especially in young or newborn calves.
“Cows in late gestation and pairs may need extra monitoring,” Meyer writes. “Post-fire stress can weaken maternal behavior or reduce milk production, and burned or singed udders may prevent calves from nursing.”
In a separate March 17 news release, UNL Extension Educator Brock Ortner outlines the D.A.R.T. method of monitoring calf health, which involves assessing calves for signs of depression, appetite reduction, respiration changes and temperature increases.
Ortner notes signs of depression such as isolation, droopy ears and lethargy – along with reduced appetite and increased respiratory rate – can be the first signs of fire-related health complications in young calves.
“Increased respiratory rate, shallow breathing or abnormal sounds such as coughing or raspy breathing may indicate respiratory disease,” he writes. “Nasal discharge or excessive eye secretions may also accompany illness.”
Increased rectal temperatures ranging from approximately 103.5 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit are also causes for concern, according to Ortner.
“Early detection and treatment of sick calves improves the likelihood of recovery and helps reduce performance losses associated with respiratory disease,” Ortner writes. “Extra vigilance and responsiveness may help mitigate adverse health outcomes in the weeks and months following exposure to wildfire smoke.”
Water, nutrition and grazing
In addition to assessing and addressing physical health concerns, providing access to clean water and adequate nutrition is critical.
Meyer emphasizes stressed cattle often require more water intake. However, animals which have gone without water for an extended period of time may overdrink when it becomes available again.
To mitigate complications, Meyer recommends reintroducing herds to water at a controlled rate and providing access to water from several areas.
“When possible, cattle that have been without water for more than a day should be slowly adapted back to water by providing them with access to small amounts of water every half hour – three to five gallons for cows and bulls and one to two gallons for growing cattle – until the cattle are no longer thirsty,” Meyer writes. “Offering clean water from several access points helps avoid crowding and reduces digestive issues linked to sudden intake.”
Nutrition is another critical aspect of post-fire livestock care. Short-term nutrition strategies can help herds regain strength and maintain health immediately following the fire while producers explore longer-term options in the face of forage losses.
“If no forage is available, a low-protein, low-starch commercial feed product can be used for four to five days to minimize weight loss until hay and/or grazing can be secured,” Meyer writes, recommending a product with 12 to 14 percent crude protein content and eight to 12 percent starch content.
When low hay supplies must be stretched, Meyer says a combination of feeding a 28 to 32 percent range cube and limit feeding long-stemmed hay can help herds maintain body condition.
Consulting a nutritionist or local Extension educator can help producers weigh their options and make the best decision for their herds as individual circumstances and needs allow.
As burned pastures recuperate, livestock should be kept away from affected land.
Temporary fencing can help keep herds away from sensitive areas, and infrastructure like fences, tanks and pipelines should be thoroughly evaluated and repaired before turnout.
Documentation and disaster assistance
Recovering from wildfires is a stressful ordeal for humans and livestock alike.
In cases of animal mortality and grazing losses, thorough and prompt documentation can help producers navigate federal disaster assistance programs provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other organizations.
“Producers may qualify for several USDA programs, but it’s important to contact a local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office promptly,” Meyer emphasizes. “These programs can help with livestock mortality, water and feed transport and grazing losses.”
Before moving carcasses or beginning repairs, Meyer says producers should take clear, date-stamped photos of carcasses or injured animals and document damaged infrastructure such as fences and tanks, as well as burned hay or feed.
Additionally, recording tag numbers, brands and locations where possible is vital.
Meyer also recommends consulting with local FSA agents on a case-by-case basis, as well as coordinating any fencing or grazing changes with the FSA and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, to ensure documentation and eligibility requirements are met.
Maintaining detailed, up-to-date records year-round is a good practice to uphold in order to have a good understanding of operations and inventory, which can aid recovery efforts should a wildfire or other natural disaster strike.
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
