Updated: Information added about disposal of animal carcasses in case of flooding.
During severe weather (floods, cold or hot weather, droughts) the welfare of animals is important.
Officials from local councils and the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) monitor severe weather situations closely in liaison with the RSPCA, National Farmers’ Union (NFU), and other organisations who play a role in helping farmers and pet owners to protect their animals.
Responsibilities
If you own or keep animals, you have a duty of care to those animals (it’s a legal requirement), and you need to take reasonable steps to protect their welfare and prevent their suffering.
As a general principle, you must not leave animals in circumstances where they’re likely to suffer. If it’s possible to take action, even if that action is killing by a veterinary surgeon or other legally competent person, then action should be taken.
If you are a farmer, or keep horses, you are expected to take reasonable steps to plan for the welfare of your animals. This should be part of your business planning where it’s known or could be anticipated that livestock might be at risk during severe weather.
In an emergency, AHVLA, local councils, RSPCA and others will do what they can to provide advice, and to help you find ways to prevent or alleviate the suffering of animals.
Flooding
Advice to farmers
As a farmer, you will already be working to make sure your livestock is protected from severe weather and that food and water are available. Where animals are kept outdoors and there is a risk of flooding, you should consider moving stock to an alternative location. In areas where there is a known flood risk you should have contingency plans in place to protect the welfare of your livestock, including alternative accommodation and transport arrangements.
You can get advice on flood risks from the Environment Agency.
You can also subscribe to the Environment Agency flood warnings direct service.
Water supplies and periods of flooding
If water supplies are interupted, this can cause problems for some farmers. You will often be best placed to identify a source water for your animals, for example by co-operating with neighbours who may have bore holes. But if you face serious difficulties in getting supplies to your animals, contact one of the organisations listed at the end of this guide who will try and identify solutions in co-operation with each other.
The greatest risk to animals from lack of water is dehydration. To reduce this risk, try to provide water from one of the following sources (best to worst):
potable (drinking) water
collected rain water
reservoirs
rivers and streams
flood water
You should seek advice from your vet on the risks, and on whether animal treatment is advised.
For livestock, priority should be given to animals with no access to water of any sort. Young animals, housed animals on dry feed only and lactating animals will be at particular risk.
If only a restricted supply of potable (drinking) water is available, the following is a rough guide to the daily needs of an animal:
milking cows: 38 - 52 litres
other cattle: 38 litres
horse: 20 - 45 litres
pig: 4 - 11.5 litres
sheep: 6 litres
poultry (intensive): 0.5 litres
(These figures will vary depending on the age of the animal and on temperature and humidity.)
Where practicable, actions to reduce the requirement for water include:
reducing feed intake
drying off animals in late stage lactation
ending egg production
Where water is rationed, care is needed to avoid ‘salt poisoning’ in pigs.
Practical steps to secure water supplies
You can talk to neighbouring farmers who may have local water supplies from boreholes. To provide extra storage for water, grain trailers can also be made waterproof by siliconing the inside of a trailer, or by using builders’ polythene (not silage sheets as they are not strong enough).
If water cannot be made available, farmers should consider whether animals can be transported to areas where supplies are available. As a last resort, in situations where water cannot be made available, farmers will need to consider euthanasia for their animals rather than allowing them to suffer.
In flooded areas, water may be polluted with sewage, manure and chemicals, and animals drinking such waters are at risk from infection. You might need to treat animals (especially young ones) if they have been unable to use water troughs and have drunk flood water.
Slaughterhouses
Water provision at slaughterhouses is essential during lairaging. If you can’t provide alternative supplies in case of mains delivery failure, you should not accept animals that may require lairaging.
Where overnight lairaging does happen, you should consider carefully whether your facilities are fit for use in extreme weather conditions and if needed, provide supplementary bedding, water, feed and protection. You should have contingency plans in place to accommodate, slaughter or divert animals to other locations if severe weather results in animals being unable to arrive at the agreed time for slaughter.
Disposal and collection of dead animals
The responsibility for the disposal of dead animals rests with the animal’s keeper.
It is possible for animal carcasses to end up in a variety of places following flooding; these could include fields, hedgerows, depressions, towns/villages, roads, canals, rivers, beaches, the sea, etc.
Where a carcass ends up on private land, wherever possible the owner of the carcass should be identified and is responsible for its collection and disposal. If ownership cannot be proven, responsibility for disposal rests with the landowner.
Where a carcass is deposited elsewhere, including on public land or highways, and it is not possible to identify the owner, the local authority is responsible for the disposal.
The Environment Agency will remove a carcass from a watercourse, but only if it creates a risk of pollution or further flooding and the carcass owner or landowner cannot be identified. Local authorities (usually Environmental Health Authorities) have powers under the statutory nuisance provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to deal with any ‘accumulations or deposits which are prejudicial to health or a nuisance’. These also allow for appropriate action to be taken against the owner of the carcass.
All such carcasses must be disposed of by rendering or incineration. Further details of local contractors and disposal facilities can be obtained from the local authority, EA or local Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) office.
Severe cold weather
Advice to farmers
During periods of bad weather farmers will already be working to make sure livestock is protected from the severe weather and that food and water is available. You will be best placed to identify and source feed and water for your animals, for example by co-operating with neighbours if supplies run short or access is difficult.
It’s important to make sure that drinking water troughs are kept free of ice, where animals are kept outside, and that if pipes and other water supply fittings are blocked, water is taken to the animals regularly.
If you face serious difficulties in getting supplies for your animals, contact one of the organisations listed at the end of this page who will try and identify solutions in co-operation with each other. Local councils have statutory responsibilities in relation to animal health and welfare on farms, at markets and in transport, and can provide advice and support. In an emergency the RSPCA will also provide help and advice.
Advice to pet and horse owners
Where pets (such as rabbits and guinea pigs) are normally kept outside in hutches during mild winters, owners should consider moving them into garages and sheds to provide more insulation. If you can’t move a cage, you need to provide more protection or insulation. It is also important to ensure a supply of drinking water. Ice should be cleared from drinking water containers and the spouts should be defrosted regularly.
Horses and ponies usually kept outside during the winter should have access to shelter at all times and a regular provision of feed and water. If you can’t be sure of providing this, you should consider moving the animals or permanently stabling in the interim period. You should regularly check your water supplies for all horses and ponies and identify alternatives in case of mains failure.
In an emergency you should contact the RSPCA for help and advice.
Live animal transport
Transporters are required by law not to transport animals in a way that is likely to cause injury or undue suffering. So in cold conditions you must check your intended route is safe and clear before any journey commences. You should have contingency plans to care for the animals in case of any problems on the journey.
Bedding must be supplied for:
calves under 6 months
foals under 4 months
piglets under 10 kgs
lambs under 20kgs
This bedding must guarantee the animals comfort in the prevailing weather conditions. However, during freezing weather conditions, you will need bedding for older and heavier animals too.
For journeys over 8 hours, ventilation systems on vehicles must be capable of keeping the temperature in the animal compartment above 0 degrees centigrade.
Markets: advice for operators
It is against the law to cause or permit injury or unnecessary suffering, whatever the cause (including severe weather), in a market. Water provision at markets is essential and if you’re unable to provide alternative supplies in case of mains delivery failure, then you should not accept animals for sale.
Where overnight lairaging occurs, you should consider whether the facilities are fit for use in extreme weather conditions and where necessary provide supplementary bedding, water, feed and protection from adverse weather conditions. Local councils and the AHVLA will be monitoring any market events that carry on during this time and will be taking appropriate enforcement action where necessary.
Advice to slaughterhouse food business operators
During periods of bad weather you need to make sure livestock is protected from the severe weather and that food and water is available if conditions cause routine operations to stop. You will be best placed to identify and source feed and water for your animals or redirect the animals to a more suitable location or different slaughterhouse. You should work out contingency plans in advance to facilitate co-operation with neighbouring slaughterhouses or farms if supplies run short or access is difficult.
It is important to ensure that where animals are kept outside drinking water troughs are kept free of ice and that water is taken to animals directly if pipes and other water supply fittings are blocked.
If you face serious difficulties in sourcing supplies for your animals, contact your official veterinarian in the first instance and, if this is not possible and the welfare of the animals is compromised, you may contact one of the organisations listed at the end of this page. Local councils have statutory responsibilities in relation to animal health and welfare on farms, at markets and in transport, and can provide further advice and support. In an emergency the RSPCA will also provide help and advice.
Hot weather
Advice to farmers, pet and horse owners
High temperatures and humidity, particularly sudden changes in conditions, can pose a major threat to animal welfare. The following basic advice is to help farmers, transporters, pet owners and others avoid problems.
Those who look after animals must avoid causing them unnecessary suffering (it’s a legal requirement), and must avoid subjecting them to conditions where this is likely to occur. It is an offence if the welfare of an animal is compromised as a result of a failure to take appropriate action in response to extremes of temperature.
Farmed animals should be provided with adequate shelter and protection in accordance with the law and welfare codes. In hot weather it is particularly important that animals have access to shade and water. Livestock keepers should inspect their animals often and take necessary action to correct any problems.
Transporting animals
Those transporting animals, including agricultural animals, should avoid problems in hot weather. Things to consider include:
factoring potential weather conditions into the planning of any journey (for example not loading or moving animals during the hottest parts of the day)
improved ventilation of the vehicle
increased space allowances
providing water and electrolytes more frequently
In addition, contingency plans should be in place for every journey, and are particularly important in hot conditions as delays, which might be relatively insignificant under normal conditions, can become critical very quickly.
Livestock transport vehicles: a guide to best practice on vehicle ventilation
Looking after pets
Don’t forget your pets in hot weather. Make sure they have plenty of water, ventilation and shade from the sun. Dog owners should not leave their pets in the car.
Protecting the welfare of pet dogs and cats during journeys - advice for owners on how to identify and avoid overheating in animals
Sources of help and advice
RSPCA (Telephone 0300 1234 999)
AHVLA
NFU (Telephone 0870 845 8458)
Your local council