Protect barns and livestock from storm number 13

Gia Lai The terrible livestock losses in recent storms in the northern provinces are like a warning bell for livestock farmers in Gia Lai before storm No. 13.

Storm No. 13 is forecast to directly affect the eastern region of Gia Lai province. Coastal localities have activated the storm response scenario for level 5. Not only are people worried about human safety, but they are also worried about the safety of their pets.

Before the storm, duck farmers herded their ducks together to avoid damage. Photo: V.D.T.

People in the river area often make a living by raising ducks. Ducks are their biggest asset, so before storm No. 13, they quickly herded the ducks to one place to avoid damage.

According to Mr. Huynh Van Sau, Party Cell Secretary and Head of Kim Dong Village (Tuy Phuoc Dong Commune, Gia Lai Province), due to the characteristics of the river countryside, Kim Dong people used to raise 30,000-40,000 ducks. Before this year's storm season, to avoid damage, duck farmers here reduced their flocks, and now there are only three or five households raising about 5,000-6,000 ducks.

“Before storm No. 13, duck farmers no longer let their ducks out in the fields, but gathered them in one place. Ducks are most afraid of storms and winds. When there is strong wind, they will huddle together. No matter how big the flood is, they are not afraid because ducks are aquatic animals,” said Mr. Sau.

The most worried are households raising livestock on land such as pigs, cows, and chickens. Mr. Le Xuan Dat (69 years old), who is raising 800 super egg chickens in Phong Tan village (Tuy Phuoc commune, Gia Lai), for the past few days he and his children have been busy bracing the roofs of the chicken coops, and around the coops, Mr. Dat and his children have used tarpaulin to prevent storm winds from entering.

“The place where I raise chickens is on high ground in my garden, so it rarely floods. My egg-laying chicken coop has many levels, so if there is a big flood, I will move the chickens from the ground floor coop to the upper floor coop to avoid the water,” said Mr. Dat.

As for Mr. Doi Van Dan in Hoai An commune (Gia Lai), the owner of a cattle farm with a scale of 200-250 cows, before the rainy season, Mr. Dan gradually sold his herd of cows and now only has 80-90 cows. With information about the wind strength of storm No. 13 that will hit the eastern localities of Gia Lai in the coming days, Mr. Dan is very worried because he does not know where to move his herd of cows.

Mr. Dan's cowshed has been surrounded by a solid wall, but the top of the wall is left open for ventilation. Now, Mr. Dan covers the empty space above the barn with tarps to block the wind, because cows are very afraid of the wind. If there is a strong storm, they will be scared and jump around, possibly escaping the barn. The corrugated iron roof of the cowshed is supported by Mr. Dan with sandbags or water bags to prevent the roof from being blown off by the storm.

“Before this year’s rainy season, I had stockpiled 5,000 rolls of straw. They brought them to my house and sold each roll of straw for 20,000 VND, so I didn’t have to worry about feeding them,” said Mr. Dan Cho.

Mr. Doi Van Dan's cowshed in Hoai An commune has a wall built on it, now he covers the top part with tarpaulin to prevent the wind from blowing in. Photo: V.D.T.

Pig farmers are also worried about storm No. 13. Mr. Nguyen Van Binh in Hoai An commune (Gia Lai) often raises more than 10 breeding sows and 100 pigs. This year, because of the recent herd rebuilding, Mr. Binh's pig pen only has 60 pigs, including 11 breeding sows, the rest are pigs of various ages, weighing from 20-30kg to 50-60kg/pig.

“During the dry season, my pig pen is surrounded by a layer of mesh to prevent flies from carrying pathogens from outside from infecting my pigs. I also covered the mesh with a layer of canvas to prevent rainwater from blowing in and wetting the pigs,” said Nguyen Van Binh.

Before the rainy season, the Gia Lai Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine has advised farmers to firmly reinforce barn roofs, check and repair unsafe structures. Ensure the barn floor is high and well-drained. Prepare a plan to move livestock to a high place when necessary. Stock up on dry food, silage for livestock and mixed feed for poultry.

Mr. Nguyen Van Binh's pig pen in Hoai An commune was protected with an extra layer of canvas outside the net to block the wind during storm No. 13. Photo: V.D.T.

The authorities also recommend that livestock farmers during and after the storm focus on ensuring clean food and water for their livestock. After the water recedes, clean the feeders and waterers, ensuring that the food and water for livestock are not contaminated. At the same time, clear the drains, sweep and clean the barns and surrounding areas.

“After storms, livestock farmers need to disinfect and sterilize barns and the surrounding environment every two days with lime powder or disinfectants. Supplement vitamins, minerals, and digestive enzymes to increase livestock resistance; on cold days, it is necessary to provide enough concentrated feed to keep warm, and use biological products such as EMINA and EMUNIV to strengthen the livestock's digestive system,” Mr. Huynh Ngoc Diep, Head of the Gia Lai Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, recommended.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/bao-ve-chuong-trai-vat-nuoi-truoc-son-bao-so-13-d782408.html