Animals in drought

Duty of care

It’s important to understand your obligations when owning and caring for animals during drought.

This includes the general health and wellbeing, and transportation of animals.

• How to protect the welfare of drought-affected animals
• Livestock ownership requirements for small landholders
• Transporting drought-affected livestock
• Moving horses in Queensland
• Livestock management for small landholders
• Branding and ear marking livestock requirements
• The National Livestock Identification System (NLIS)

Feeding animals

There are a number of factors to consider when bringing feed and fodder onto your property. These include determining the condition of your animals; feed quality and nutritional value; and biosecurity risks such as pests, weeds and diseases.

• Food and nutrition
• Managing biosecurity risks
• Avoiding chemical residues
• Ruminant feed ban

Management options

If feeding your animals is no longer an option, to ensure the welfare of your animals, you may need to consider reducing your stock numbers through sale, slaughter, agistment or euthanasia.

• Cattle
• Sheep
• Horses
• Grazing and stock management
• Selling options
• Euthanasia

Planning for the future

Drought inflicts major financial, social and environmental costs on landholders and communities. The often slow onset of drought can add further complexity to the decisions required for landholders.

There are a range of resources available to prepare and/ or adapt to drought.

• Drought preparation checklist
• Livestock management for small landholders
• Climate risk information for rural Queensland
• Is your property drought declared?
• Grazing land management land type mapping
• Stocking rate economics
• Forage budgeting and pasture utilisation
• Assessing land condition
• Pasture management for drought recovery

Looking after yourself

There are a number of financial assistance programs available to eligible landholders including subsidies, rebates, loans and allowances.

Free counselling services are available to assist landholders with their mental health and wellbeing.

• Drought assistance programs
• Financial assistance available for natural disasters
• Financial counselling services
• Health and wellbeing support

Drought planning and recovery resources

Resources have been developed for small landholders to manage, feed and care for animals during and in preparation for drought. Resources include:

• a guide for managing livestock on small properties
• webinar series.