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At the time of writing there are thousands of farms still without electricity. Farmers that have generators to lend are kept going, assisting neighbours getting herds milked and milk cooled.
On affected farms, cows can be milked once a day until power is returned. While yield will drop over that period, the long-term effects will be minimal.
Lack of water is a greater concern.
Animals shouldn’t be without water for any more than 12 hours, particularly if they are being fed meal and silage – as they have high DM.
Draw water out of streams if necessary to keep all animals watered. Be careful when assessing damage, as trees and boughs, along with walls and sheds, might be unstable and could still fall.
Insurance
Where considerable damage has been done to buildings, contact your insurance company to see that you are insured.
On big claims, it might be worth employing an assessor to handle your claim and fight for a better deal on your behalf.
What the storm did highlight is the benefit of having back-up generators and a water reserve if on a group or council water supply, particularly on farms in more exposed and isolated locations.
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