# Goats and Tornados?



## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

Since someone mentioned feeding during a storm, I started thinking, "What the heck can you do for a goat during a tornado!?". Where I live now the threat is non existent. Last tornado was maybe 50 years ago. When I lived in OK with my Pygmy buck, Juan, and three chickens, the humans and dogs would go into the tornado shelter, goat and chickens would go into the small doghouse wedged in a corner of the house (they would go in by themselves.). 

So what do you guys in north TX, OK, KS, MO, and other states that experience them do? If there's anything you can do. :sigh:


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## GotmygoatMTJ (Apr 25, 2009)

Honestly, if there is a tornado warning, we don't go outside. I love my animals, but if I die, who's going to feed the survivors in the morning?


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## TexasRanger (Feb 2, 2010)

GotmygoatMTJ said:


> Honestly, if there is a tornado warning, we don't go outside. I love my animals, but if I die, who's going to feed the survivors in the morning?


Wouldn't go outside either. What I meant was, if you know a few hours or a day in advance, what do you do?


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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

Well here we have had a few scares and they have hit around us. I had a friends farm hit and all of her fencing was taken out, her jumps were moved, but it jumped the barn so all of her horses were safe. (the farms on boths sides of hers were gone). I have watched one try to form in the lower field while I was unloading gravel near the goat shed. We have crates in the garage which is attached to the house for the cats but we do not have good places to go here either. Basement is a crawl space and with the scorpions and snake I would never go in there.

I do have a friend that I grew up with that his family builds storm shelters https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 597&type=3 They even have some that have had cars dropped on them to show how safe they are to be in and get out of. Wish I could find the video but there is the facebook pictures of some. They ship them too so you don't have to be local. When we buy a farm and have the money I want one!


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## mmiller (Apr 3, 2012)

Usually we don't have a few hours let alone a day. For the most part we just make sure everyone has shelter outa the rain. I have never heard of heavy livestock losses from tornados. Not saying that it doesn't happen. Growing up in Missouri it has come part of life here. I just deal with it as it comes. I would not wanna lose one of my goats to a tornado but number one on my list during a tornado is family. We do alota praying.


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## crgoats (Nov 8, 2011)

We locked everyone in the barn early, around the time the storm was possibly going to come. I hope for the best for them, but agree, family has to come first.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I don't live in those states, but we get bad weather here too, last year there were 2 tornadoes just south of us, and we have had some go north of us, and well they are common here, look at what happened to IN and KY recently  I did hear of a horse farm getting wiped out I believe somewhere around Cincinnati, Quarter Horse farm lost everything.

IMO, what can you really do. However, I think the safest thing is making sure they have access to shelter, but can also get out if weather gets really severe. There are HUNDREDS of horse farms around here, and sure they will bring in their most valuable animals, but for the most part they'll leave them out - they have a better chance of surviving than being in a barn that may collapse or be blown to bits by winds or a tornado.
Same with lightning. Years ago I worked on a horse farm, and one of my favorite mares got struck by lightning  The foal at her side lived thank goodness. It's a risk, and sadly, no matter what you can 'loose.' But animals tend to be very smart, they know when things are getting bad, and they need to be able to fend for themselves. So, again the only ones I would lock up are if I had a mom with young babies. Last year during the tornado outbreak we had a doe that was due to kid so she was in her stall. That was a LONG weekend.


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## Devin (Feb 6, 2011)

Locking your animals in a barn might make them more vulnerable, the chance of a building blowing down on them may be higher than them being hurt outside. 

All of our animals have access to shelter, but we don't lock them in. We typically grab our dog and take her to the basement with us. Other than that there is really nothing you can do. 

You NEVER have much notice on a tornado, BTW. You may know that storms are coming but tornados form quickly and most never even make it to the ground. But it can shoot from the clouds to the ground very quickly. And just as quickly shoot back up.


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## Guest (Apr 16, 2012)

Sure there are things a person can do and it just makes sense to keep everything picked up, bolted down. I worry more about a goat being injured or killed by flying tin or have a hut sucked up which we have had happen and set back down on some goats had to get the tractor to lift it off them and they were not seriously injured. Just some observations while living in a T Zone.


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