Drought
Drought can have serious impacts on animal health, welfare, and veterinary operations. This dedicated section of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) website brings together a curated collection of resources to support veterinarians, animal owners, and the broader community during drought conditions.
This page is regularly updated and draws on contributions from veterinary professionals, government agencies, and animal welfare organisations. If you know of a useful resource that should be included, please let us know.
Resources
AVA Drought Policy and Resources:
- AVA Policy - Drought and drought management (Currently Under Review)
- Webinar - Drought nutrition: basic energetics, feed decision making, understanding and make the most out of feeds
- Helping farmers make decisions during drought - case studies
- Managing causes and effects of droughts
- Managing drought - influence of El Nino on Australian rainfall and pasture production in the arid zone
- Drought feeding strategies
- Drought and supplementary feeding - theory and practice
- Budgeting costs of feed in a drought feedlot
- Logistics of raising hundreds of poddy calves and early weaners during a drought
- Pasture management during and post drought
- Coming Soon: AVA SCGV Sheepvets Toolkit Drought Section
Livestock:
- Looking after livestock: feeding and nutrition, animal Welfare, and humane destruction of livestock (NSW)
- Animal health in a drought; physical accidents, abnormal eating habits, predisposition to infectious disease (VIC)
- Caring for livestock during a heatwave: Cattle, Sheep, Poultry (SA)
- Preparing for drought (NSW)
- Managing drought, fire and flood guide (NSW)
- Drought, fire and flood recovery guide (NSW)
- Livestock and Fodder management (SA)
- Stock welfare during tough times (NSW)
- Managing the welfare of farm animals during drought – on farm, during transport, at saleyards and at slaughtering establishments (RSPCA)
- How should farm animals be managed during drought? (RSPCA)
- Drought feeding and management (Flock & Herd)
- Early weaning lambs & calves – 2018 drought experiences (Flock & Herd)
- Lessons from the 2018 drought on the central tablelands (Flock & Herd)
- Livestock management in droughts – How to stop recurring themes from being recurring themes (Flock & Herd)
- Maintaining a social licence to operate in times of drought (Flock & Herd)
Wildlife:
- Impacts of climate change on Australian wildlife factsheet (Wildlife Health Australia)
- Helping our wildlife through drought: What we can do today (RSPCA SA)
- A million dead icons – Kangaroos in drought (NSW)
Ciimate Change:
Jurisdictional Drought Supports
- National
- Queensland
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Australian Capital Territory
- Tasmania
- South Australia
- Western Australia
- Northern Territory
Industry Associations/Organisations
National:
- National Farmers Federation
- Meat & Livestock Association
- Animal Health Australia
- AgriFutures
- Australian Lot Feeders’ Association
- Cattle Australia
- Australian Wool Innovation
- Sheep Producers Australia
- Australian Pork
- Australian Chicken Meat Federation
- Goat Industry Council of Australia
- Dairy Australia
- Australian Dairy Farmers
- Australian Chicken Growers Council
State and Territory:
- NSW Farmers Association
- Victorian Farmers Federation
- Livestock South Australia
- Primary Producers South Australia
- Tasmania Farmers & Graziers Association
- Queensland Farmers Association
- Queensland AgForce
- Western Australia Farmers Federation
- Western Australia Pastoralists & Graziers Association
- Northern Territory Farmers Association
- Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association