The Donegal Minister for Agriculture has urged farmers to prioritise safety during the current cold snap of weather.
While farmers always make every effort to look after livestock during poor weather, they are being encouraged to prioritise their own safety.
It has been highlighted that farmers should have measures in place to ensure outwintered and housed livestock have access to fresh water during freezing conditions. Supplies of drinking water should be checked daily, and surface ice broken on troughs twice per day.
Fianna Fail TD Charlie McConalogue noted that trips and falls are common incidents during freezing conditions but can be minimised and ideally avoided, by keeping yards tidy and maintaining taps, pipes and drainpipes to avoid icy patches as a result of drips.
