Eligible Livestock

Eligible livestock are grazing animals that satisfy the majority of net energy requirement of nutrition via grazing of forage grasses or legumes and include such species as alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo/bison, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, reindeer or sheep.

Within those species animals that are eligible include those that are or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland:

  • During the normal grazing period for the specific type of grazing land or pastureland for the county; or
  • When the federal agency prohibited the livestock owner or contract grower from having livestock graze the normally permitted livestock on the managed rangeland due to fire

Eligible Livestock must:

  • Have been owned, leased, purchased, entered into a contract to purchase, or held by a contract grower during the 60 days prior to the beginning date of a qualifying drought or fire condition;
  • Have been sold or otherwise disposed of due to a qualifying drought condition during the current production year or one or both of the two production years immediately preceding the current production year;
  • Have been maintained for commercial use as part of a farming operation on the beginning date of the eligible drought or fire condition;
  • Not have been produced and maintained for reasons other than commercial use as part of a farming operation (such excluded uses include, but are not limited to, wild free-roaming animals or animals used for recreational purposes such as pleasure, hunting, pets, roping or for show); and
  • Not have been livestock that were or would have been in a feedlot on the beginning date of the qualifying drought or fire as part of the normal business operation of the livestock owner or contract grower.

Information is accurate as of April 2022. For the most current information contact your local FSA office.

The information in this section has been taken from the Disaster Assistance LFP - Livestock Disaster Program fact sheet (April 2022) and is for information purposes only; other eligibility requirements or restrictions may apply. Please contact your local FSA agent for more information.