Because of the extensive heat and humidity, thousands of cattle have recently died in Kansas. Additionally, the heat continues to be a threat to the livestock.
This is just another setback to the U.S. cattle industry as producers are already dealing with drought and feeding costs. This all seems seems to be one of the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has lessen the grain supplies worldwide.
As of Tuesday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment were aware of at least 2,000 cattle that had died as a result of the scorching temperatures. Sources say that as many as 10,000 cattle have died. They are valued at about $2,000 a head.
Kansas has a total of about 2.4 million cattle in feedlots. As temperatures and humidity raised in Western Kansas over the weekend, the cattle started to experience heat stress. Some animals couldn’t adapt to the sudden change.
On Monday, temperatures reached 108 degrees Farenheit (42 degrees Celsius) in northwest Kansas. This upcoming weekend, portions of western Kansas and the Texas panhandle will get to nearly 110 degrees. However, heavier winds and lower humidity levels will assist in lowering the amount of cattle that die.
In order to care for the animals, ranchers are giving animals additional water and staying abreast of the animals’ health.
“You can’t say, ‘Oh, I checked them three days ago.'” When it gets hot, you’ve got to be out every day and making sure that their water is maintained,” said Drew Lerner, president of World Weather Inc.
