Industry officials say thousands of cattle in feedlots in southwestern Kansas have died of heat stress due to soaring temperatures, high humidity and little wind in recent days.
FILE - Cattle feed at a feed lot near Dodge City, Kan., March 9, 2007. Thousands of cattle in feedlots in southwestern Kansas have died of heat stress amid soaring temperatures coupled with high humidity and little wind in recent days, industry officials said Thursday, June, 16, 2022. – Thousands of cattle in feedlots in southwestern Kansas have died of heat stress due to soaring temperatures, high humidity and little wind in recent days, industry officials said.
“This was a true weather event — it was isolated to a specific region in southwestern Kansas," said A.J. Tarpoff, a cattle veterinarian with Kansas State University. “Yes, temperatures rose, but the more important reason why it was injurious was that we had a huge spike in humidity ... and at the same time wind speeds actually dropped substantially, which is rare for western Kansas.
The deaths represent a huge economic loss because the animals, which typically weigh around 1,500 pounds, are worth around $2,000 per head, Hagins said. Federal disaster programs will help some producers who incurred a loss, she added. Hagins said heat-related deaths in the industry are rare because ranchers take precautions such as providing extra drinking water, altering feeding schedules so animals are not digesting during the heat of the day, and using sprinkler systems to cool them down.“Heat stress is always a concern this time of year for cattle and so they have mitigation protocols put in place to be prepared for this kind of thing,” she said.“This is a one in 10-year, 20-year type event.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Thousands Of Cattle Killed By Brutal Heat, Humidity In Kansas“This is not a normal event,” said Brandon Depenbusch, operator of the Innovative Livestock Services feedlot in Great Bend, Kansas.
Read more »
Kansas City-area school district cancels summer classes over ‘unspecific mass shooting’ threatA Kansas City-area school district is canceling all summer school activities on Wednesday due to an 'unspecific' mass shooting threat.
Read more »
Thousands Of Cattle Killed By Brutal Heat, Humidity In Kansas“This is not a normal event,” said Brandon Depenbusch, operator of the Innovative Livestock Services feedlot in Great Bend, Kansas.
Read more »
Thousands of Cattle Die as Brutal Heat Takes Its Toll | The Weather Channel - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.comDangerous heat is taking its toll across the U.S. this week. - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com
Read more »
Man found dead in Death Valley after running out of gas in scorching heat, park officials sayPark officials said a crumpled note was found inside Kelleher’s vehicle that read, “Out of gas.” The temperature that day was near 123 degrees.
Read more »