It is another scorcher out there for a large portion of the country, and we are hearing from the Kansas Livestock Association about thousands of cattle deaths.
Right now, there is no relief in sight and the heat is threatening not only livestock but crops.
You may have seen reports and videos on social media and other news outlets showing thousands of dead cattle on a feedlot. We are choosing not to show those images as we know the emotional toll it takes on ranchers.
KLA’s Vice President of Communications says they do not know the exact number of deaths, and she explains how it likely happened.
“Temperatures rose significantly. Humidity was high, there was little to no wind, and if cattle cannot cool down over the nighttime hours, because temperatures remained high, they really can’t compensate for this kind of weather, which led to heat stress in cattle in that region. This is not normal for that region. Normally, that region is very ideal for raising cattle. They typically have low humidity and plenty of wind.”
KLA says cattle feeders continually work to counter the effects of adverse weather.
Related:
Thousands of Kansas cattle die due to heat stress
Extreme heat takes a toll on cattle country
Handling The Heat: signs to look out for while working in extreme heat
