Extreme heat and humidity killed thousands of cattle in Kansas this week so far. An estimated 10,000 heads of fat cattle dead.

pic.twitter.com/RtiVXzOTQO

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 15, 2022

Hate to be the guy stacking them when they start popping.

Someone more knowledgeable than me explain....the heat killed them? Like a heat stroke? Or something related to the heat?

AgGrad99 said:

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Someone more knowledgeable than me explain....the heat killed them? Like a heat stroke? Or something related to the heat?

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If they had no shade to get out of the sun, then yeah the heat probably got them. Cows don't like heat, especially dark cows. Don't see any shade structures in the picture. I can't imagine someone would be running a cattle operation of any size without some sort of shade available.

Edit: I am a newbie in raising cattle, only been at it a few years, so I could be wrong. But all the old timers around here that have helped me have told me cows don't like the heat.

Is this really a possible thing? Ranchers?

Or is this climate change terrorists?

Quote:

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"It just can't get any worse"

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Never, ever say this for it can and it will.

That is why one must be prepared for the worst when it occurs.

Terrible.

We have about two hundred or so head in South Texas and it's getting very scary where we are at too. Need rain yesterday.

Artorias said:

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AgGrad99 said:

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Someone more knowledgeable than me explain....the heat killed them? Like a heat stroke? Or something related to the heat?

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If they had no shade to get out of the sun, then yeah the heat probably got them. Cows don't like heat, especially dark cows. Don't see any shade structures in the picture. I can't imagine someone would be running a cattle operation of any size without some sort of shade available.

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There are 10k head. Thsts a crap ton of money. Of course no rancher is going to run an operation like that.

Something not right.

Marcus Brutus said:

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Artorias said:

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AgGrad99 said:

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Someone more knowledgeable than me explain....the heat killed them? Like a heat stroke? Or something related to the heat?

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If they had no shade to get out of the sun, then yeah the heat probably got them. Cows don't like heat, especially dark cows. Don't see any shade structures in the picture. I can't imagine someone would be running a cattle operation of any size without some sort of shade available.

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There are 10k head. Thsts a crap ton of money. Of course no rancher is going to run an operation like that.

Something not right.

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It reads as 10k across the whole state, not in one operation.

Edit: watched the video, that is still alot of money worth of cattle in that one location.

Quote:

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HICAGO, June 15 (Reuters) - Extreme heat and humidity killed thousands of cattle in Kansas in recent days, the state said, and sizzling temperatures continue to threaten livestock.

The deaths add pain to the U.S. cattle industry as producers have reduced herds due to drought and grappled with feed costs that climbed as Russia's invasion of Ukraine tightened global grain supplies.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment knew of at least 2,000 cattle deaths due to high temperatures and humidity as of Tuesday, spokesperson Matthew Lara said. The toll represents facilities that contacted the agency for help disposing of carcasses, he said.

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https://www.reuters.com/world/us/heat-humidity-kill-least-2000-kansas-cattle-state-says-2022-06-15/

For reference, there are about 6.5 million cattle in Kansas. So a death toll of 2,000 represents a death rate of 0.03%

Artorias said:

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Edit: watched the video, that is still alot of money worth of cattle in that one location.

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My prediction: that video will turn out to be deaths from a grass fire.

I didn't realize cows flip over like a roach when they die. You learn something new everyday.

Looks like to me they ate something that got them. Prussic acid could be a culprit here.

CanyonAg77 said:

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AgGrad99 said:

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Someone more knowledgeable than me explain....the heat killed them? Like a heat stroke? Or something related to the heat?

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I'm a farmer, not a cattle guy, but this is triggering my BS meter.

Cattle dying in Kansas, but not Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana?

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It happened in Yellowstone

They ate clover in Yellowstone

n_touch said:

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They ate clover in Yellowstone

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Doesn't the heat make that grow???

Brush Country Ag said:

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Looks like to me they ate something that got them. Prussic acid could be a culprit here.

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Could be. Could also be lack of water source. In the weather we are seeing now my foreman checks water at least every other day and rotate pastures much more often.

All that said, I sent all of my cattle to auction about two weeks ago. Done this game before, not doing it again. Prices were "decent" and I am glad I am on the sidelines for the time being.

Good Poster said:

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Honestly, I wake up every day and see something depressing in our world and always tell myself it can't get worse.

And then I wake up again and prove my previous day's claim to be wrong.

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In Office Space 2, this guy'd have a Moderna stroke-out before he could snap his fingers:

CanyonAg77 said:

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Artorias said:

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Edit: watched the video, that is still alot of money worth of cattle in that one location.

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My prediction: that video will turn out to be deaths from a grass fire.

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Considering how they are piled up on the fence, good prediction.

Seeing the cattle piled up and hung up in the fences in Bastrop Co in 2011 was just terrible.

AgGrad99 said:

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Someone more knowledgeable than me explain....the heat killed them? Like a heat stroke? Or something related to the heat?

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That's likely in a feed lot and not open range... I suppose it could happen, but seems like there are other factors at the lot that certainly could be in play here - from feed to pneumonia.

ETA - even the hardiest of cattle can succumb to pneumonia with drastic temp changes... so heat is certainly a culprit that could be a cause.

CanyonAg77 said:

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Quote:

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HICAGO, June 15 (Reuters) - Extreme heat and humidity killed thousands of cattle in Kansas in recent days, the state said, and sizzling temperatures continue to threaten livestock.

The deaths add pain to the U.S. cattle industry as producers have reduced herds due to drought and grappled with feed costs that climbed as Russia's invasion of Ukraine tightened global grain supplies.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment knew of at least 2,000 cattle deaths due to high temperatures and humidity as of Tuesday, spokesperson Matthew Lara said. The toll represents facilities that contacted the agency for help disposing of carcasses, he said.

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https://www.reuters.com/world/us/heat-humidity-kill-least-2000-kansas-cattle-state-says-2022-06-15/

For reference, there are about 6.5 million cattle in Kansas. So a death toll of 2,000 represents a death rate of 0.03%

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So higher than covid

Brush Country Ag said:

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Hate to be the guy stacking them when they start popping.

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Dude. Unnecessary.

Someone trying to collect a big insurance payout?

Very doubtful.

Kow-tow to the heat. No bull.

Udderly ridiculous.

TamuKid said:

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Someone trying to collect a big insurance payout?

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While nothing is impossible, this makes zero economic sense. It also discounts how most ranchers feel about their cattle. Not a logical conclusion in any way.

Right , not heat, cause the next thing that happens is the Ranchers grandson gets kidnapped, cause I saw this exact thing on Yellowstone.

Urban Ag said:

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CanyonAg77 said:

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Artorias said:

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Edit: watched the video, that is still alot of money worth of cattle in that one location.

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My prediction: that video will turn out to be deaths from a grass fire.

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Considering how they are piled up on the fence, good prediction.

Seeing the cattle piled up and hung up in the fences in Bastrop Co in 2011 was just terrible.

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I'm not sure, but where they are piled looks burned out, too.

We already know that the Twitter idiot overstated the state wide death toll by 5x, so using a fake video would not be out of the question

Maybe they all got Covid.

Kansas is also home to upwards of 800 feed lots IIRC - A good number of them are massive operations.... while that death count number sounds huge, it's a relatively small number of cattle statewide when considering the total number on feed there. I bet it ain't far off from average.

I'd also guess the video in the OP may not have anything to do with the actual deaths. Just posted for sensationalism.

Pesticide/herbicide in a field then they accidentally got put in there???

Not likely... we spray around grazing cattle regularly.