Thousands of cattle suddenly die in Kansas, officials say. Heat is to blame

[neurosis]

https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/kansas/article262574297.html

Hey Yodoug - Nature is doing its part to take care of the cow fart issue. 

Ack.. that's a lot of dead cows.

Thousands of cattle died in Kansas in recent days due to sweltering heat and humidity, officials say.

Estimates vary on the total number dead, as ranchers aren't required to report deaths, the state Department of Agriculture told McClatchy News.

The deaths are centered in southwest Kansas where "several weather factors...led to heat stress for cattle," a department spokesperson said.

Temperatures were in the 80s and low 90s until a sudden spike to 100 degrees on June 11, followed by two more days of triple-digit heat, according to the Weather Channel.

At least 2,000 animals were lost, Reuters reported. That figure is based on the number of carcasses state officials were asked to help dispose of.

However, the number could be much higher — up to 10,000 or more, according to DTN, an outlet that specializes in agriculture industry analysis.

[ghuns]

Cows are tough and hot weather isn't likely to kill them, unless they didn't have any water.

[Incogneeto]

you would think "The rib capital of the world"

Would have had a force of Smokers being towed behind trucks to take advantage of this.

June 11th to June 16th is called "Aged Beef"

[marshal]

Cows are tough and hot weather isn't likely to kill them, unless they didn't have any water.

That's what I was thinking as well.  It wasn't exactly an unprecedented heat wave or anything.  Unless they were in a feedlot and didn't have any air movement.  We have a couple big fans that keep air flowing through our small feedlot when it gets that hot.

[Jim at Gentex]

I thought the whole thing was a bit suspect given what has been happening all over with the food supply in general.

I saw a news report last night where a Kansas rancher lost quite a few head.
He said he thought it was NOT the daytime high temperatures, but the fact that for a couple of nights in a row there was no letup in the heat. 

He said the cows would normally recover at night when the temps drop, even during the hottest weather spells.
However he said recently the temp stayed over 100F even overnight, so their bodies never got a break from the heat and never had a chance to recover.

That explanation makes sense, but I am still skeptical...  

[marshal]

cows will go stand in their water source to cool down, so it could be that they didn't have a pond or stream to go in and are watered from tanks instead.  My cows will actually drink dirty water from puddles or the warm standing water in the pond in the ridge pasture before they'll drink from the spring-fed stream that runs through the other pasture.

[Jeff]

[CADCAM396]

you would think "The rib capital of the world"

Would have had a force of Smokers being towed behind trucks to take advantage of this.

June 11th to June 16th is called "Aged Beef"

its already cooked just right (rare).

[Jim at Gentex]

June 11th to June 16th is called "Aged Beef"

Sounds almost like our aging process for venison.

Meadow in the Morning...Freezer at Night.

[Del.]

People stampeded. Cattle raped.

[Incogneeto]

People stampeded. Cattle raped.

Dogs and Cats.