Extreme heat and humidity killed thousands of cattle in Kansas in recent days and thousands more remain under threat according to ‘official sources’.
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.
Kansas is the third largest U.S. cattle state behind Texas and Nebraska, with more than 2.4 million cattle in feedlots.
Cattle began suffering heat stress as temperatures and humidity spiked over the weekend in western Kansas and cooling winds disappeared, said Scarlett Hagins, spokesperson for the Kansas Livestock Association. The animals could not acclimate to the sudden change, she said.
“It was essentially a perfect storm,” said AJ Tarpoff, beef extension veterinarian for Kansas State University.
Temperatures reached 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) in northwest Kansas by Monday, said Drew Lerner, president of World Weather Inc. This weekend, parts of western Kansas and the Texas panhandle will near 110 degrees, though stronger winds and lower humidity levels will help minimize cattle deaths, he said.
To survive, ranchers are providing cattle with extra water and checking their health.
“You can’t say, ‘Oh I checked them three days ago,’” said Brenda Masek, president of the industry association Nebraska Cattlemen. “When it gets hot, you’ve got be to out every day and making sure that their water is maintained.”
Bill Gates is now the largest farmland owner in the USA and there have been multiple fires and attacks on food processing units. Many members of the public do not believe the official narrative.
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