Cattle Died of Heat....

[D2Cat]

We're told it's a combination of heat and humidity in a rare combination. Hot during the day and the temperatures stayed in the mid 80's all night caused the stress that led to death of first reported 10,000 head, then 2,000 - 3,000. Sounds like a buy-able story at first, but then realize Texas, Florida, and other state have much hotter weather and humidity for MUCH longer periods of time. How about Australia's heat and cattle death statistics? Things don't line up.

Here's some interesting possibilities.

 

[Fordtech86]

 

[jimh406]

I heard a rancher interview the other day about this situation. He didn’t own the cattle.

He also said that cattle can handle extremes. But, in this case, they had a dramatic humidity change and dramatic heat change together producing extreme stress. According to him, that’s why it was deadly. Cattle simply can’t handle both of those extreme changes at once.

So, according to him although rare, there was nothing nefarious going on.

 

[Fordtech86]

I’ve heard crickets taste good tho

 

[Bmyers]

I heard a rancher interview the other day about this situation. He didn’t own the cattle.

He also said that cattle can handle extremes. But, in this case, they had a dramatic humidity change and dramatic heat change together producing extreme stress. According to him, that’s why it was deadly. Cattle simply can’t handle both of those extreme changes at once.

So, according to him although rare, there was nothing nefarious going on.

I watched a video stating the same. It was a rare combination of events that led to the deadly circumstances.

 

[D2Cat]

Cattle under stress or not don't all die at one time. The weaker ones show signs of problem and they get help from the herdsman or they die. These steers were ready for market, not weak older animals. These feed lots are income producing farms, not inexperienced city slickers with a few cattle. They have professionals, including veterinarians on call or on premises.

The heat and humidity, as reported in the news, has been all over the state and surrounding area. Why only the cattle in the Ulysses, Ks area?

 

[Biker1mike]

Quick search shows US slaughters 30, 000,000 head a year. This event is only 0.03% of the year.
This looks bad and sounds bad, but I bet it is only a small blip on the cattle radar.

 

[PaulR]

Quick search shows US slaughters 30, 000,000 head a year. This event is only 0.03% of the year.
This looks bad and sounds bad, but I bet it is only a small blip on the cattle radar.

You mean to say...."This is just the beginning!"
<tinfoilhat>

 

[Fordtech86]

1. 1/11/21 A fire that destroyed 75,000-square-foot processing plant in Fayetteville
2. 4/30/21 A fire ignited inside the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Monmouth, IL
3. 7/25/21 Three-alarm fire at Kellogg plant in Memphis, 170 emergency personnel responded to the call
4. 7/30/21 Firefighters on Friday battled a large fire at Tyson’s River Valley Ingredients plantin Hanceville, Alabama
5. 8/23/21 Fire crews were called to the Patak Meat Production company on Ewing Road in Austell
6. 9/13/21 A fire at the JBS beef plant in Grand Island, Neb., on Sunday night forced a halt to slaughter and fabrication lines
7. 10/13/21 A five-alarm fire ripped through the Darigold butter production plant in Caldwell, ID
8. 11/15/21 A woman is in custody following a fire at the Garrard County Food Pantry
9. 11/29/21 A fire broke out around 5:30 p.m. at the Maid-Rite Steak Company meat processing plant
10. 12/13/21 West Side food processing plant in San Antonio left with smoke damage after a fire
11. 1/7/22 Damage to a poultry processing plant on Hamilton’s Mountain following an overnight fire
12. 1/13/22 Firefighters worked for 12 hours to put a fire out at the Cargill-Nutrena plant in Lecompte, LA
13. 1/31/22 a fertilizer plant with 600 tons of ammonium nitrate inside caught on fire on Cherry Street in Winston-Salem
14. 2/3/22 A massive fire swept through Wisconsin River Meats in Mauston
15. 2/3/22 At least 130 cows were killed in a fire at Percy Farm in Stowe
16. 2/15/22 Bonanza Meat Company goes up in flames in El Paso, Texas
17. 2/15/22 Nearly a week after the fire destroyed most of the Shearer’s Foods plant in Hermiston
18. 2/16/22 A fire had broken at US largest soybean processing and biodiesel plant in Claypool, Indiana
19. 2/18/22 An early morning fire tore through the milk parlor at Bess View Farm
20. 2/19/22 Three people were injured, and one was hospitalized, after an ammonia leak at Lincoln Premium Poultry in Fremont
21. 2/22/22 The Shearer’s Foods plant in Hermiston caught fire after a propane boiler exploded
22. 2/28/22 A smoldering pile of sulfur quickly became a raging chemical fire at Nutrien Ag Solutions
23. 2/28/22 A man was hurt after a fire broke out at the Shadow Brook Farm and Dutch Girl Creamery
24. 3/4/22 294,800 chickens destroyed at farm in Stoddard, Missouri
25. 3/4/22 644,000 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Cecil, Maryland
26. 3/8/22 243,900 chickens destroyed at egg farm in New Castle, Delaware
27. 3/10/22 663,400 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Cecil, MD
28. 3/10/22 915,900 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Taylor, IA
29. 3/14/22 The blaze at 244 Meadow Drive was discovered shortly after 5 p.m. by farm owner Wayne Hoover
30. 3/14/22 2,750,700 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Jefferson, Wisconsin
31. 3/16/22 A fire at a Walmart warehouse distribution center in Plainfield, Indiana has cast a large plume of smoke visible throughout Indianapolis.
32. 3/16/22 Nestle Food Plant extensively damaged in fire and new production destroyed Jonesboro, Arkansas
33. 3/17/22 5,347,500 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Buena Vista, Iowa
34. 3/17/22 147,600 chickens destroyed at farm in Kent, Delaware
35. 3/18/22 315,400 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Cecil, Maryland
36. 3/22/22 172,000 Turkeys destroyed on farms in South Dakota
37. 3/22/22 570,000 chickens destroyed at farm in Butler, Nebraska
38. 3/24/22 Fire fighters from numerous towns are battling a major fire at the McCrum potato processing facility in Belfast, Maine.
39. 3/24/22 418,500 chickens destroyed at farm in Butler, Nebraska
40. 3/25/22 250,300 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Franklin, Iowa
41. 3/26/22 311,000 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota
42. 3/27/22 126,300 Turkeys destroyed in South Dakota
43. 3/28/22 1,460,000 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Guthrie, Iowa
44. 3/29/22 A massive fire burned 40,000 pounds of food meant to feed people in a food desert near Maricopa
45. 3/31/22 A structure fire caused significant damage to a large portion of key fresh onion packing facilities in south Texas
46. 3/31/22 76,400 Turkeys destroyed in Osceola, Iowa
47. 3/31/22 5,011,700 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Osceola, Iowa
48. 4/6/22 281,600 chickens destroyed at farm in Wayne, North Carolina
49. 4/9/22 76,400 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota
50. 4/9/22 208,900 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota

 

[Fordtech86]

4/12/22 89,700 chickens destroyed at farm in Wayne, North Carolina
4/12/22 1,746,900 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Dixon, Nebraska
4/12/22 259,000 chickens destroyed at farm in Minnesota
4/13/22 Fire destroys East Conway Beef & Pork Meat Market in Conway, New Hampshire
4/13/22 Plane crashes into Gem State Processing, Idaho potato and food processing plant
4/13/22 77,000 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota
4/14/22 Taylor Farms Food Processing plant burns down Salinas, California.
4/14/22 99,600 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota
4/15/22 1,380,500 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Lancaster, Minnesota
4/19/22 Azure Standard nation’s premier independent distributor of organic and healthy food, was destroyed by fire in Dufur, Oregon
4/19/22 339,000 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota
4/19/22 58,000 chickens destroyed at farm in Montrose, Color
4/20/22 2,000,000 chickens destroyed at egg farm in Minnesota
4/21/22 A small plane crashed in the lot of a General Mills plant in Covington, Georgia
4/22/22 197,000 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota
4/23/22 200,000 Turkeys destroyed in Minnesota
4/25/22 1,501,200 chickens destroyed at egg farm Cache, Utah
4/26/22 307,400 chickens destroyed at farm Lancaster Pennsylvania
4/27/22 2,118,000 chickens destroyed at farm Knox, Nebraska
4/28/22 Egg-laying facility in Iowa kills 5.3 million chickens, fires 200-plus workers
4/28/22 Allen Harim Foods processing plant killed nearly 2M chickens in Delaware
4/2822 110,700 Turkeys destroyed Barron Wisconsin
4/29/22 5 million honeybees are dead after a flight carrying the pollinator insects from California to Alaska got diverted to Georgia (New)
4/29/22 1,366,200 chickens destroyed at farm Weld Colorado
4/30/22 13,800 chickens destroyed at farm Sequoia Oklahoma
5/3/22 58,000 Turkeys destroyed Barron Wisconsin
5/3/22 118,900 Turkeys destroyed Beadle S Dakota
5/3/22 114,000 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania
5/3/22 118,900 Turkeys destroyed Lyon Minnesota
5/7/22 20,100 Turkeys destroyed Barron Wisconsin
5/10/22 72,300 chickens destroyed at farm Lancaster Pennsylvania
5/10/22 61,000 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania
5/10/22 35,100 Turkeys destroyed Muskegon, Michigan
5/13/22 10,500 Turkeys destroyed Barron Wisconsin
5/14/22 83,400 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania
5/17/22 79,00 chickens destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania
5/18/22 7,200 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania
5/19/22 Train carrying limestone derailed Jensen Beach FL
5/21/22 57,000 Turkeys destroyed on farm in Dakota Minnesota
5/23/22 4,000 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania
5/29/22 A Saturday night fire destroyed a poultry building at Forsman Farms in Howard Lake, Minnesota
5/31/22 3,000,000 chickens destroyed by fire at Forsman facility in Stockholm Township, Minnesota
6/2/22 30,000 ducks destroyed at Duck farm Berks Pennsylvania
6/7/22 A fire occurred Tuesday evening at the JBS meat packing plant in Green Bay, Wisconsin
6/8/22 Firefighters from Tangipahoa Fire District 1 respond to a fire at the Purina Feed Mill in Arcola, Louisiana
6/9/22 Irrigation water was canceled in California (the #1 producer of food in the US) and storage water flushed directly out to the delta.
6/12/22 Largest Pork Company in the US Shuts Down California Plant Due to High Costs
6/13/22 Fire Breaks Out at a Food Processing Plant West of Waupaca County in Wisconsin
6/14/22 Over 10,000 head of cattle have reportedly died in the recent Kansas heat wave (New)

 

[imnukensc]

Do some actual fact checking when you read the scare stories.

Social media posts claim food plant fires are an attempt to starve US

Numerous posts on social media have falsely claimed that there is an increase in fires at food factories in order to create shortages in the United States. #TheCube

www.euronews.com

Food processing plant fires and destroying chickens/turkeys is nothing new or alarming.

 

[Freeheeler]

So ... slightly pre-cooked, what's the problem ??

 

[Fordtech86]

The shelves at the grocery store don’t lie

 

[D2Cat]

Do some actual fact checking when you read the scare stories.

Social media posts claim food plant fires are an attempt to starve US

Numerous posts on social media have falsely claimed that there is an increase in fires at food factories in order to create shortages in the United States. #TheCube

www.euronews.com

Food processing plant fires and destroying chickens/turkeys is nothing new or alarming.

Look at the number of forced shut down food producing plants and the time frame it has all happened. You think that number in that time frame is not unusual?

 

[D2Cat]

Quick search shows US slaughters 30, 000,000 head a year. This event is only 0.03% of the year.
This looks bad and sounds bad, but I bet it is only a small blip on the cattle radar.

The percentage of animals slaughtered annually compare to these deaths is not the issue. What was the cause of death in such a limited area and time is the issue. Facts from a necropsy performed by independent veterinarians may be more truthful.

 

[sheepfarmer]

The percentage of animals slaughtered annually compare to these deaths is not the issue. What was the cause of death in such a limited area and time is the issue. Facts from a necropsy performed by independent veterinarians may be more truthful.

Yes that is the point. Half the time when a horse colics it is a "management issue", eg how the horse was being fed, dewormed, teeth floated etc. There are a bunch of old articles about deaths due to heat in feedlot cattle, and even recommendations about where geographically lots can be located to avoid the problem. High density of animals and pushing concentrates to them cuts the safety margin. The bacterial fermentation going on in the rumen generates heat, so the poor things have their own internal furnace going full blast in a heat wave as well. From the sound of things this particular heat event was sudden, so the feed lot managers may not have had time to change diet or activate sprinklers. A management problem, very likely accidental.

Btw there is a good reason cattle in tropical climates are white. Black angus are at a disadvantage in hot unshaded lots.

 

[Borane4]

Im no expert on cattle, but the events tell a reasonable story.
1. Very hot day, black cows, crowded feedlot, heated all day by the sun. Nothing special about this.
2. On a corn diet for calories while finishing, which makes the digestion in their rumen produce a ton of heat. Nothing special about this either.
3. After the sun went down, the temperature went UP to >100F overnight. The cows gained no relief from the heat of the day and could not shake off the heat. The night time heating was very unusual.

 

[Flintknapper]

Im no expert on cattle, but the events tell a reasonable story.
1. Very hot day, black cows, crowded feedlot, heated all day by the sun. Nothing special about this.
2. On a corn diet for calories while finishing, which makes the digestion in their rumen produce a ton of heat. Nothing special about this either.
3. After the sun went down, the temperature went UP to >100F overnight. The cows gained no relief from the heat of the day and could not shake off the heat. The night time heating was very unusual.

Exactly right. Don't know what it is with that guy and his 'suspicious this' and 'suspicious that'. Makes me wonder what he knows about cattle. Cattle can 'adjust; but cattle don't adjust QUICKLY.

There is a genetic component to consider as well. IF these cattle were mostly Black Angus (a very popular breed in Kansas) they aren't especially heat tolerant to begin with. Cattle do NOT sweat well (roughly 10% that of humans). They have to shed head by breathing (panting, by radiation, by less food intake, shade, wind, water). Not unlike a dog that gets overheated, they can get into trouble quickly.

Were these feedlot cows or pastured? IF feedlot then probably exposed to the sun (lots of solar gain on black cows), hot ground, bunching of cows, feed amount not adjusted (rumen producing heat). NO relief at night (chance to recover).

This has occurred plenty of times in the past (thousands of animals dead) ALL in one tight geographic area.

https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=animalscifacpub

I lived in Kansas for 6 years....I can tell you, it can get Damn HOT there. Texas (where I have lived for many decades now) has nothing on Kansas except for the 'average heat'. It can easily get 105+ in Kansas. Then add solar gain to that. Ever put your hand on something dark colored that has been laying out in the summer sun?

If all or most the cattle were in like physical condition then I would expect all or most to succumb to the heat at pretty much the same time. There is a threshold....that once crossed, things can happen quickly. Ask any poultry farmer about that.

I just don't see anything 'suspicious' about the event.

 

[Kurtee]

This same thing happened in Minnesota not too long ago. Cattle ready for market and can't handle the heat stress. This was on a feedlot near where I grew up that is a contract feeder. Big loss and most likely no insurance coverage.

 

[RCW]

I heard a report on it on RFDTV Saturday morning.

Tyne Daley was quite vague with details, numbers, etc. Took note that it was reported very carefully. NCBA is a major sponsor of RFDTV. Not unexpected.

Spoke highly of the concerted efforts of the producers to avoid/prevent the losses.