heat losses in feedlots

[jbzdad]

talked with one of the vets here in kansas today ... they saw two different sets of heat related losses at feedyards... both about 350 head... wouldn't ya think it would pay to get a cover over them with a north wall.. to block the blowin snow in the winter

 

[jallen]

Where are you at in kansas.

 

[nck21]

I heard there were about 400 dead near Lindsborg.

 

[kanshow]

I heard close to 800 head and near Larned.  If anyone actually knows..tell us. 

 

[jbzdad]

I am in great bend, kansas... the vet didn't tell me where the feedlots were.. just a tragic thing!

 

[jason]

http://www.wibw.com/localnews/headlines/98826124.html


WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Kansas livestock owners say intense heat caused hundreds of head of cattle to die over the weekend.

KWCH reports that the biggest losses came at Ottawa County Feeders in Bennington. The owner of the feedlot says the cattle wouldn't eat because it was too hot.

Kansas Angus Association vice presdient Joe Hite says he tries to keep his cattle in a grassy and shaded Sedgwick County pasture. He says some livestock are more tolerant than others, but his black Angus cattle are especially susceptible because of their black hair.

The dangerous temperatures in Kansas usually continue through late August, and farmers are used to dealing with the heat.

They have to adapt, since losing even one cow or bull can cost a farmer up to $2,500.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

 

[aj]

jason....I heard that clip on the radio. The one guy thought the black color had a some significance. I heard the final straw on this deal was like 100% humidty. jbzdad....I've often wondered why most feedlots in Kansas didn't put windbreaks in pens. A guy told me 2 things. A windbreak wouldn't hold up long cause you would have 1200# steers rumbing on them all day. The second thing this guy said was that on a cold windy day cattle spend time at the bunk cause there is nothing to do.....if a windbreak was available the cattle would rather stand away from the bunk and some consumption would be reduced. Different areas and people have different ideas.good post.

 

[aj]

Has anyone heard about the dead cattle's ratios of color?

 

[Show Heifer]

Don't those feedlots lose hundreds of head EVERY year?  If I lost HUNDREDS of head EVERY year from the SAME thing, I might do something different. I'm just saying...

 

[aj]

I was thinking that death losses in lots are usually about 1 to 3 %. They are on good health programs with vaccinations and whatnot.

 

[blackcows]

Don't those feedlots lose hundreds of head EVERY year?  If I lost HUNDREDS of head EVERY year from the SAME thing, I might do something different. I'm just saying...

If they lost hundreds of cattle each year they wouldn't be in business.

 

[chambero]

Something doesn't seem right about this story.  There is some neglect somewhere- someone should have been watching closer.  Water trucks could spray them down or something to cool them off. 

Losses are generally very low - 1-2% at most.    That's why they require such extensive health records from breeders trying to sell to the high end feedlots.  We've had 0 die in Nebraska since we've started sending there5-6 years ago.

 

[aj]

1% of a 50,000 head feedlot adds up in a hurry.

 

[Freddy]

Iknow some feedlots try to buy lighter colored cattle rather than black say they get better gains ,one lot buys mostly Charolais cross for the summer sector of feeding .....

 

[jbzdad]

Talked with a feedlot guy yesterday, official total may be 2-3 thousand... actually likely 2-3 times that scattered from Salina to Dodge''' cattle that died were fats ready to ship, seems to be  a combination of heat and humidity... cattle were really HOT.. when they posted them they were almost painfully hot inside
he had heard about heat losses from an old timer but hadn't seen them until this.. he has worked here 20 years!
one of the lots near Dodge has sprinklers in rotation to different pens they lost just as many... feedlots west of Dodge weren't as affected... Humidity is lower out there

Asked him about covers over the cattle... these lots just weren't built that way because of expense.... they are really huge
some places have put straw in the pens to try to insulate the ground heat coming up ? success

 

[aj]

The Kansas Livestock assc. market report volume 36 number 6 touched on issue. They mentioned that with overnight lows of 74 degrees that cattle didn't have time to cool out at night to face the next day. Was it a perfect storm type deal? would cattle of ear handled it better?

 

[stumpy]

Just like JBZdad we live in Great Bend and our area was hit hardest with death loss. Not only heat and humidity but an uncommon lack oof wind made for a worst case deal out here. I have only been checking cows before 8:00 am and going back to check water and not stir the cattle at 4-6:00pm. not a lot of fun. Things look like they will break for a couple of days thank God. I am headed to winter by Monday but I will still not sleep well thinking about home. I will however dread the heat again in a week and misss South America bad when we get home.

 

[Jenny]

have to remember that this is very unusual;
feedlots loose a few each summer; most of them had probably some hidden factors that made them more prone to heat death...perhaps lungers, not as healthy.....

but have seen it years ago with some friends of ours;
you think you are doing the best you can for the cattle (sprinklers, shade, etc), you do not know where the line is crossed from what they can and cannot survive...
once they start dropping it goes really fast; not much time to organize and get help to them on the massive scale it needs to be for the numbers that these big feedlots are dealing with.

 

[TJR]

Cattle put off a tremendous amount of heat.  They need to be able to cool down in the evenings. When we have those days where the temp/humidity/lack of air movement do not let cattle cool off at night,  creates a difficult situation.  Then multiply that times ten, twenty, thirty thousand head in a relatively small area. the heat sink just start to overwhelm the cattle and the  feedyard.  Its tough.

 

[kanshow]

I would think disposal of the carcasses would become a real issue with the larger death loss plus high temps.