6/29/2009 2:09:00 PM
Nearly 2,000 Nebraska Cattle Died In Last Week's Heat
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - State officials say nearly 2,000 cattle died last week as Nebraska's temperatures and humidity soared.
The Farm Service Agency's Tim Reimer said Monday that at least 1,800 cattle deaths had been reported in seven counties. That total could grow as all of Nebraska's 93 counties check in.
Once all reports are in, the FSA will likely issue a disaster declaration that will allow cattle producers in affected counties to obtain low-interest loans. Before the heat struck, many livestock producers were already struggling with high feed costs.
Most of the dead cattle were reported in east-central Nebraska. Reimer says some producers took substantial financial hits because of the deaths. Mature cattle nearing slaughter are worth roughly $1,000 apiece. Link
Miserable hot, humid weather was responsible for the growing number of cattle deaths in Nebraska last week. Producers do everything they can to protect their livestock from the weather, but in the end there is only so much that can be done. Mother Nature can be cruel, as evidenced by the blizzards we fought just a couple months ago in the Dakota’s that caused the deaths of thousands of head of livestock. These are harsh reminders that of who is really in charge.
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