Kansas Ranchers Endure Cattle Deaths from Heat Stress

The swift arrival of hot temperatures last week resulted in the deaths of thousands of cattle in western Kansas from heat stress. Scarlett Hagins, vice president of communications with the Kansas Livestock Association, says a combination of conditions resulted in the losses.

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Drought conditions have impacted western Kansas for almost a year. Hagins says ranchers and feedlots in the state have contingency plans in place to minimize the impact of heat stress.

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Scarlett Hagins of the Kansas Livestock Association notes that the exact number of cattle lost to heat stress is not yet known. Kansas typically ranks third in the nation for the number of cattle on feed, most recently coming in at about 2.5 million head.