• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Agriculture / Heat related cattle deaths estimated at 3,500 to 4,000

Heat related cattle deaths estimated at 3,500 to 4,000

July 27, 2011 By Matt Kelley

Between 3,500 and 4,000 head of cattle have died in Iowa during the recent heat wave. That’s according to a poll of Iowa Cattlemen’s Association members. Dal Grooms, spokesperson for the association, says farmers are doing all they can to protect their animals but cattle are especially vulnerable as they don’t sweat and rely only on respiration.

“I’ve talked to producers who’ve been out there just constantly looking for things to do to protect those cattle,” Grooms said. “When it gets to be hot and humid like this, it is just very difficult to stop all losses.” Some parts of the state last week had six or seven consecutive days with temperatures in the mid to upper 90s and heat indexes as high as 110 degrees.

A heat advisory is back in place for much of southern Iowa today. Grooms says farmers have set up mist systems, industrial sizes fans and additional shelter in an attempt to cool off their cattle. She says the problems could persist into the fall. This is breeding time for cattle and the heat causes lower fertility for bulls and difficulty in the early stages of pregnancy for cows and heifers.

“Just because it finally cools off, those stressors don’t go away,” Grooms said. “So (producers) will be watching those animals for quite a few weeks now to make sure they can get them back to health.” Grooms says most of the cattle deaths were reported in eastern Iowa, which did not receive as much rain as other parts of the state last week.

http://iacattlemen.org/

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Agriculture, Weather Tagged With: Pork/Cattle

Featured Stories

Exhibit features lesser known works of Grant Wood

Testing finds 21 new CWD cases in deer

It may become a crime in Iowa to use fake urine in workplace drug tests

February trending 18 degrees below average temperature

Iowa House Education Committee votes to end tenure at UI, ISU, UNI

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa’s Jack Nunge lost for the season

Key stretch begins for #9 Iowa

Drake’s Roman Penn lost for the season

Drake’s DeVries named to Naismith watch list

State wrestling opens with limited attendance

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC