Local ranchers are blaming the region’s brutal heat and humidity after several thousand cattle died last weekend in southwest Kansas.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says it is aware of at least 2,000 cattle deaths that occurred in the southwest part of Kansas.The cattle deaths were tallied based on the number of carcasses the agency was called to dispose of
Weather officials say a confluence of factors contributed to the cattle demise, among them triple-digit temperatures, high humidity and light winds.
Industry officials say heat-related cattle deaths during the summer are common. However, last weekend’s death toll was several times worse than usual.
Kansas is the third largest U.S. cattle state behind Texas and Nebraska, with more than 2.4 million cattle in feedlots.
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