Harsh weather may have lingering effect on cattle herds
AG Professional
MANHATTAN, Kan. – This winter’s harsh weather will subside, but its effect on Plains-area cattle herds will linger long after the ice and snow have melted away, a Kansas State University veterinarian said.
“The weather this winter has certainly resulted in some death loss in cattle, but the real problems are going to be much harder to get our arms around,” said K-State Research and Extension veterinarian Larry Hollis.
Winter storms prompted Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to request federal assistance for 44 counties. In turn, President Bush declared a major disaster in Kansas, making federal funding available to state and local governments in those 44 western Kansas counties.
Hollis said that although the death loss already tallied from this year’s snow and ice storms could have been even worse, he is concerned about what he called “secondary losses” – weak calves at birth, cows that are in poorer condition than usual during calving season, and the possibility that cows’ poor condition at re-breeding time could impact fertility and, ultimately, conception rates.
The Beef Blog 