UNITED STATES-3,500 CATTLE LOST IN THE SNOW.
The blizzard that enveloped much of the Texas Panhandle in a foot of snow killed at least 3,500 cattle, with many dying of suffocation and others of pneumonia.
It’s estimated that the loss to ranchers and others is at least $3 million.
The Texas Cattle Feeders Association estimated 3,500 had been killed in four states, but Hansford County alone estimates its loss is around the same figure.
Reports of the livestock killed during Friday’s blizzard are expected to continue to trickle in during the next few weeks as producers take stock of just how many animals perished, said Farm Service Agency representatives with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Ben Weinheimer of the TCFA said Wednesday the majority of the 3,500 head that were killed were north of Interstate 40 and up into the Oklahoma Panhandle, Kansas and west into eastern New Mexico.
The TCFA monitors only beef cattle.
"The loss of the cattle themselves would be estimated in that $2 to $3 million range," he said. "The distribution is somewhat evenly distributed. There were some areas that were affected by heavier snowfall and higher winds. Across the board everyone was affected at some level."
In Hansford County , preliminary estimates from ranchers and feed yards put losses at 3,500 head of cattle, said Rick Hargrove, the county’s executive director for the FSA.
About two-thirds of the losses came from one of the seven feed yards in the county, and the rest were reported by the area’s ranchers, Hargrove said. Officials there are estimating monetary losses about $1.9 million, he said.
The Texas Panhandle has about 100 feed yards, which typically hold up to 2 million cattle. Ted McCollum, a beef cattle specialist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Amarillo , said he has heard reports that 3,700 head of cattle died at feed yards. He said he had not heard any totals for pasture cattle deaths.
"Most of the losses that might have occurred would not necessarily be to the cold and the blowing snow," he said.
"The losses that I heard occurring were because the cattle were trying to move away from the wind and ended up hitting an obstruction."
He said many of the cattle likely bunched up against a fence and were suffocated by each other or trampled, but most were not victims of cold.
Some cattle attempted to move away from the winds and walked through fences and broke through gates. One small herd was found about 20 miles away from where it started, McCollum said.
"I don’t know how many people are still looking for cattle," he said.
McCollum said feed yard cattle generally sell for between $1,000 and $1,200 a head. Dairy cattle, he estimates, could cost between $2,000 and $3,000 each.
Dallam County FSA Executive Director Michael Breitling said many producers initially hope that their cattle may still be alive and will eventually be returned home before reporting the cattle as a loss.
"Sometimes it takes awhile (to tally the losses)," he said.
Breitling said preliminary reports in Dallam County show that 400 adult beef cattle, 100 adult dairy cows and 200 nonadult beef cattle perished.
"I’m sure there’s as many losses we haven’t heard about," Breitling said. "It could be significantly more because we’ve talked to such few people."
In Ochiltree County , there were reports of at least 100 cattle killed, but as cattle die from pneumonia caused by the storm that number may increase, said Paula Miller, the county’s FSA executive director.
Hartley County producers are reporting preliminary losses between 600 and 800 cattle, said Katherine Cain, the county’s FSA executive director. Of those, 200 are reportedly dairy cattle, she said.
Cain expects more reports to trickle in as people learn about potential federal government disaster aid.
Breitling said feed yards and ranchers should document their losses with photos, personal accounts and receipts if possible and contact their local FSA about losses.
He said the federal government is assembling a livestock indemnity program to help supplement losses from the natural disaster.
"We’re hoping we’re getting enough documentation together so that when the program comes up, we can go back and get those losses," he said. "(We) hope we can get them some relief."
