By DOUG SCHMITZ
Iowa Correspondent AMES, Iowa — The sweltering, record-high heat the state has experienced in the past several weeks have killed 3,500-4,000 cattle, according to estimates obtained by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Assoc. (ICA).
“I’ve talked to producers who’ve been out there just constantly looking for things to do to protect those cattle,” said Dal Grooms, communications director for the ICA, which recently polled its members to compile weather-related cattle death numbers.
“When it gets to be hot and humid like this, it’s very difficult to stop all losses,” she said, adding some parts of Iowa had up to seven consecutive days with temperatures reaching into the mid- to upper 90s.
In the Aug. 1 Iowa Crop & Weather report, State Meteorologist Harry Hillaker said heat indices climbed as high as 110 degrees, with unofficial readings hitting 126 the week of July 25-31. He added “preliminary data indicated July 2011 was Iowa’s warmest month since August 1983 and the warmest July since 1955.”
As the nation’s fifth-largest cattle producer, Iowa had about 1.2 million cattle on July 1. Grooms estimated approximately 3,000 of the projected 4,000 cattle deaths occurred in eastern Iowa alone, which hasn’t received as much rain as other parts of the state. The remainder of the cattle losses, she added, came from northwestern Iowa.
Last month, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey asked livestock producers to report any death losses to their local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.
“We have great livestock farmers in Iowa who have done everything they can to care for their animals during this record-breaking heat wave,” he said, “but reports of deaths due to the heat are starting to come in, and I encourage farmers with losses to contact their local FSA office.”
Along with livestock losses, the Aug. 1 report also stated “slow weight gain and lower milk production are being reported as a result of the hot and humid weather,” which Grooms said could continue until fall.
Now with cattle-breeding season under way, she said the heat has also resulted in “lower fertility for bulls and difficulty in early pregnancy for cow and heifers.
“The heat really knocks down the fertility of bulls, and with heifers and cows, it’s the early time of pregnancy, and there is a question of whether they will stay pregnant because of heat stress,” she added. “That story won’t be told until pregnancy checks (by veterinarians) start in the fall.”
In an effort to cool their cattle, which rely on respiration more than sweating to achieve this, Grooms said farmers are setting up “mist systems, industrial-size fans and additional shelter.
“Just because it finally cools off, those stressors don’t go away. So producers will be watching their animals for quite a few weeks yet to make sure they can get them back to health.”
To help recover their bottom lines, ICA officials are recommending livestock producers document their losses, as well as measures taken to protect their cattle.
“Rendering truck receipts, photos and third-party verifications from veterinarians, extension personnel or insurance adjusters are important, as is noting the approximate weight of the cattle that died,” Grooms said. “Likewise, take photos of your sprinkler systems, pen setup and shade.”
While producers may be eligible for payment through the USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), Grooms said LIP only allows 30 days to report a loss after the fact.
“While there are exclusions in the program, it is critical that producers make a timely ‘Notice of Loss’ report so they can be included, if they qualify,” she said. “Once a report is made and livestock continue to succumb because of the same weather event, those numbers can be included for the event.”
Under the 2008 farm bill, LIP provides benefits to producers for livestock deaths “in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather,” which may provide coverage of up to 75 percent of the value of the animal.
Since LIP is scheduled to close Oct. 1, Grooms said it’s time for “cattle producers to make that ‘Application for Payment’ as soon as they think their herd is fully recovered from the effects of this heat.” She added LIP “may not cover everything you incur with such a loss, but it does keep this situation from becoming a financial disaster.”
Denise Schwab, Iowa State University extension beef program specialist, said producers who think they have losses that might quality should carefully review LIP’s eligibility requirements and application deadlines.
“To be eligible for LIP, the livestock must be owned by the producer and raised for commercial use as part of a farming operation,” she said. “Pets or recreational animals do not qualify.
“Contract swine or poultry growers also may qualify for lost livestock if they have a written agreement with the livestock owner setting the specific terms, conditions and obligations of the parties involved.”
For more information on LIP, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/lip2011_158c020211.pdf |
