BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Some ranchers are concerned a sustained cold snap in South Dakota will affect calving season, as the bitter temperatures have already resulted in excess feed and bedding costs.
Daryl Ritchison, interim director of the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network, said parts of the state have experienced temperatures below freezing for more than 40 days, which is worse than usual for this time of year.
Agriculture experts said that pregnant cows eat about twice as much during the cold to prevent weight loss, the Bismarck Tribune reported.
Beth Budoloski, a North Dakota State Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources, said ranchers are providing windbreaks and extra bedding to prevent their cattle from getting stressed out by the cold. She said cattle also must have access to water that isn’t frozen.
“If the waters are frozen, they either won’t eat feed as much or they won’t eat at all,” she said.
Fred Berger, who owns two ranches in the Mandan area and operates a livestock brokerage business, said the cold weather is costing him thousands of dollars more each month.
“It’s not normal to have that many (cold) days in a row,” Berger said. “There’s nothing you can do. That’s the trouble. It’s just every week it costs you.”
Livestock producers whose cattle die in extreme weather conditions can apply to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Livestock Indemnity Program for grants to cover their losses.
Brad Olson, a farm program director in North Dakota’s Farm Service Agency, said his office hasn’t received any calls about a rise in cattle deaths as a result of the cold snap. He said producers applying for the federal program’s benefits must notify their county farm service agency’s offices up to 30 days after the death.
The deadline to submit an application for funding isn’t until March 1, 2020. Producers have until Friday to apply for 2018 losses.
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Information from: Bismarck Tribune, http://www.bismarcktribune.com
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