Cows don’t die from heat unless they couldn’t get to water. And a fence won’t stop them if they’re thirsty. Who cut the water off?
Here’s an opinion from a knowledgeable person:
UPDATED: As a cattle person, I need to weigh-in on the “mass cattle die-off” video that’s going around.
From what I have read although it didn't cool sufficiently at night the humidity was not so high as to cause death.This is not the first time 100 degree temps hit the area. Most likely cause:
No water:
Experts make clear the impression of heat?
Experts on livestock have explained how stress leads to losses in feedlots. A.J. Tarpoff, who works for Kansas State University Extension, says that when there is a “perfect storm” of too much heat and no chance of cooling at night, cattle can get too hot and die of stress.
Here's likely what happened:
And Drew Lerner, the president of World Weather Inc., told Reuters, “It's going to be so hot that the animals will be stressed. You can't say, “I checked them three days ago.” When it's hot, you have to go out every day to make sure they have enough water.
https://theancestory.com/3000-cows-die-in-kansas/
Sprinkler systems are used in some areas to cool cows. Also there were claims that some losses up to 75% are covered by various insurance plans.It's possible some farmers(corp. farms?) let the cows die since there are 6 1/2 million cows in Kansas. With the economy going like it is how many people will choose expensive beef?