An early blizzard crept in on South Dakota, and has killed more than 20,000 heads of cattle. Ranchers are hurting more than ever, and not just because of the loss of the all the cattle, but because they are left with little help due to the government shutdown. The federal farm legislation was in the process of being passed by Congress, but is now stalled because of the shutdown. “With the government shutdown and no farm bill in place, we need South Dakotans to help their neighbors,” Gov. Dennis Daugaard said.
The storm certainly caught ranchers off guard, and the images from South Dakota’s civil air patrol show fields covered in the black dots of cattle carcasses. “The smart thing to do this time of year is to have cows and calf off to pasture,” said veterinarian Dustin Oedekoven. “Then the storm blew in. We’ve never seen anything quite like this.”
The total number of cows killed in the storm is not yet certain, but everyone, especially drivers, are being warned to look out for the carcasses. “Motorists must be aware that livestock carcasses or stray livestock may be present on or along the roadways at any time,” the emergency management agency said in a statement. Ranchers will ultimately be the ones responsible for the clean-up though, and based on state regulations, they will be faced with the unpleasant task of disposing of the carcasses quickly before they rot.
