Responding to the Kansas Feedlot Disaster and Activists

By Jen Hill

Last week the internet was flooded with videos of dead feedlot cattle in southwest Kansas. Damage estimates range anywhere from 2,000-10,000 head of cattle that succumbed to extreme heat stress in what could be described as a perfect storm of hot. While the ag community once again rallies behind Kansas, where they’ve also been hit by devastating fires in the last year, animal right’s activists are using the tragedy to push their extreme agenda. The activists will never see reason and are rarely honest actors, but the average person reading responses to the tragedy can potentially be reached. Here’s how we can educate and respond:

Explain the Weather and Cattle Science

The problems began when temperatures climbed past 100 degrees after several days of rain, which created high humidity. When the breeze stopped entirely cattle began heating up. But then the real crisis hit, the temperature remained unusually high overnight, leaving cattle with no way to disperse their heat. Add in the late spring timing of the heat and you get a bad situation made worse, as many of the cattle had not fully shed off their winter cover. The goal of a feedlot is to quickly put on fat, prepping the animal for butcher. These cattle had a solid cover of fat on them, which left them more susceptible to the heat. This was a non-typical weather event for the area, the same as a devastating storm or fire would be. When a tornado rips through cattle country we don’t blame the ranchers for their loss, nor should we here.

Educate About the Cattle Life Cycle

Activists are, unsurprisingly, using the event to push an anti-confinement, anti-feedlot message. But the reality is most people have no idea what the production cycle of beef is. Two years ago, I was appalled to learn that my daughters fifth grade teacher, in rural western Colorado, was showing the class videos about the benefits of lab meat. One video claimed that most cows have never eaten a real blade of grass before they are slaughtered, spending their entire life in a pen in some feedlot as corn is shoved down their throats. Most people are so far removed from food production that they don’t know any better, leaving them susceptible to fallacious claims like these. It’s up to us to take the time and explain how beef production works, painting a picture that much more accurately reflects the lifespan that begins in a field, spends the bulk of its time freely grazing and culminates with being finished in a feedlot.

Address the Viral Video

A video of the dead cattle hit YouTube and quickly made the rounds, with viewers rapidly throwing the feedlot under the bus. Activists clamored to declare the managers inept, as there’s no water or shade sources visible. But it only takes a quick glance to realize the footage is not showing the cattle where they died in their pens, this is where they have been placed post-mortem for disposal. Cattle would never line themselves up perfectly to lay down and die, with exact skid-steer space between each batch and all, cows just aren’t that considerate. The video is not evidence of mistreatment.

Don’t Be Afraid to Discuss Feedlots

Feedlots often get a bad rap and it’s not hard to see why. After all, it’s a much less romantic picture than the cow/calf sector with their often rolling green hills and horseback cowboys gently pushing along cute newborn calves. But feedlots certainly aren’t the epicenter of animal abuse and misery that they are often painted to be. The average slaughter beef in the US will spend only the last few months of its life in a feedlot, where it comfortably gains weight, chills with other cattle and has its every need met. Take the time to explain that heat stroke deaths, even in feedlots, are uncommon because producers prepare by providing extra water, changing feeding schedules so cattle are not digesting during the highest temperatures, and avoiding working cattle. This weather event was so unusual it was impossible to prepare for, similar to storm. Most people have never seen a feedlot, so explain why we use them and the safety and comfort protocols they follow.

Help Make Personal Connections

No matter what sector of the industry you represent take the time to talk about it. Talk about how you handle your cattle and your level of confidence in the product you create. Activists like to paint producers as backwards rednecks that care little for their livestock. Just by politely engaging and educating you can help change that narrative.

Remember Who the Audience Is

I’m not telling you not to troll the activists or that you need to smile while they sling vitriol towards our way of life, but I would encourage you to remember that those whackos are not the audience. Instead you are hoping to influence the silent lurkers, reading the comments and watching the news, unsure of what to believe. They may not engage with you, but they will see your response and you could potentially help them understand.