Louisiana

Louisiana Farmers Struggling with Hay, Feeding Cattle After Harvey

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:48:58 GMT

Flooding from Hurricane Harvey is slow to drain in some areas of southwest Louisiana one week after the storm made landfall. Agricultural fields consisting primarily of rice and soybeans are suffering from the most damage.

According to agents from the Louisiana State University AgCenter say the biggest concern is moving cattle to higher ground and feeding them.

Before the storm, farmers were struggling to cut hay before the storm because of the wet summer. Many will not have the hay reserves they typically have entering winter.

“About half of the farmers have even cut hay for their first time, so we have a lot of old hay in the fields that needs to get harvested,” said Jimmy Meaux, a county agent for Calcasieu Parish. “The quality is not going to be there, but we’re hopefully going to be able to cut as much as we can.”

It could take weeks before crops such as sweet potatoes and cotton begin to show signs of damage caused by Harvey.

Louisiana: Two Arrested for Illegally Selling $189,000 Worth of Cattle

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:23:25 GMT

Authorities in Louisiana have arrested two people who allegedly sold 230 head of cattle without paying back their lender.

According to a press release from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) , Ricky and Wanda Thompson, both 69-years old, were charged with four counts of Disposal of Property (Livestock) with Fraudulent or Malicious Intent in Rapides Parish. Investigators from LDAF’s Brand Commission found that the fraud occurred from June to September in 2017.

It is alleged that the couple did not pay the mortgage holder of the lien on the land where the cattle were located when those cattle were sold in Rapides Parish. The lien covered both the property moveables (cattle) on the property.

“This is not the first time the LDAF brand commission has arrested Ricky and Wanda Thompson. The Thompson’s, including their son Justin, were arrested in June 2018 for stealing livestock valued at $1 million from four Louisiana livestock markets,” says LDAF Commissioner Mike Strain, DVM.

Ricky and Wanda Thompson were both booked into the Rapides Parish Jail on March 27 and no bond had been set.

For more about the previous case involving the Thompsons read the following story:

Louisiana Family Charged With Stealing $1 Million in Cattle

Flooding Leads to Cattle Rescues Around the Country

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:22:29 GMT

High water in a number of states has forced cattle producers to take desperate measures to care and in some cases rescue livestock. Reports of flooding from South Dakota to Louisiana the past week on pasture land have shown the extent of damage that cattle raisers are dealing with during a near-record moisture year for many parts of the country.

Here is a breakdown of news stories from flooded areas during the end of May and start of June that show the lengths to which ranchers and farmers are going to care for cattle.

Oklahoma Cowboys Rescue Stranded Cattle

In northeast Oklahoma, a group of cowboys have offered up their services to help save cattle that have been surrounded by floodwaters.

“We just refuse to sit back and watch these livestock drown because I mean, all of us own cattle,” says Cory Conley.

Cattle are being hauled out of the water with horses and boats in an effort to get cattle to higher ground.

A prison farm near Taft was forced to move cattle out of flooded pasture using a tractor and hay acreage appears to be wiped out by water.

“I’ve been at Jess Dunn for 20 years and have never even [seen] anything close to this,” says Terry Fry, with the Department of Corrections Agri-Services Division.

In some cases cattle haven’t been able to be rescued. Rancher Larry Washom says the flooding is worse than what he endured in 1986 because he has lost cattle. He estimates that 28 cattle worth about $30,000 were killed by the flood.

Helicopters Deliver Hay in Arkansas

Hay was airlifted to cattle stranded along the flooded Arkansas River in Conway County, Arkansas, by Arkansas National Guard helicopters.

Below is a series of photos from the Arkansas National Guard showing the delivery effort that started on June 4:

Aerial footage of #77thECAB Soldiers providing hay bales to stranded cattle in Conway Co. The cattle are stranded due to #ARFlood19. #BeYourBest #ArkanStrong pic.twitter.com/GyZukI4FfM
— Ark National Guard (@arkansasguard) June 4, 2019

Holy cow! #77thECAB Soldiers provide hay bales to stranded cattle in Conway Co. The cattle are stranded due to #ARFlood19. #BeYourBest #ArkanStrong pic.twitter.com/ul7WWuuGs7
— Ark National Guard (@arkansasguard) June 4, 2019

It's a bunch of bull that we hadn't herd about starving cattle. So we steered our helos over to provide some fast food. 77th ECAB Soldiers provided hay bales to stranded cattle in Conway Co. (AR NG photos by SGT Bryan Cerrato) #ARFlood19 #BeYourBest #KnowYourMil #ArkanStrong pic.twitter.com/OjqrVicPlM
— Ark National Guard (@arkansasguard) June 5, 2019

200 Cows and Calves Moved Before Louisiana Flooding

Before the Morganza Spillway gates opened and flooded nearly 350 acres of pasture, Ricky Rivet, owner of Ricky Rivet Farms near Morganza, Louisiana, moved his whole herd out of the path on May 29.

“I don’t want to do this at all, but it’s something I have to do. I mean, this is the reality. This is going to happen and I have to do it,” Rivet says. He moved about 200 head of cows and calves out of the potential flood plain .

In an effort to relieve the Mississippi River the Morganza Spillway was opened, but it is estimated that the water released will flood about 25,000 acres. Approximately 10,000 acres is farmland with the remainder being timber or pasture land.

Levee Breach in Missouri Forces Horse and Cattle Rescue

When a levee breached near Levasy, Missouri, people went out on boats to lead horses and cattle out of the water .

Here are some social media posts by Ariel Rothfield from KSHB that show the rescue effort that involved removing cattle seeking shelter on a house’s front porch:

Livestock are on this home’s porch to avoid the high water in Levasy @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/Vxo3Q51TMj
— Ariel Rothfield (@arothfield) June 3, 2019

These guys are trying to take the animals to dry land one at a time. Right now they’re having a hard time because the momma is protecting the calf @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/xEHxKv5PRE
— Ariel Rothfield (@arothfield) June 3, 2019

Tom made it to the horse. The tricky part now is to calm the horse down so he can get the horse to land that is not flooded @41actionnews #OnlyOn41 pic.twitter.com/VaAQaKZ9rN
— Ariel Rothfield (@arothfield) June 3, 2019

Tom and the horse on the railroad tracks. He’s going to take the horse to a friend’s home up the road & wait for the owner. @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/PH4mjAvqSL
— Ariel Rothfield (@arothfield) June 3, 2019

The biggest challenge right now is trying to get these cattle to go one-by-one. The calf has already been taken to dry land on boat @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/jWetAZqpmX
— Ariel Rothfield (@arothfield) June 3, 2019

They got the momma to start heading towards dry land, which they say is good. They’re hoping the younger ones will now follow @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/9mjCob7sNq
— Ariel Rothfield (@arothfield) June 3, 2019

And they are making a little bit of progress... it’s a slow process @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/vtnSnwxFuh
— Ariel Rothfield (@arothfield) June 3, 2019

They made it to the railroad tracks! Now all the volunteers have to do us guide them along the tracks. @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/YxVK31iyPW
— Ariel Rothfield (@arothfield) June 3, 2019

Kansas Ranchers Dealing with Flooding

Similar to other states, cattle producers in Kansas are also having to move cattle because of a glut of rain. Jeff Dewerff, a rancher near Ellinwod, has moved his cattle several times to avoid high water.

“It’s very dangerous for the little baby calves,” Dewerff says. “This water can sweep them away.”

He’s been dealing with problems like pneumonia and grass dying off following the continued flooding.

South Dakota Rancher Uses Kayak to Check Cattle

A rancher near Freeman, South Dakota, who can’t access his cattle with a truck or ATV has resorted to using a kayak as a means to look at his cows and calves.

“We tried to go through this field over here, but that was too wet,” says Patrick Hofer. “We almost got stuck with the four-wheeler so then Laura and I had the idea. Well maybe we should take a kayak down the creek.”

This photo is from Hutchinson County on Friday. Fast forward to today... pic.twitter.com/lHFFKKAce8
— Dan Santella (@KELODanS) June 3, 2019

...and the water has receded considerably. We're talking with the owner of these cows (and the pilot of that kayak) momentarily pic.twitter.com/Srfz0QDpnu
— Dan Santella (@KELODanS) June 3, 2019

Managing Cattle on Flooded Pasture

Below is a video from Oklahoma State University Extension beef specialist David Lalman offering advice on how to feed and care for cattle that have been on flooded pasture:

For more on what you can do for cattle following a flood read the following articles:

Louisiana Ranchers Rescue Cattle from Floods

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:18:26 GMT

By: Bruce Schultz, Louisiana State University AgCenter

Cattle owners had to rely on horses, boats and even a helicopter to round up their herds as floodwaters covered pastures in many areas of south Louisiana.

Kenny Higginbotham, of Broussard, said Lafayette Parish county agentStan Dutile and stockyard owner Mike Dominique marshaled cowboys from Opelousas and boat owners from St. Mary Parish to round up his 40 head of Braford cows out of 4 feet of water.

“I can’t say enough about these guys who coordinated this,” Higginbotham said.

The cows were stranded in pasture near St. Martinville. One group had to be coaxed out of a thicket with a helicopter, Higginbotham said, and some calves had to be pulled from the water.

The herd was moved along a road next to a subdivision, he said.

It was obvious the cattle were stressed. “They were very weak. They couldn’t have survived if we hadn’t brought them out,” Higginbotham said.

Some of the herd had become sick, he said, and the younger ones were vaccinated and given vitamin B‑12 shots.

“We got them to high ground in Broussard,” he said.

The rescue was carried out Aug. 18 when the water was still rising. “The next day, the water continued to go up,” Higginbotham said.

Dutile said he helped bring out four herds, but five herds were left in place. “We decided not to bring them out because they have strips of high ground. We’re still trying to get hay and feed to those cattle,” he said.

Cattle owner Karl Girouard, of Lafayette Parish, said 25 of his cows had to be rescued from high water. Ten riders on horseback and an airboat were used to round up the herd to be loaded on a trailer. Sometimes, horses and cattle had to swim through deeper water.

Hundreds of acres of the Girouard Ranch remain underwater, and 125 round bales of hay were lost to flooding, Girouard said.

The LSU AgCenter estimates the loss of pasture resources for livestock in Louisiana will cost farmers nearly $2 million.

Flooded pastureland is jeopardized. Once the floodwaters recede, it’s difficult to tell whether grass will return, said Vince Deshotel, St. Landry Parish county agent and AgCenter regional beef specialist.

“It just depends on how much of the plant dies,” he said. “We don’t know how much damage there will be until the water is gone.”

Hay that was flooded will deteriorate and rot, Deshotel said.

Many fields of grass are ready to cut for hay, but most fields are too wet to cut now, and more rain is expected. As the days get shorter, the grass for hay will have less nutritional value, Deshotel said.

Louisiana Man Arrested on Cattle Theft Charges

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 02:00:55 GMT

A Louisiana man was arrested Friday near Sallisaw, Okla., on one count of aggregated theft by check. Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Toney Hurley led the investigation.

Jacob Thompson, 30, was arrested by TSCRA Special Rangers Hurley and Kent Dowell in Oklahoma then transferred to Sulphur Springs, Texas, by Hurley. He was charged with a first degree felony.

According to Hurley, in October 2013, Thompson attempted to purchase 400 head of cattle from the Sulphur Springs Livestock Auction with bad checks totaling more than $300,000.

He is currently in the Hopkins County jail on bond of $200,000.

Hurley said he expects more charges to be filed.

Source: Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association