Dairy Cows Were Buried Alive By a Freak Blizzard in Texas

A freak blizzard across Texas and New Mexico has resulted in over 15,000 cattle being killed in the harsh conditions.

The loss of a single cow is extremely costly for any farmer, with The New York Times reporting that a farmer estimated $2,200 per cow.

Because many went without milking for two days during the storm, their supply is expected to dwindle, said Darren Turley, the executive director of the Texas Association of Dairymen.

‘That means the dairy cows in this region will give less milk for months to come. The only hint is 13 paragraphs down: “Consumers should not expect noticeable increases in the prices of milk or milk products”. “It was just beyond anything we ever saw”, one farmer says of the dead cows, which were either buried alive in the drifts, frozen to death, or, in the case of calves, starved when farmers couldn’t get to where they were holed up. Calves went hungry because no one could reach them.

“Losing cows they have raised and taken care of has taken an emotional toll”, she said Thursday as producers gathered to talk with Jeff Witte, New Mexico’s agriculture secretary.

Farmers who tried to rescue their animals became disoriented and lost on their own land.

The major problem that remains, aside from the enduring financial blow farmers now face, is the task of disposing of the dead cows.

Mess says a lasting effect on New Mexico’s dairy industry will likely affect the economy.

The same storm system that brought the killer tornadoes to the Dallas area sent a massive early season blizzard across the Panhandle and the south plains.

Half of the state’s biggest milk producing counties are located in the region that was affected by the storm. Experts said that dairy farmers will have to monitor their herd for after-effects such as frostbite, mastitis and other health issues.