Winter storm Goliath has made its mark on the Southwest, particularly for ranchers and farmers. Producers from New Mexico to Texas and Oklahoma have suffered losses of livestock due to the extreme weather.
Snow has piled up in the region, leaving some cattle stranded and others wandering free. New Mexico dairy farmer Andle van der Ploeg says the drifts were so high at his dairy that the heifers just walked out of their pens.He’s not the only one dealing with such issues. According to posts by ranchers and farmers on social media, there are cattle everywhere.
Several Facebook pages have been set up to help reunite animals with their owners, including Cattle Lost and Found and Lost/Found Cattle – TX, NM, OK.
Ranchers can post information about where their cattle were last seen, and members of the community can respond when they find cattle matching the description. While total livestock losses in the area have not been reported, officials are estimating that thousands of animals have died due to the snowstorm.
By: Ann-Lisa Laca
Source: Agweb.com