Iowa farmers adapt to extreme heat, reducing livestock’s heat-related stress

People say they're used to this type of weather but are struggling with the contrast between extreme heat and cooler weather. They said the heat can hurt their income

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‘It’s hard on them’: Iowa farmers adjust to extreme heat, how they reduce heat-related stress on livestock

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa —

The summer weather is heating up and residents around the area are taking precautions to stay cool.

Farmers are also keeping a close eye on their livestock as the sun beats down on cattle and horses.

Farmers in Council Bluffs held a livestock auction sale at Westfair Fairgrounds on Monday.

As far as heat goes, people say they’re used to this type of weather but are struggling with the contrast between extreme heat and cooler weather. They said the heat can hurt the money.

At the fairgrounds, Iowa farmers and cattle can be outside for hours. The first thing you hear is fans cooling cows down, and you see lots of shaded areas for livestock and people to rest.

“It went from like 75 to 95 in a day,” Gabe Meis, a Council Bluffs farmer, said. “When the weather fluctuates that much, it’s hard on them.”

Farmers, like Will True, said when the weather reaches the high 90s, like what we saw on Monday, it can put a strain on the cattle.

“Can really make them lose out of weight, which isn’t great because weight is money,” True said.

Meis sells around 50 to 60 head of cattle a year. He put a price tag on the weight loss.

“Even 100 pounds, that’s $300 or $400 that you’re losing out on,” he said.

Meis and others said you can tell the cattle are stressed from the heat when the sides of their stomach shrink, but workers do what they can to cool them down.

“At our feedlot, we put up sprinklers, so they’ll stay cool,” Wyatt Roane, cattle worker, said.

Reid Andersen has a variety of livestock; horses are his main seller.

“This type of heat has really been hard on them because the humidity adds to it,” he said. “So, the horses during the day, they just are completely soaked from sweating.”

One of his workers, Marin Momsen, shared a trick to get them hydrated.

“A lot of people do salt, like table salt, in morning food to encourage drinking throughout the day,” she said.

Andersen said you can tell when a horse is overheated when they start to sweat. So, hosing them down and wiping excess water off is a must

“If I were to leave her out here, soaking wet when she’s already this hot, and she was already sweating this much, it’s just going to turn into extra sweat,” Momsen said.

Cattle farmers said on a string of hot days they feed the cows every other day to avoid wasting food.

Overall, people say they’re not concerned about their business, but they are having to adjust to the constant change of hot and cold climates.