STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo.—April showers have been bringing bad news to northwestern Colorado ranchers in the middle of calving season.
The Steamboat Pilot and Today reported Tuesday the recent string of cold, wet storms and persistent valley snowpack has been forcing pregnant cows to give birth in snow or frigid water. The windy conditions and cold moisture drain newborn calves of their strength, and some don’t survive.
Routt County ranchers said it has been 15 years since their infant mortality rates were so high, with some ranches losing up to 10 percent of their calves. They say at least 97 percent of newborns usually survive.
Goat and sheep ranchers have been reporting the same problems with their infant mortality rates. Ranchers say the losses could cost them thousands of dollars in lost sales.
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Information from: Steamboat Pilot & Today,
