Heat Wave Kills 4,300 Turkeys in Kansas, 50,000...

The serious heat wave in the Midwest has killed 4,300 turkeys in Kansas. By now, most people are aware that several states including Kansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri and Virginia have had a string of 100+ degrees days causing heat warnings throughout the region.

In addition to the 4,300 turkeys in Kansas, the heat wave also killed 50,000 chickens in North Carolina. What a massive loss for these poultry farms. Kansas turkey farmer Holly Capron said, "It felt like a war zone. It felt like hell." Burying all the 50-pound turkeys took more than 24 hours.

Capron said that temperatures in the buildings they raise turkeys for Butterball were 106 degrees even with big fans working to cool the space. The heat was so intense that the birds were overcome. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, 50,000 chickens died when the power went out for 45 minutes. What a disaster. So many dead birds.

While the huge concern during the heat wave has been people, especially elderly and young children. Animals are also a major concern during these triple-digit days. What have you had to do as a result of the soaring temperatures?

Comments: 12

Card Ventura - Human Detective - (Ace's cousin) Jul 12, 2011, 10:31pm UTC

Last year it was rough on my dog. But this year is being worse. He hardly wants to spend any time outside.

Rachel Dillin Jul 12, 2011, 10:40pm UTC

I feel so bad for my cat. He doesn't like being in with the AC and fans, so he literally lays on the front porch in the shade all day long. . . It's tough on them.

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Ali Hussein Lopez Jul 12, 2011, 10:41pm UTC

I just hope all those dead birds don't end up in cattle feed.

James Scofield Jul 12, 2011, 10:50pm UTC

Cattle feed?!
They'll be ground up, turned into chicken nuggets, and sold to school cafeterias.

Rachel Dillin Jul 12, 2011, 10:55pm UTC

Yuck. They buried the turkeys after getting special permission.

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Ms Lee P. Jul 12, 2011, 10:42pm UTC

Wow. Poor turkeys and chickens. I have a feeling that this will cause the price of Thanksgiving turkeys to go up up up.

I've really been watering more than usual lately trying to save my bald cypress trees. They like lots of water and this heat wave (over two weeks straight of over 100 degree heat) is sapping all the moisture out of the ground faster than usual. I'm hoping that deep soaking will save my trees.

Rachel Dillin Jul 12, 2011, 10:55pm UTC

I also thought that it could impact the cost of poultry.
I've given up saving my flower garden, but I am making sure I save my trees.

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Chris Wiegard Jul 12, 2011, 11:04pm UTC

water barrels fed by your roof downspouts are a great way to keep free water in the summer for your garden, kate. If you get drought for a few weeks of course the water will run out.

as to global warming, today poultry, someday people.

Rachel Dillin Jul 12, 2011, 11:18pm UTC

Sadly it's people today too. Two children died last week in hot cars in OKC, and it wasn't even that they were left there. They were curious and got into the cars w/out people realizing it until it was too late.

Steve B. Jul 13, 2011, 8:36am UTC

Yep - people have also been victims of climage change via heat waves. Tens of thousands have been killed by heat waves in recent years in Russia, France, and Pakistan. We, in the U.S., have better AC, so we don't have the number of fatalities that other countries have. But we don't have such great defenses against the other impacts, e.g., droughts and wildfires, floods, and extreme storms.

Ali Hussein Lopez Jul 13, 2011, 10:01am UTC

Chris;

In some municipalities you have to have a permit to save rainwater in barrels. I know that you do here, and we've had an unusually wet summer.

Chris Wiegard Jul 13, 2011, 1:27pm UTC

Ali- I am guessing that the permissioning has to do with the possibility of mosquito larvae growing in the barrels- which is indeed a bad thing for public health. If however the rain barrel is constructed properly, with a narrow gauge screen at the top, it's not possible for mosquitoes to get in. Mine has a thin screen and no problems the two years I have used it.

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Heat Wave Kills 4,300 Turkeys in Kansas, 50,000 Chickens in North Carolina

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