Drought an early concern after heatwave, hay production reduced

KAMLOOPS — The President of the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association says the recent heatwave that scorched the province has adversely affected rangeland, where cattle herds spend the summer.

Kevin Boon says he hasn’t heard of any loss of livestock due to the extreme heat from last week. He says cattle inherently know where to go to stay safe during extreme weather conditions.

“A lot of these cattle have been out there for a few years, off and on. They know to get in the shade during the hot times and they come out to graze at night,” said Boon. “This is why our ranchers during a fire are coming in at 2 o’clock in the morning and starting to move those cattle when they’re up and wanting to move, and the heat isn’t affecting them. The other thing is, we’re in higher country right now with our country. The higher it is, the cooler it is and the more ability they have to keep cool.”