Calvin Gavelin began shaking when he heard that 200 cattle were found dead in the Shamrock Grazing Ltd. pasture last weekend.
“My heart stopped,” he said.
“My heart stopped again, just reliving that phone call that my cows were dead.”
Gavelin, his father, uncle and cousin lost 78 head in a Saskatchewan community pasture in August 1999 due to thirst when staff failed to turn on the water supply to a trough.
“The whole farm just stops,” he said.
“It’s your whole livelihood. Depending on their age, it might put them out of business, too.”
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Initial post-mortem results of last weekend’s discovery on the crown lease land south of Chaplin, formerly a Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration pasture turned over to patrons in 2016, suggest dehydration and/or salt toxicity as cause of death.
The circumstances and locations may be different, but Gavelin said he knows exactly what the patrons are going through now.
Provincial officials said six of the pasture’s 31 patrons lost cattle. The pasture is about 24,000 acres and can hold about 1,500 head.
Gavelin advised the six producers to seek counselling. The situation is emotionally and financially challenging and they need to work through it.
“Right now, the emotional part is working on those guys,” he said.
“The stress is all in that family.”
The financial challenge comes when trying to replace the lost animals and genetics that might be a herd’s base.
Provincial veterinarian Dr. Betty Althouse estimated the animals’ value at $300,000, based on average market prices.
She warned producers to check their water sources, considering the heat wave the province has been experiencing. Evaporation leads to higher concentrations of salt in the water left behind, she said.
“It can be higher salt than in the ocean, really,” she said.
People know enough not to drink salt water because it will kill them, but thirsty cattle will drink it anyway.
“The important message here is that you do need to test the water. Make sure that animals do have access to fresh water, that the water source that’s being used is tested on a regular basis and especially if conditions change,” she said.
“We know that with hot weather you can get algae blooms as well. Water conditions change over time and need to be monitored carefully.”
About 240 head in the same field as those that died were moved to another field and are under veterinary care with adequate feed, fresh water and shade. Some individuals that needed specific treatment are receiving it, she said.
The animals were discovered July 7, and Gravelbourg RCMP received a complaint of a large number of dead cattle at about 2:30 p.m. July 8. The investigation was turned over to Animal Protection Services of Saskatchewan, according to RCMP.
The local veterinarian conducted initial work before contacting the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine, which in turn notified the province through the Disease Investigation Unit. That unit investigates situations of large-scale mortality or unusual events, Althouse said, and would be conducting the remaining tests.
She said the producers who lease other pastures should test their water sources if they are concerned about toxicity.
She could not comment on management practices at the pasture or whether charges might be laid.
“It’s way too soon to tell at this point,” she said.
“We don’t even have the full post-mortem results.”
Water test results were expected July 11 and post-mortem results by the end of the week.
Mortality management was already underway July 10. The carcasses were to be buried on suitable sites nearby.
Althouse said disease doesn’t appear to be a concern in this case.
“As long as the carcasses are dealt with and properly disposed of quickly, there should be no concerns there,” she said.
Meanwhile, Gavelin said he is available if the patrons who lost cattle need to talk. His family was compensated for lost animals, genetics and calves that failed to thrive after losing their mothers, but it took at least six months.
And he said the effects are greater than that.
“My dad never could re-attach” to his cattle after that, Gavelin said.
