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Get financial help when black vultures cause cattle deaths

Two programs offer reimbursement options for the loss of cattle and other livestock in vulture attacks.

Mindy Ward, Editor, Missouri Ruralist

June 27, 2024

1 Min Read
A cow with her newborn calf in pasture
PRIME TARGET: Barely able to stand, young calves in an open pasture make the perfect target for black vultures. With today’s pricier calves, any loss affects the farmer’s bottom line. Nisangha/Getty Images

Farmers and ranchers can apply for reimbursement for both the cost of the animal and the necropsy as a result of a black vulture attack, Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn says.

When livestock loss is proven from black vultures, two programs can help financially:

Livestock Indemnity Program. Farmers can apply through a local Farm Service Agency for the cost of the animal. Payment rates vary by species and age of the animal.

MDA black vulture necropsy reimbursement. Producers can recover the cost of the necropsy. However, it must be performed by a licensed veterinarian or an official with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service within 24 hours of finding the deceased animal.

Click on the video below to hear from Chinn about the steps being taken to control black vulture attacks and offset the losses incurred by Missouri producers.

About the Author(s)

Mindy Ward

Editor, Missouri Ruralist

Mindy resides on a small farm just outside of Holstein, Mo, about 80 miles southwest of St. Louis.

After graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural journalism, she worked briefly at a public relations firm in Kansas City. Her husband’s career led the couple north to Minnesota.

There, she reported on large-scale production of corn, soybeans, sugar beets, and dairy, as well as, biofuels for The Land. After 10 years, the couple returned to Missouri and she began covering agriculture in the Show-Me State.

“In all my 15 years of writing about agriculture, I have found some of the most progressive thinkers are farmers,” she says. “They are constantly searching for ways to do more with less, improve their land and leave their legacy to the next generation.”

Mindy and her husband, Stacy, together with their daughters, Elisa and Cassidy, operate Showtime Farms in southern Warren County. The family spends a great deal of time caring for and showing Dorset, Oxford and crossbred sheep.

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