Montana Ag Officials Worry Winter Storm May Lead to Starving Cattle

This winter has been a tough one, especially for all of the farm animals that are enduring it outside. Montana Department of Agriculture finance officer Walt Anseth says there are fears some cattle won’t be able to get the food they need.

"The guys up north with three plus feet of snow in remote areas are having a hard time getting their cattle fed," said Anseth. "The little bit of winter grass they had is already covered so now there is that much more snow on top of it. Now the concern is getting hay bales out to them."

Luckily, there’s lots of hay in Montana at the moment, Anseth says his department runs a “Hay Hotline” to help connect suppliers with the needy.

"That is basically a craigslist type of service for the farmers and ranchers in the state where they can sell or buy hay online," Anseth said. "We just wanted to make sure people were aware of it. We really haven't heard much movement yet. Guys are still trying to dig out so until we see the full effect of the storm, I know Browning is requesting close to 300 ton of hay."

The hay hotline can be found on the Montana Department of Agriculture website, farmers and ranchers with questions can contact (406) 444-2402.