Oklahoma

CattleZen Calming Pheromone Available to Cattle Producers Facing Wildfires

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:18:35 GMT

In the wake of recent wildfires in Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma, many cattle producers are managing heightened cattle stress caused by relocation, environmental disruption and changes in routine. To help support cattle during this transition, Solvet will be providing CattleZen at no cost to producers impacted by the fires. Designated area veterinarians have CattleZen on hand to distribute as needed. To find your participating veterinarian or determine how to receive product, email Dr. Doug Shane, Solvet veterinary technical support, at douglas.shane@solvet-us.com .

“The unfortunate wildfire conditions create significant stress for cattle, which can cause lasting effects on cattle health,” Shane says. “CattleZen is designed to stimulate a natural calming response, helping support cattle and handler safety through stressful events such as this.”

Shane adds that the resilience of cattle producers during these events does not go unnoticed.

“We hope offering this product will help producers with one aspect during a challenging time. We also extend our sincere appreciation to the producers, veterinarians and first responders working tirelessly to protect livestock and livelihoods.”

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After the Fire: The Need for Feed, Fence and Prayers
Tips for Care Following Wildfire

After the Fire: The Need for Feed, Fence and Prayers

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:19:00 GMT

Wildfires plagued the Plains last week from southern Kansas into Oklahoma and Texas. Hundreds of thousands of acres of grass are now burned to sand.

The Ranger Road Fire, which started in Oklahoma and made its way into southern Kansas, to date has burned more than 283,000 acres and is 65% contained as of Monday morning, according to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry .

The Oklahoma Forestry Services reports moderated fire weather over dormant fuels resulted in a downtick in wildfire activity over the weekend, allowing firefighters to improve the containment of recent large fires.

“Conditions also supported opportunity to execute burn plans for prescribed fires,” the report says. “If you engaged in prescribed burning, controlled burns or pile burns over the weekend, please ensure that fire perimeters are mopped up and secured ahead of increasing fire weather concerns Tuesday through the remainder of the week.”

Read more about how strong winds, above-average warmth and months of worsening dryness created a “perfect recipe”

for wildfires across the Southern Plains, scorching pasture and farmland — with little moisture relief in the forecast:

Why the Southern Plains Became a ‘Perfect Recipe’ for Wildfire

The wildfires have left a path of heartbreak and devastation. From the loss of livestock and homes, barns and shops to pastures and fence, the damage is hard to fathom.

Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur visited Oklahoma producers impacted by the wildfires on Thursday. “Please pray for our farmers and ranchers and our first responders who continue to battle challenging fires and weather,” she says.

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Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur

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Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur

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Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur

Dr. Randall Spare, Ashland Veterinary Center Inc., says nine years after the losses resulting from the Starbuck Wildfire — still the largest, most extensive wildfire in Kansas history — many of the same ranchers have been affected by the Ranger Road Fire.

Spare explains the wildfire was unstoppable with little farmland or breaks to get ahead of the fire plus the extreme wind. The fire started near Beaver, Okla., at 11 a.m., and he reports many ranchers in the path were moving cattle by noon. He says the highest losses occurred where there were no nearby wheat fields or safe pasture alternatives for the cattle.

“When you have contiguous grass for 90 miles, and the fire line was 90 miles long, from Beaver, Okla. to Protection, Kan., and it was moving 70 miles an hour, it’s hard to get in front of it,” he says.

He also explains because of the good moisture in 2025 and good stewardship of the land, there was a lot of tall, dense forage to fuel the fire.

“Many of the best stewards — those who don’t overgraze and stockpile grass for calving and drought management — actually experienced some of the worst damage,” he explains. “Because they’ve done a good job of managing their grass and have forage to eat in the spring of the year before the growing season starts to calve on, they experienced some of the greatest damage.”

Spare says the Ranger Road Fire took the same path as the Starbuck Fire, but it did not burn as many acres in Kansas — about one-third less in comparison.

“The good thing is it did not go north of Ashland. It’s five miles south of Ashland before it starts and not near the acreage burned,” he summarizes. “Since it isn’t like the Starbuck Fire, we have an opportunity as neighbors to help neighbors, whereas before we couldn’t do that because we were all affected.”

He predicts producers in Kansas lost 1,000 to 1,100 head. He adds there will continue to be more loss as producers evaluate cattle condition.

“One of the biggest damage is feet,” he explains. “The walls of their hooves start to fall off due to the fire. And sometimes that doesn’t show up for five days.”

How Can You Help?

According to Reuters , other fires have burned thousands more acres in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.

In agriculture, community is strong. When one producer hurts we all feel it and, if possible, we step up and help our neighbors in need. Along with prayers, Spare adds the immediate needs are:

Hay
Money (financial support)

In response to producers offering help, Spare shares a list of ways others can support ranchers recovering from the wildfires on social media, including lessons learned from the Starbuck Fire.

“I would like to share what we learned from the Starbuck Fire that, hopefully, will be helpful as you consider making decisions about how to help,” he writes.

Fencing supplies: “After the Starbuck Fire, we learned that if federal funds are used to rebuild and replace fences, the construction requirements to access those funds are very specific regarding type of wire, posts, etc. While the generosity of those giving nine years ago was remarkable, we were limited in how much of the donated resources actually could be used simply because federal loss recovery funds needed to be used, and the donated fencing supplies didn’t meet government specifications.”
Money: “Today, money is the most precious resource and in the greatest need. Many of the ranching operations affected need time to truly assess their losses. Some are finding cattle they first thought to be lost, alive and safe. Others are experiencing the opposite and unfortunately are seeing the losses increase.”
Available pasture and grassland: “If you have pasture available either short term or long term, please reach out to Ashland Community Foundation, Kansas Livestock Association or Ashland Veterinary Center,” he suggests.
Hay: There are designated drop off locations ready to accept loads of hay.

Multiple organizations have stepped up and are organizing supplies and assistance.

• Kansas Livestock Association. KLA is helping connect those wishing to donate with the most suitable drop location. If you’re hoping to donate goods including livestock feed or hay, you can contact KLA at (785) 273-5115, or visit this website . On KLA’s Facebook page you can find posts from feedlots that are offering pen space to wildfire victims.

• The Ashland Community Foundation. ACF is accepting monetary donations to help those affected by the fires in their community. To donate, please visit the ACF website and select “Become A Partner” in the dropdown. Donations are also being accepted at Stockgrowers State Bank or can be mailed to ACF at P.O. Box 276, Ashland, KS 67831.

• Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation. OCF has established a relief fund to help cattle producers who have been affected. As the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, the fire relief fund at the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation will distribute 100% of received funds to affected cattle producers. You can give online or make checks payable to Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation with “Fire Relief” in the memo line and mail to P.O. Box 82395, Oklahoma City, OK 73148.

• Beaver County Stockyards and Beaver County OSU Extension office. For those willing to donate feed or hay to the Beaver County, Okla., area, visit the Stockyards website or the Extension office website .

• Beaneighbor.org . The Oklahoma Healthcare Authority, provides access to local support including financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help. Search for aid in your area at Beaneighbor.org.

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry reminds the public to use caution before bringing hay to northwest Oklahoma to prevent the spread of invasive fire ants. Find out if your county is under quarantine for fire ants on the USDA website

Fire Weather is Not Over: Stay Prepared

The Kansas Forest Service reminds producers there are still months of fire season to come.

“As firefighters continue to mop up or extinguish hot spots along miles of fire line, recovery begins for the communities most impacted by recent wildfires,” the agency says. “Many wildfire managers are already preparing for the next round of fire weather.”

While recovery and readiness are happening at the same time, the forest service share these two tips:

Learn how to prepare your home and property for a wildfire. Proper preparation can help your home withstand a wildfire.
Have a plan when the wildfire is heading toward your home or property.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has a Fires & Wildfires website dedicated to providing resources to help prepare for and survive wildfires.

A Note to Survivors

Spare says his message to producers who are recovering from the wildfires is to:

Think beyond today. Plan not only for immediate survival but for summer grazing and next winter’s feed. Recognize that hay now is also about having feed later, since grass is gone.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. “If you are struggling, reach out to a trusted friend and accept neighbor and outside assistance,” he stresses.

Spare summarizes producers from his area are deeply appreciative and humbled by people from across the country who helped nine years ago and are helping again now, even to the point that local folks feel “almost embarrassed” it happened again.

“But it is life, and we’re going to trust God and go on,” he says.

Your Next Read: Tips for Care Following Wildfire

OSU Receives $250M Investment to Build World-Class Veterinary Teaching Hospital

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 19:20:21 GMT

Veterinarians are essential, from rural ranches to urban centers, fueling economic growth and ensuring the safety of our food supply and public health. Last week, Oklahoma State University received $250-million state funding appropriation to support the construction of a new, state-of-the-art veterinary teaching hospital.

The current veterinary hospital was identified as a key concern when the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine was placed on probationary accreditation in the fall of 2024. The American Veterinary Medical Association has since returned the college to full accreditation status emphasizing that continued compliance is tied to facility upgrades.

“We have a building and equipment that is not reflective of the quality of people we have here,” says Rosslyn Biggs, DVM, OSU assistant clinical professor and director of the Center for Rural Veterinary Medicine.

Biggs says the program’s primary goal is to create practice-ready veterinarians, with a particular focus on mixed and large animal veterinary medicine.

She compares students trained in the current hospital to high-quality livestock coming off a used cattle trailer. “It’s not what the trailer looks like, it’s what stepped out of the trailer that matters, right? It was the product that we were producing.”

She explains that while the building is outdated and past its useful life, the quality of educational output remains exceptional. Just like a trailer’s appearance doesn’t define its value; the hospital’s old infrastructure doesn’t diminish the quality of veterinarians OSU produces or the service it provides. She further elaborates that just as a trailer might need new floors and lights, the hospital needs updates to match the quality of its faculty, staff and students.

“This investment is program-changing,” Biggs says. “It’s program-changing, not only for our students and faculty and staff, but also for animal owners across the state, particularly our farmers and ranchers in rural areas that need the support to do what they do — feed and clothe the world.”

This investment, the largest state appropriation in university history, combined with $78 million allocated in 2023, marks a significant step in advancing the future of veterinary education, food security and public health in Oklahoma.

“We have a great foundation, but this investment is positioning us to be where we should be,” Biggs adds. “We have a priority to serve rural areas, to serve the animal owners there, and help support the veterinarians and work with them, hand in hand.”

The new hospital will feature modern equipment and technologies essential for both large and small animal care, including advanced imaging tools (CT, MRI, radiography and ultrasound), a linear accelerator for oncology treatments and an aqua cow float tank.

The new 255,000-sq.-ft. facility will replace the existing 145,376-sq.-ft. veterinary hospital, which was built to serve 60 students but now supports more than 150. With this expansion, OSU will address one of the most urgent infrastructure needs in its veterinary program while expanding its ability to train the next generation of veterinarians.

Biggs summarizes the investment will allow OSU to upgrade its infrastructure, technology and diagnostic capabilities.

“The goal is to create a facility that meets modern standards and can serve the state and region for decades,” she says.

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Judge Orders Wind Turbines Removed From Osage Nation

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:13:47 GMT

A federal judge in Oklahoma has ordered the removal of an 84-turbine wind farm spread across 8,400 acres in Osage County with a final ruling that ends a decade-long legal battle over illegal mining on the Osage Reservation. The cost for removal of the turbines is estimated at $300 million.

The ruling in Tulsa federal court by U.S. Court of International Trade Judge Jennifer Choe-Groves was against Osage Wind LLC, Enel Kansas LLC and Enel Green Power North America Inc. The order grants the United States and the Osage Nation through its Minerals Council permanent injunctive relief via “ejectment of the wind turbine farm for continuing trespass.”

The Osage Allotment Act of 1906 states that the Osage Nation owns the subsurface rights to minerals in the area. The Minerals Council is an arm of the Osage Nation that manages the Osage Minerals Estate.

A trial date for damages due to the tribe has not been set, but a spokesman for the Osage Minerals Council said the tribe would expect at least the value of damage to the land, all lawyer fees, profits and tax incentives Enel received as a result of the installation.

At issue in the case was whether a mining permit was required to construct the wind farm, located in tallgrass prairie between Pawhuska and Fairfax. The defendants began leasing surface rights from private landowners for the project in 2013, and construction on the wind towers began in October 2013, with excavation for the towers beginning in September 2014.

A 2017 appellate court decision determined the construction of the wind farm constituted mining and therefore a lease from the Osage Nation’s Minerals Council was required.

“The developers failed to acquire a mining lease during or after construction, as well as after issuance of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision holding that a mining lease was required,” Choe-Groves said.

“On the record before the Court, it is clear the Defendants are actively avoiding the leasing requirement,” Choe-Groves said. “Permitting such behavior would create the prospect for future interference with the Osage Mineral Council’s authority by Defendants or others wishing to develop the mineral lease. The Court concludes that Defendants’ past and continued refusal to obtain a lease constitutes interference with the sovereignty of the Osage Nation and is sufficient to constitute irreparable injury.”

Wildfire Battles Continue Over Weekend for Texas, Oklahoma

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:30:27 GMT

After burning for more than six days, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma was only 15% contained Sunday morning, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Now officially the largest wildfire in Texas history, the Smokehouse Creek Fire had burned 1.1 million acres. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said 400 to 500 structures had burned and livestock losses were in the thousands. He said he would be asking for federal assistance and he has declared 60 counties disaster areas.

Two people were confirmed dead as a result of the fire. An 83-year-old grandmother was discovered in the remains of her burned home, and an Amarillo woman in her 40s died when she exited her truck while driving in the city of Canadian.

The Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County, which covers more than 144,000 acres, was 55% contained on Sunday. The Grape Vine Creek fire, at 34,800 acres, was 60% contained. The Magenta Fire in Oldham County, spanning approximately 3,300 acres, was 85% contained. The 2,000-acre 687 Reamer Fire was 10% contained.

Much of the area burned in the Panhandle region is rolling sand hills and the Texas Department of Transporation is now preparing for blowing dust and that can drift onto roads forcing closure.

Oklahoma officials reported at least 14 fires were burning across more than 319,000 acres, much of that spillover from the Smokehouse Creek Fire. The National Weather Service issued a Flag warning—indicating dangerously dry and windy weather—until 9 p.m. Sunday for Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. A cold front was expected to move into the area on Monday and could bring some relief.

Additional information and resources are continually updated and available online at www.tscra.org/disaster-relief-fund .

The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation Disaster Relief Fund here.

Related stories:

Smokehouse Creek Fire is Officially the Largest in Texas History

Wildfires Raging in Texas, Oklahoma Panhandle Region Threaten Residents and Livestock

Oklahoma State University Scientists Score a Big Win, Developing the Turf for Super Bowl LVII

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 16:02:03 GMT

Michigan State University may be credited for developing turf tough enough for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but Oklahoma State University’s Turfgrass Research Center has a new claim to fame: creating the turfgrass for Super Bowl 57.

As the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles gear up to the play in the Super Bowl this weekend, both teams will play the big game on Tahoma 31 – a turf developed by OSU scientists . The turf was selected for the playing field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

“Our turfgrass breeding program really has focused on developing varieties that are tough,” says Thomas Coon, OSU Ag Vice President & Dean.

Tahoma 31 is also resilient, has a fine texture, darker color and can handle drought, cold and shade. OSU plant breeder Dr. Yanqui Wu is on the turf development team.

“Not many bermudagrass seeds are heat tolerant, but it is with Tahoma 31,” Yanqui Wu told Oklahoma State University’s SunUp program. “So, all of these components put together, they make this grass robust in many aspects, so it’s adapted to many locations.”

A new turfgrass variety isn’t developed overnight. It takes 10 to 15 years to research and develop. The extensive testing takes place in the greenhouse, the lab and in the field and can include more than one-thousand experimental plants.

The best variety is then patented and released commercially.

“We have no involvement in the selling of the product itself. It’s just simply the development of it to really try to solve specific problems,” says Scott Senseman, OSU Ag Research Assoc. Vice President. “For instance this year we had a very tough drought year. So, we had some grasses that had some specific characteristics that really handled the drought really well, like perhaps an enhanced root system. And so those are some of the characteristics that a breeder is looking for.”

Royalties from the patents come back to the University for further research. Dr. Dennis Martin is an OSU Extension Turfgrass Specialist on the team.

“The grass is performing and as long as it continues to perform, I think we’ll see it on those facilities,” says Martin. “At the same time, we have the next generation of materials in the pipeline that are experimental to be rolled out.”

It’s great for advancing the field on which the game is played, but also great for advancing science.

“When you start thinking about the reach for our turfgrass, we have it in Soldier Field. We also have it at Churchill Downs. We have it at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.,” says Senseman. “And then to have it at two different playoff games, and then the Super Bowl, I don’t know if anyone could ever claim that they have plant material that people we’re playing on and the performance of that. That’s really astounding.”

In addition to turfgrass research and extension programs – Oklahoma State also has a turfgrass option for students in the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

Original reporting by Oklahoma State’s Sunup TV program.