Oklahoma Ranchers Impacted By Winter Weather

The record cold and winter storms are having an impact on ranchers across Green Country.

Ranchers are not only battling ice so their livestock can access water, but the frigid temperatures are also impacting their equipment.

"The biggest challenge is keeping equipment running. The tractor wouldn't start for two days. When it gets below 15 that diesel fuel will gel up. The feed truck hasn't been running for two days, so we have been sack feeding 250 head of cattle," Pittsburg County Rancher Tim Diehl said.

Ranchers have to be innovative to get through this weather. Diehl also said work that would normally take four hours is taking closer to eight or even ten hours to get done.

They are trying to keep calves alive in this cold, they have been chopping ice at their ponds to give cattle enough water, even things like getting hay to livestock has been a challenge. 

“The biggest challenge is keeping equipment running- like the tractor wouldn’t start for two days. When it gets below 15 that desil fuel will gel up. The feed truck, it hasn’t been running for two days so we have been sack feeding 250 head of cattle,” said  Diehl.

Diehl said he’s been getting tips from other ranchers in town and has been using a burn barrel on his pond to try and keep sections of the water from freezing up.