Specialists believe they have an explanation for the mysterious deaths of several cattle

AXTELL, Texas (KWTX/Gray News) - Ranchers in Texas have been looking for answers over the last several months after many of their healthy cows suddenly died.

Now, they might finally have an explanation.

Cattle rancher Kent Mathis says he has lost five cows, all within the span of just a few months.

After the third death, the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service sent an expert to help determine the cause.

“They did soil samples, grass samples, everything possible and nobody could tell me what was going on,” Mathis explained.

Finally, they had Mathis send in water samples from his tank, which all of the cows drink from, and that’s when he says they found bacteria in the water.

The Agrilife Extension Service found high levels of cyanobacteria, otherwise known as blue-green algae.

Dr. Kevin Washburn, a veterinarian with Texas A&M, says the algae found is pretty common.

“It’s usually not harmful until it undergoes a bloom, which is, basically, a rapid increase in growth or multiplication,” he said.

According to Aquaculture Extension Specialist Todd Sink, these blooms typically happen in stagnant water when there are excess nutrients and it is hot outside.

Sink said that the heavy rain and runoff the area received this spring, likely created the perfect conditions for the algae to bloom.

“Those cows are out there grazing off all the vegetation. They’re defecating, leaving feces in there and it’s all dried out. When you get heavy rain, it washes all of the cow waste right into the pond full of nutrients and the population explodes,” Sink said.

When ingested these release toxins that can either infect the animal’s central nervous system or their liver, leading to sudden death.

“It just causes a tremendous amount of damage in a short period of time, and it happens quickly so animals are usually found dead in the vicinity of the water source,” Washburn said.

To make sure he doesn’t lose any more cattle, Mathis said he had to buy 30 gallons of Cutrine Plus to help control the algae with plans to vaccinate his remaining cows.

“The chemicals were a little over $1,400, and it’ll probably cost me $200 to vaccinate the cows,” Mathis shared.

Between all of the lost cows and the cost of treatments, Mathis says ranchers in the Axtell area have been hit hard this year.

A veterinarian with the Agrilife Extension Service in Waco, who has been looking into the cow deaths, said while the blue-green algae is a likely cause, the team has not yet confirmed a cause of death for the cattle.

Mathis said he has lost another cow this week and the Agrilife Extension Service is continuing their work, including an autopsy on his latest deceased animal.