‘it’s Going to Cost Us a Pile’: Livestock Producers in Mountain West in Grip of Winter

By Kaleb Roedel

Lucy Rechel, director of the feedlot operations at Snyder Livestock Company, stands near a herd of cattle at the farm located outside of Yerington, Nev., on March 9, 2023.

Livestock producers in the Mountain West have been hit hard by this winter’s weather. That’s why Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for relief.

On a recent morning on a snow-covered farm in Western Nevada, Lucy Rechel had a spring in her step. Rechel, who manages the cattle operation at Snyder Livestock Company, said the cows in the feedlot were feeling good, too, because it was clear-skied and sunny.

“They’re enjoying it. They’re just like, ‘Ahhh, we’ll just stretch out and enjoy this,’ ” Rechel said.

Nice weather has been in short supply in Mason Valley this winter. Many days have been filled with wind, rain or snowstorms. And when that happens here?

“The ground very quickly turns to mud, and we had more mud than I’ve ever seen,” Rechel said. “And it was very wet, sloppy, so the cattle were just standing in this soup, so we had to take pretty significant action to get the cattle comfortable.”