The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF) confirmed it is investigating multiple horse deaths at a ranch in Elk City, Oklahoma.
The ODAFF was notified by a veterinarian on Friday that there was a “potential issue” with horse feed at the Beutler and Son Rodeo Co., where it was reported that up to 70 horses had died, a spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
The spokesperson said the ODAFF assisted ranch employees with the carcass disposal.
“Since ODAFF regulates animal feed, an inspector from the department visited the Beutler and Son site Monday and learned that the feed in question originated in Kansas,” the spokesperson said. “The ODAFF inspector collected a feed sample, and that sample has been sent off for testing.”
The ODAFF notified the Kansas Department of Agriculture of its findings and awaits the feed sample results.
According to the ODAFF, feed is regulated by its Consumer Protection Services division, which ensures quality control standards for agricultural products and pesticide use, the spokesperson said.
The Epoch Times contacted Beutler and Sons for comment but didn’t receive a reply by publication time.
The ranch has been in operation for 90 years, beginning with John Beutler in the 1930s.
By the 1950s, it had become one of the most popular rodeo events in the country while breeding award-winning livestock.
“Much of the rough stock that the Beutlers produced was just as famous as the owners,” the Beutler and Sons website states.
Past Incidents
Though the official cause hasn’t been determined, in December 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that there was a foodborne outbreak of Clostridium botulinum toxicosis that led to several horse deaths beginning with symptoms consistent with botulism.“FDA is aware of at least 98 horses in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas who showed neurologic symptoms,” the FDA said. “At least 52 of these horses died or were euthanized due to declining health.”
The outbreak spread in alfalfa cubes that were later recalled, the FDA said.
