LIVESTOCK & WILDLIFE IMPACT
Many severe effects and fatalities have been reported
The low frequency infrasound generated from large, industrial wind turbines has grave effects on livestock. With an increasing number of industrial-scale wind turbines around the world, numerous reports are surfacing to suggest that noise, infrasound, and stray voltage (dirty energy) may be harmful to livestock and wildlife.
Harmful effects on cattle in and near wind farms
- Kevin Ashenbrenner, a former Wisconsin dairy farmer, had this to say about the effects of wind turbines on his cattle: “It was tough. When I would go out to the barn in the morning, I didn’t know what I would find. We basically ended up losing all the cattle because we had so many injuries and deaths. Milk production was right around 75-80 lbs per cow and around three weeks after the turbines went in, we were down to 28 lbs per cow. After approximately 9 months, 70+ animals either died or went down and had to be euthanized. It just got to the point where we just couldn’t survive anymore on the cattle and we didn’t want to put the cattle through all the effects they were getting off the turbines.”
- Another Wisconsin farmer, Joe Yunk reported: “I had beef cattle for about two years prior to the turbines operating and never lost any animals. However, shortly after the turbines began to operate, I had beef cattle become ill and die. I reported this on the Wisconsin Public Service hotline and nothing was done. I lost ten animals valued $5,000 each over a two year period and couldn’t afford to continue.”
- Farmers in Ontario have observed health problems with their livestock which began shortly after wind turbines were installed. Ontario farmer Ross Brindley reported his cattle exhibited aggressive and erratic behavior, “including the kicking of newborn calves, prolapsed birthing, weight loss, decline in fertility, a high incidence of mastitis, calves being deformed at birth, and a high incidence of stillbirths.” He was driven out of business.
https://docs.wind-watch.org/ADVERSE-HEALTH-EFFECTS-OF-WIND-TURBINES.pdf
(Summary of Recent Research on Adverse Health Effects of Wind Turbines by Keith Stelling, MA, MNIMH,Dip Phyt, MCPP (England)
With additional files from Carmen Krogh, BCsPharm) - With an increasing number of industrial-scale wind turbines around the world, numerous reports are surfacing to suggest that noise, infrasound and stray voltage (dirty energy) may be harmful to livestock and wildlife. While evidence is largely anecdotal, incidences of mass die-offs of farm animals, chickens laying soft-shelled eggs, high animal miscarriage rates and disappearance of wildlife near turbines provide pause for reflection. These and other incidents suggest a need for scientific study to determine safety before additional wind energy facilities are erected across the U.S.
https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/do-wind-turbines-harm-animals
A new study from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, combining an impressive six hundred other studies, describes the severe effects wind turbines can have on wildlife.
Animals are more sensitive than humans
According to Hearing Health USA website, scientific studies show that out of the ten animals known to possess the most sensitive hearing, three of those species are dogs, cats, and horses.[2] Considering the tendency to put wind energy developments on rural lands, where such animal partners are prevalent, it is possible that humankind’s domesticated animals may also suffer, especially when one realizes that infrasound is a human designation based on what sound frequencies are audible to our ears. What has been classified as infrasound can be quite audible to animals with a hearing spectrum wider than our own.