In yellow stone Season 5, Episode 7, Brucellosis rears its ugly head at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. The dangerous disease appears to have infected some of John Dutton’s cattle, causing a lot of heartache for his family and employees, and the outbreak will cause more trouble than a few stillborn calves.
[Warning: Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 7 spoilers ahead.]
What is brucellosis? This Is What It Does To Cattle At Yellowstone Dutton Ranch
Yellowstone Dutton Ranch can’t catch a break in season 5. During episode 7, the cowboys continue to branded cattle at spring meeting, and even Summer gets a taste of the cowboy life. Unfortunately, John and his men find quite a few stillborn buffalo calves on his land.
This ominous sign leads John to believe that his cattle have been infected with brucellosis, a contagious disease that causes reproductive problems and the birth of weak calves. John’s cattle probably contracted the disease from a buffalo that roamed his pasture.
Brucellosis outbreak creates another problem for John Dutton
According to the US Department of Agriculture, there is no economically viable way to treat brucellosis in cattle. In humans, the disease is treated with weeks of antibiotic use. John points out that if the state of Montana finds out, they will cull the infected herd.
Although your cattle are insured, money can’t make up for a hundred years of genetics. Even if the cattle test result is negative, John faces an even bigger challenge. Southern pasture cannot now be used because it could further contaminate cattle with brucellosis. John’s cattle will have nothing to eat if they all stay in Montana.
John decides to find a piece of land that he can lease somewhere in the south so that half of the pack can stay there for a while. Rip assembles a crew of cowboys to make the trip and tend the cattle, but not all of John’s problems are solved.
Beth discovers a possible solution to John’s problem.
The outbreak of brucellosis in yellow stone Season 5 creates an even bigger problem for the ranch. Leasing land for John’s cattle isn’t going to be cheap. John and Beth estimate that it will cost $1.4 million a month, and John says that he will take out a loan to pay for the land.
Beth begins to wonder why the ranch sells cattle instead of beef, which leads her to investigate. She calls the Four Sixes Ranch to ask about her methods of selling beef. Knowing that John’s business model needs to change, Beth advises her father to take out a loan to try to sell beef instead of leasing land for cattle. Only time will tell if she follows her daughter’s advice.
New episodes of season 5 of yellow stone premieres on Sunday nights on the Paramount Network.