6 Images

Cattle auction in La Crosse, Kansas

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Cattle gather at a livestock auction in La Crosse, Kansas, to be sold during a recent auction. This livestock market has sold roughly 12,000 more cattle this year than last year because ranchers don't have enough feed to keep them. (David Condos / Kansas News Service)

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A group of cattle pass through the auction ring at La Crosse Livestock Market. With so many ranchers thinning their herds ahead of schedule, the beef industry faces a shortage in the coming years. (David Condos / Kansas News Service)

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La Crosse Livestock Market owner Frank Seidel watches as cattle are auctioned off during a recent sale. (David Condos / Kansas News Service)

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Rancher G.W. Johnston had to sell 52 of his calves at a recent cattle auction in La Crosse. The drought has dried up grazing pastures across the Great Plains, forcing ranchers to thin their herds. (David Condos / Kansas News Service)

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Max Prose of Lane County, Kansas, had to sell off his calves in August. His ranch has received less than half of its normal rainfall this year. (David Condos / Kansas News Service)

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Rancher Gene Tilton said this year was the driest he's seen on his land in Quinter, Kansas, since the drought of 1955. (David Condos / Kansas News Service)