Gruver lies in northern Hansford County, perched on the High Plains near Texas’s northern border. It is classic cattle country, where feedlots and cattle pens define the landscape, the work, and the lifestyle. Years of farming tradition and a tight community of feeders rely on protecting their herds from unpredictable weather events, barn-related accidents, stolen animals, contaminated feed and water, and in a rare but serious case, smothering in winter storms.
National Livestock Insurance delivers Feedlot Cattle Insurance from our Amarillo office with exactly that in mind. This coverage will not pay vet bills or treat illnesses. Instead it protects the full market value of cattle listed in your valuation schedule when they die due to specific events. These events include fire, lightning, windstorm, flood, drowning, building collapse, theft, vandalism or even smothering caused by blizzard conditions. There are optional riders for hypothermia, contaminated feed or water and carcass removal, a package built for the real world of cattle feeding in the High Plains.
Gruver has a semi-arid climate with average summertime highs near 94 degrees in July and bottoms in the early thirties in winter months like December. Rainfall is fairly modest at around twenty inches per year, with July bringing the most rain, about 1.3 inches out of ten rainy days that month. Snow falls sporadically through winter months, with January seeing nearly an inch during a couple of days. So feedlot managers face long, hot, windy battles from May through September and unpredictable cold events from November through February.
Gruver’s flat high elevation and open plains can turn heat into a serious cattle stressor. High temps strain cattle, especially when it stays hot at night. Likewise cold fronts arrive fast after dry spells. A drop to the twenties overnight can chill young or thin cattle into hypothermia . Rainstorms in midsummer can flood low pens, contaminating feed and water or overwhelming pit drains. Rare though winter storms are, when snow blows into pens cattle risk suffocating under drifts.
Adding to climate threats is lightning striking feeders or hay stacks and wind collapsing barns. Theft, vandalism or equipment failure keep feedlot owners on alert. Between tornado history nearby and summer storms, cattle feeders in Gruver face risk year round .
This policy does not treat or medicate cattle but it will pay out market value through a valuation schedule if cattle die due to listed perils. It is a straightforward way to cover losses when cattle are permanently lost to events beyond your control, from smothering in snow to drowning in flood water.
In the heat of July or the cold of December when cattle are lost to fire, windstorm, building collapse, barn failure or lightning strike this coverage responds. If mid-year heavy rainfall floods pens and animals drown or feed and water tanks overflow contaminating livestock that die from toxins there’s a payout. A sudden winter storm with snow packing pens can smother penned cattle, and theft or vandalism is also covered.
Hypothermia coverage supports cases when cattle die from cold exposure rather than illness.
Contaminated feed or water coverage steps in when flooding or algae in water tanks causes death.
Carcass removal coverage helps pay for cleanup after loss, removing risk of disease and letting pens return to service faster.
.png)
.png)
Imagine mid-summer thunderstorm season. A flash flood overflows feed tanks at five o’clock after a late shift. Billions of gallons cannot be stopped in time; several penned cattle drown en route to feed cups. File a claim. Because flood and drowning are covered, valuation schedule payments apply. Carcass removal covers cleanup.
Or picture a November freeze after a dry fall. Snow falls fast and drifts two feet deep. Pens hold cattle that suffocate in minutes. That is smothering in a blizzard. It happened during the “Big Die Up” in the 1880s and still can happen, even in small batches.
A lightning strike in June ignites a blaze by a metal hay feeder and kills cattle nearby. You document, supply vet reports and weather data. Fire and lightning are covered, so valuation-based payment follows.
A lone pen fence is cut; someone takes cattle late at night. Theft coverage responds.
When summer dust storms cause feeder roofs to collapse, and cattle get hurt, building collapse coverage protects value.
Insurance won’t cover death due to neglect. Practices like keeping drainage clear, cleaning troughs after rain, maintaining pen walls, securing feeders, covering feed bins and using clean trailers all support claims. You must take steps to protect cattle; if an investigator finds neglect you may lose coverage. Care during transport, clean trailers, shade, water stops, quite literally keeps coverage valid.
If cattle die due to a covered event, report it to your agent immediately. Collect photos, vet or field statements and inventory counts. Share weather data if helpful. An adjuster with knowledge of Panhandle feedlots will verify losses and confirm cause. Payment is then made based on valuation. Carcass removal is added if the rider is part of policy. The policy is backed by The Hartford’s excellent A+ rating, meaning funds arrive quickly .
Whether you run a modest yard of five hundred cattle or thousands, the valuation schedule and riders adapt. As your operation grows just update your cattle counts. You pay for what you need. Gruver feedlots may expand seasonally or crate cattle during heat periods; your policy shifts with your herd, with no interruption.
National Livestock Insurance is livestock focused and Amarillo based since 1972. Our agents know cattle patterns, climate trends and feeder rhythms from Gruver to Mobeetie. We do more than sell policies. We walk your pens, suggest seasonal risk solutions and alert you to heat waves, cold fronts or storm forecasts. We build relationships, not just risk lists.
Cattle feeding in Gruver means working with volatile weather, unpredictable equipment breakdowns, animal stress and occasional theft or smothering hazards. Feedlot cattle insurance from National Livestock Insurance protects your herd value based on a real market valuation schedule when specific perils strike. Optional riders for hypothermia, contaminated feed or water and carcass removal address less obvious but real risks. Adhering to sound feedlot practices ensures your coverage remains valid. When losses occur rapid recovery lets your operation rebound without a financial hole.
Our Amarillo office team helps feedlot owners evaluate risk, inspect pens and equipment, and build a package that fits. We back it with The Hartford’s financial strength so you get paid when it matters most. Let’s protect your herd and livelihood together. Call or email our team today to begin building your feedlot insurance plan.
Protecting Your Livestock, Securing Your Future
📍 Address: 619 S Tyler St Suite 95, Amarillo, TX 79101
📞 Phone: (806) 372-3801
📧 Email: brandon@longhornre.com
🔹 Our Services: Livestock Insurance | Equine Insurance | Pasture Cattle Insurance | Feedlot Insurance | Poultry Insurance | Livestock Transit Insurance | Dairy Cattle Insurance | Livestock Market/Auction Insurance | Specialized Coverage Options
© 2025 National Livestock Insurance. All Rights Reserved.
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer