‘Yellowstone’ Season 5: Here’s Why Brucellosis Is so Devastating for the Dutton’s Ranch
In Yellowstone 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, leading to many headaches for his family and employees, and the outbreak will cause more issues than a few stillborn calves.
[Warning: Yellowstone Season 5 Episode 7 spoilers ahead.]
What is brucellosis? Here’s what it does to cattle at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch
The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch can’t catch a break in season 5. During episode 7, the wranglers continue to brand cattle at the spring gathering, and even Summer gets a taste of 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 issues and the birth of weak calves. John’s cattle likely caught the disease from a buffalo that roamed in his pasture.
The brucellosis outbreak creates another problem for John Dutton
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there is no economically feasible 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 slaughter the infected herd.
Though his cattle are insured, the money can’t make up for 100 years of genetics. Even if the cattle test negative, John is faced with an even bigger challenge. The south pasture is now unusable because it could further contaminate cattle with brucellosis. John’s livestock will have nothing to eat if they all stay in Montana.
John decides to find land he can lease somewhere in the south so that half the herd can stay there for a while. Rip assembles a crew of cowboys to make the journey and take care of the cattle, but not all of John’s problems are solved.
Beth discovers a possible solution to John’s problem
The brucellosis outbreak in Yellowstone 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 it will cost $1.4 million a month, and John says he will take out a loan to pay for the land.
Beth begins to question why the ranch sells cattle rather than beef, and this leads her to investigate. She places a call to the Four Sixes Ranch to inquire about their methods for selling beef. Beth knows John’s business model needs to change, and she advises her father to take out a loan to try selling beef instead of leasing land for the cattle. Only time will tell if he takes his daughter’s advice.
New episodes of season 5 of Yellowstone premiere Sunday nights on Paramount Network.
