Do I need Livestock Mortality Insurance in South Carolina

Livestock requires not only a lot of work to care for, but also a lot of money. When you invest so much of your hard-earned profits into your livestock, you need to make sure you’re covered in case of a tragic loss of your animals. Fortunately, livestock mortality insurance exists to protect farmers and other livestock owners for just that reason.

Better yet, South Carolina independent insurance agents can help you get set up with the right livestock mortality insurance for your needs. They’ll make sure you walk away with all the coverage necessary, long before you’d ever need to file a claim. But until then, let’s take a closer look at this important coverage.

What Is Livestock Mortality Insurance?

Livestock mortality insurance is basically a special type of life insurance policy for livestock. This coverage reimburses the livestock’s owner in the event of an animal’s death due to a covered peril. A death benefit will be paid out to the owner upon the covered death or loss of the animal. Benefits are often the amount of the animal’s original purchase price, but this value can be increased over time in certain cases.

What Does Livestock Mortality Insurance Cover in South Carolina?

According to insurance expert Jeffery Green, livestock mortality insurance in South Carolina can cover multiple perils, including:

  • Livestock death due to accidents, sickness, or disease
  • Livestock medical treatment
  • Economic slaughter of livestock
  • Government-enforced slaughter of livestock
  • Theft of livestock

Of course, policies can vary slightly. You’ll want to work with a South Carolina independent insurance agent to ensure that you get set up with the right type of livestock mortality insurance for your needs.

What Animals Does Livestock Mortality Insurance Cover in South Carolina?

Again, coverage can vary slightly by policy, so you’ll need to work with a South Carolina independent insurance agent to make sure you find the coverage necessary for your specific animals. That being said, many livestock mortality policies are designed to cover the following:

  • Cattle
  • Sheep
  • Goats
  • Pigs/Hogs
  • Chickens
  • Emus

Certain types of livestock mortality insurance may require additional specialty coverage for specific animals. Your South Carolina independent insurance agent will be able to find the exact coverage you need to cover all of your livestock.

Livestock Mortality Stats in South Carolina

When shopping for livestock mortality insurance in South Carolina, it’s helpful to know which perils cause the most deaths. Check out these stats for cattle deaths in the US for starters.

Unintended Cattle Losses to Agribusiness (3.9 million), by Rank

In 2011, 26% of unintended cattle losses were due to respiratory problems. Another 18% were due to unknown/unidentified health issues, and 13% were caused by digestive problems.

Knowing that health problems are by far the most common cause of unintentional cattle deaths, it’s easier to see the importance of livestock mortality insurance. Your South Carolina independent insurance agent can inform you of even more good reasons to get coverage for your livestock.

Common Causes That Lead to Livestock Mortality in South Carolina

The more common causes of livestock mortality you’re familiar with, the better prepared you’ll be to deal with the unintentional death of your own. Here are just a few stats for common causes of cattle deaths in the US.

Common Causes of Cattle Non-predator Death Losses in 2015

Predator Death Losses in Cattle in 2015

Non-predator deaths accounted for 98% of adult cattle in 2015. Fortunately, livestock mortality insurance in South Carolina can protect your animals against numerous causes of death.

How Many Animals Can Be Covered under Livestock Mortality Insurance?

According to insurance expert Paul Martin, as many animals can be insured under one policy as you wish. You may want to insure an entire herd at once, or you may have just a few select animals that are more valuable, for whatever reason, that you’d like to cover. You may also want to insure only your pigs and not your chickens. It’s up to you to determine what option makes the most sense for your needs.

How Much Does Livestock Mortality Insurance Cost in South Carolina?

The cost of your livestock mortality insurance in South Carolina will depend on several factors, like:

  • The original purchase price of the animals insured
  • The number of animals insured
  • The age and current value of the animals insured
  • The death benefit amount for insured livestock
  • Your policy’s deductible and coverage limits

Your South Carolina independent insurance agent can help you find exact quotes for livestock mortality insurance in your area, as well as answer any other remaining questions you may have.

Here’s How an Independent Insurance Agent Can Help

When it comes to protecting livestock and its owners against hazards like theft, disease, and other disasters, no one’s better equipped to help than an independent insurance agent. South Carolina independent insurance agents search through multiple carriers to find providers who specialize in livestock mortality insurance, deliver quotes from a number of different sources, and help you walk through them all to find the best blend of coverage and cost.

Article Reviewed by | Paul Martin

Article Reviewed by | Jeffery Green

graphic for chart - https://wildearthguardians.org/historical-archive/livestock-losses/

second stats source (for pie charts) - https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahms/general/downloads/cattle_calves_deathloss_2015.pdf

iii.org

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