These cattle thieves don't want the whole cow, just the meat.
With the rise in cattle prices, cattle thefts are running rampant in the Midwest.
Traditionally people drive livestock trailers into fields at night and make off with several cows at a time. But some thieves in Texas are now field dressing animals in pastures and making off with the meat, leaving the animal carcass behind.
Cattle thefts add up to millions of dollars in losses for U.S. ranches and farms.
While cattle thefts have been reported in Missouri, hog thefts are more common in Iowa.
Officials with the Illinois Farm Bureau say this serves as an excellent warning for farmers to remain vigilant - especially because commodity prices for these products are high.
Although there is a voluntary national livestock identification system very few ranchers and farmers participate in it.
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