In Missouri, you should expect the occasional thunderclap and lightning flash at this time of year.
Recent harsh weather and flooding have caused havoc in the region.
On a Saturday morning, Springfield farmer Jared Blackwelder and his wife Misty heard loud crashes while feeding the dairy cows and didn’t think much of it.
However, when Blackwelder returned to the pasture to gather the cows for the evening milking, he saw a devastating sight: his 32 dairy cows were heaped on top of each other, dead on the mulch.
“He went out to bring the cows in, and that’s when he found them,” said Stan Coday, president of the Wright County Missouri Farm Bureau, to CBS News. “This is a regular occurrence. It happens. What made this worst was the sheer number of animals afflicted.”
A local veterinarian who conducted the check informed Coday that lightning was the cause of the cows’ deaths. It’s conceivable that the cows sought safety under the trees while the storm roared overhead.
“You’re at the mercy of Mother Nature,” Coday added, noting that he had lost a cow to lightning a few years before. Coday remarked that such a loss is extremely distressing, even if farmers are aware of the risk.
“It is not as if they were pets. ” But I’ve raised every one of the cows I’m milking,” Blackwelder told the Springfield News Leader. “Dairy cattle are a bit different because you interact with them twice a day.” “It hits you hard.”
It’s also a monetary calamity. According to the News Leader, Blackwelder claimed he had insurance but was concerned whether it would cover his losses.
He estimates that each certified organic cow is worth $2,000 to $2,500, resulting in a total loss of over $60,000.
“Most producers don’t carry insurance,” Coday added. “If you lose a cow, you’ve lost everything.”
In response to questions from neighbors, Coday, a beef cow breeder, wishes to clarify that it was not possible to recover meat from Blackwelder’s animals.
“Those animals are damaged, and of course, they had been there for a few hours when he found them,” he informed me. “There’s a process to follow when processing an animal.” They would not have been suitable for human consumption.”
Coday also mentioned that because Missouri has gentler weather, most farms do not maintain a specialized cow barn.