piedmontese
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Big thunder and lightning storm friday night.next morning find a dead cow.was told she was struck by lightning but not a burn mark on her.what do u think?
COW STRUCK BY LIGHTNING?
- Thread starter piedmontese
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Jeanne - Simme Valley
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I've never had it happen, so don't know what the "signs" are. Sorry for the loss. bummer
slick4591
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Could be. Several years ago lightning hit the neighbor's house that's across the street. My son was on our carport at the time and got a good dose it, so it's possible.
piedmontese
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yea it was a bad deal,she was due in may and only a 4 yr old.i just thought there would be burn marks from a lightning strike.
Wild Cattle
Well-known member
There do not need to be burn marks for a lightning strike, an indirect strike will come through the ground and kill them where they stand or where they are lying down. With a direct strike you can tell what happened, hoof capsules can be blown off as well as the horn shells and there is sometimes a burn mark or a burned smell. Most cattle I have seen killed by lightning are indirect strikes, most I have seen killed at one time is 7 head.
Lucky_P
Well-known member
I've seen both direct and indirect strikes.
Often, with direct hits, there will be linear singe marks in the hair - and sometimes you have to look closely to find them. First time I went out to see a set of lightning-struck cattle, when I was in veterinary practice, I could smell the burnt hair by the time I got within 50 ft of them.
I have also seen cattle standing under a tree that took a direct hit - no marks on the cattle, but when there's a split in the bark from ground to top of the tree, dirt blown up from around the roots, and a bunch of carcasses piled up in the vicinity, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened.
In many cases, the cows will be dropped with a mouthful of grass or a cud in their mouths - something that wouldn't likely happen with any other cause of death.
Often, with direct hits, there will be linear singe marks in the hair - and sometimes you have to look closely to find them. First time I went out to see a set of lightning-struck cattle, when I was in veterinary practice, I could smell the burnt hair by the time I got within 50 ft of them.
I have also seen cattle standing under a tree that took a direct hit - no marks on the cattle, but when there's a split in the bark from ground to top of the tree, dirt blown up from around the roots, and a bunch of carcasses piled up in the vicinity, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened.
In many cases, the cows will be dropped with a mouthful of grass or a cud in their mouths - something that wouldn't likely happen with any other cause of death.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Doc, had it happen to a group of holstein cattle from a simple short in a metal barn. Bull touched the side of the barn with his nose and was killed instantly and it knocked about 6 cows down. They managed to get up and "stumble" off as if to say "WTF". Bull made some great eating. Can only imagine how lightening would do harm a good distance away.
dieselbeef
Well-known member
i have been hit when using a hose before a thunderstorm got to us..was quite a surprise to say the least...
i also have seen many burn marks on barbed wire that will send the hit for miles
cows will git it even being near to the strike...makes the papers quite often in fl
i also have seen many burn marks on barbed wire that will send the hit for miles
cows will git it even being near to the strike...makes the papers quite often in fl
Lucky_P
Well-known member
TXbred,
Had a situation a couple of decades ago - one of our dairy clients had lost several cows, sporadically, with no sign of illness - he'd just find one dead in the barnlot. My partner was there one day doing some herd work, when this cow came walking past the Harvestore, bawled, and fell to the ground, dead. That's when they realized that the powerlines running to the silo unloader had swayed in the wind 'til they'd worn through the insulation, and from time to time, they'd short out, electricity would run down the metal sides of the Harvestore, and electrify the ground, if it was wet enough.
I've seen it before, but had a case just about a year ago - pork producer brought in 2 good top hogs - had found 6 dead in this pen over the past few days. Cut 'em open - and both femurs were broken - looked like you'd set off an M-80 inside the shaft of the bone; one had a lumbosacral fracture/dislocation to boot. Classical 'stray-voltage' electrocution lesion in hogs - their ham muscles are SO strong, that when the 'juice' hits them, they fracture bones, dislocate vertebrae, etc. Got on the phone and called the referring vet to make sure the owners knew the danger. They had an electrician out to check it, and there was a controller shorting out and electrifying the gate into that pen.
In both cases, we were lucky that no person got hurt.
Had a situation a couple of decades ago - one of our dairy clients had lost several cows, sporadically, with no sign of illness - he'd just find one dead in the barnlot. My partner was there one day doing some herd work, when this cow came walking past the Harvestore, bawled, and fell to the ground, dead. That's when they realized that the powerlines running to the silo unloader had swayed in the wind 'til they'd worn through the insulation, and from time to time, they'd short out, electricity would run down the metal sides of the Harvestore, and electrify the ground, if it was wet enough.
I've seen it before, but had a case just about a year ago - pork producer brought in 2 good top hogs - had found 6 dead in this pen over the past few days. Cut 'em open - and both femurs were broken - looked like you'd set off an M-80 inside the shaft of the bone; one had a lumbosacral fracture/dislocation to boot. Classical 'stray-voltage' electrocution lesion in hogs - their ham muscles are SO strong, that when the 'juice' hits them, they fracture bones, dislocate vertebrae, etc. Got on the phone and called the referring vet to make sure the owners knew the danger. They had an electrician out to check it, and there was a controller shorting out and electrifying the gate into that pen.
In both cases, we were lucky that no person got hurt.
plumber_greg
Well-known member
When my bulls were killed this spring, I thought my vet made a good observation. "Three bulls, all laying together, all dead, the day after a lightning storm, with NO signs of any STRUGGLING. I'd say they were killed instantly, and fell where they stood."
That was my first experience with lightning in 35 years of cattle, hope it's the last. gs
That was my first experience with lightning in 35 years of cattle, hope it's the last. gs
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Greg, so it is just "assumed" - they don't show any "signs"? That would be spooky!
I luv herfrds
Well-known member
We lost a cow one year and a calf a different year, both from direct hits.
the cow actually had a hole blown into her back between her tail head and hip bone.
All 4 hooves were blown off.
Pretty nasty find.
the cow actually had a hole blown into her back between her tail head and hip bone.
All 4 hooves were blown off.
Pretty nasty find.
Suzie Q
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With horses it is said they they can also drop with a heart attack from fear if the thunder clap is loud enough.
vclavin
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Several years ago, we went looking for a cow that had't come up with the rest of the herd. Found her at the edge of a pond. We thought she had gotten stuck really deep in mud. Got the tractor out to pull her out and hubby prepared to get in some deep water. Low and behold, she had been hit by lightening and had dropped to her knees. Hooves , if I remember right, were messed up, broken and I think one was missing. We had a calf hit one time, he was sprawled out flat on his belly. I was told lightening was responsible for that position.
Valerie
Valerie
plumber_greg
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Yes Jeanne, nothin' but dead. All three, legs folded up under them, dropped strait down. No sign of anything else. gs
Jeanne - Simme Valley
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I can only imagine how sick you must have felt.plumber_greg":3dponbw5 said:
agmantoo
Well-known member
I lost 8 in one strike. This happened in a cluster of large trees. Seven cows were under the tree that showed signs of the hit with exploded bark. The cattle had no marks on them. The odd thing about this was that the 8th cow was no less than 100 yards away and just as dead as the rest.
Suzie Q
Well-known member
Yes lightning hits the tree goes down through the trunk and of course the ground is wet so it goes quite a way.
Which is why horses that have not been brought up in stables generally do not go in a stable during a storm and stand out in the open and do not stand under trees.
Why cows do stay under trees when there is a storm I do not know, but it is not uncommon for a whole herd to be killed with one strike.
Which is why horses that have not been brought up in stables generally do not go in a stable during a storm and stand out in the open and do not stand under trees.
Why cows do stay under trees when there is a storm I do not know, but it is not uncommon for a whole herd to be killed with one strike.
