COW STRUCK BY LIGHTNING?

[Angus Cowman]

I had a darned good mare killed about 13 yrs ago from lightening and my daughters and I watched it happen
she was standing near a tree that got hit and a small branch was about a foot from her back and it jumped from the branch to her and killed her
It was a terrible sight as it DID NOT kill her instantly blew he about 5 ft and she kept struggling to get up ( seemed like minutes) but was probably only 1 at the most but she had died by the time I got the girls in the other room away from the window and got a gun to shoot her

 

[Suzie Q]

I was inside when a tree near the house was hit by lightning.

Apparently it instantly boils the sap and in so doing petrifies the wood.

We found spears up to 30 metres from the house. In front of the house and the tree was behind the house. Those spears were speared deeply into the ground and standing up.

If it had hit any animal they wouldn't have stood a chance.

 

[Chuckie]

I had a really nice gelding that was struck by lightening. A tree was struck at the upper part of the pasture, and water drained from there to the lower part of the pasture, just over the grass. He was standing in the water, and the current traveled down the stream of water, and hit him.

When I saw him, it appeared that someone had let the air out of him, much like a ballon. His rear legs were straight under him, and his front legs were in front. He was so limp, and lifeless, I knew he was dead. As I ran out to him, I yelled, and I saw him move, then looked like a new born colt trying to get his legs up underneath him, stumbling and falling to the ground and his front legs, spread way apart.

His head and eyes were moving back and forth as if someone had spinned him really fast, and he could not stop his head from going back and forth. I did not get close to him for a bit, but he did not seem to panic. When I realized that he knew it was me, I took him and put him in a dark stable, hoping that the darkness would relieve his eyes from having to focus on anything.

After a while, I realized that this strike had only affected one side. Seems it was his left side, but I cannot remember now, it was so many years ago. I remember how his eyelid drooped, his nostril and his bottom lip drooped also. After two years, the horse regained all the muscle tone in his face. I was really surprised that he fully recovered from it.
The strike affected him pretty much as a stroke affects a person.
Chuckie

 

[BRAFORDMAN]

I had the best crossbred cow i have ever owned( She was large framed big boned thick and milked heavily, and she kept her conditon all year on grass) get struck by lightning about 3 years ago two weeks after having her first calf.

The strike ripped the skin off of here udders.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I had the best crossbred cow i have ever owned( She was large framed big boned thick and milked heavily, and she kept her conditon all year on grass) get struck by lightning about 3 years ago two weeks after having her first calf.

The strike ripped the skin off of here udders.

How do you know she WAS THE BEST CROSSBRED COW YOU EVER OWNED
and How do you know she would KEEP HER CONDITION ALL YR LONG JUST ON GRASS
if she never even raised a calf for you

A cow that isn't nursing had better dang well keep her condition just on grass

 

[hillrancher]

If a animal has been killed by lightneing the buzzards will not eat them. Most of the time the coyottes will not until they decay for a while.
It does not take a direct hit to kill a cow.

 

[Suzie Q]

LOL Angus cowman, I would guess because only the good die young. If not a good cross and lose condition and have no milk, she would live forever.

 

[TexasBred]

I had the best crossbred cow i have ever owned( She was large framed big boned thick and milked heavily, and she kept her conditon all year on grass) get struck by lightning about 3 years ago two weeks after having her first calf.

The strike ripped the skin off of here udders.

Cows have ONE udder...it has teats...I think that must be what you meant.

 

[Big Earl]

We lost our first one to lightning last night. A half grown bull calf. The eyes are rolled way back or blown out, not sure which. Some blood around eye socket. Black film on the water puddle he was laying in. Other than the eye, there was no outward signs of trauma. We got 3/4'' of rain last night, lots of lightning. The ground was close to fully saturated from a rain a couple of nights ago. The puddle was 10 yards from a pond, near the base of a 30' tree. 1/4 mile from any power lines. Well away from any fence The rest of the herd were all bawling and following me around. I was barely able to get the gate closed behind me as I left the pasture, they tried to follow me out. I usually have to push the cattle as they are not trained to follow. I have never seen cattle behave that way before. I am sure it must have been a traumatic experience for all of them. Kind of traumatic to the bottom line too.

 

[cowgirl8]

We had 3 hit under a tree. Could not tell anything with the cows, the tree had a line of missing bark.. Was too late to eat them so we dug a hole and buried them....really sucked.

 

[NolanCountyAG]

Worked all my first calf heifers with their calves today. Was 1 short and found her fairly quickly. Got struck in the storm that rolled through last night is the best I can figure.

 

[Dutch]

We had five laying under a tree. Hooves blown off on four. The one in the center had a burnt stomach. No animal or vultures ate them.

 

[TCRanch]

No animal or vultures ate them.

Lightning!

Scene from Cullman county Al .

www.cattletoday.com

And BTW, welcome to CT!