Thirteen cows killed by single lightning bolt...

smh.com.au ^ | December 18, 2003 - 4:32PM | staff?

[Yeti]

A single lightning strike is believed to have killed 13 prized dairy cows at Fernvale, west of Brisbane.

Dairy farmer David Potter said he believed the lightning hit a tree the Friesians were under and they were killed in a "chain reaction".

"There was two big claps of thunder and when I went to get the cows, there were 13 of them dead under the tree," Mr Potter said.

"You could see where the lightning had hit the tree. It's just one of them things.

"We've had storms through here before with lightning and never had anything like that happen before.

"I've never heard of anything like this. It's ... just unlucky - unlucky 13."

Mr Potter, who runs a farm of 300 milking cows, said the dead Friesians, all under six years-old, were uninsured.

He said they would cost up to $1000 each to replace.

The cows would have produced about 300 litres of milk a day but Mr Potter said he had no immediate plans to replace them.

Mr Potter said the cows' deaths added more pressure after having to battle drought, increased feed prices and low milk prices.

He said recent showers were welcome but more follow-up rain was needed.

"It doesn't go very far at all, the paddocks are that dry," he said.

"It's turned the grass around now but we need a fair bit more of it."

AAP

[Yeti]

All the EE's know why this happened. The cows should have been tangentially aligned with the tree, instead of radially aligned.

[martin_fierro]

BEHOLD THE POWER OF...

... ZOT!

[crz]

Were they well done?

[evad]

Another golden opportunity..
Prime Rib feast.

Set up the tables and charge $10 a head.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Those weren't cows. Those were all DU trolls, attempting to crash the party hereabouts... until they mods ZOTted 'em! :)

[MadelineZapeezda]

BBQ Ribs????

[GirlShortstop]

 
Potter said...."You could see where the lightning had hit the tree...."

No! Doggone it! You sit around here and you spin your little webs and you think the whole world revolves around you and your [cows].  Well, it doesn't, Mr. Potter.   In the...in the whole vast configuration of things, I'd say you were nothing but a scurvy little spider.  Or you, too. And it goes for you, too.

A little classical Christmas humour.

M E R R Y   C H R I S T M A S

[Poohbah]

Multiple Independently-targeted Reentry ZOTs!

But it looks like this one violated the START and START II fractionation limits.

[Jonah Hex]

"Old MacDonald had some cows..."

[BADROTOFINGER]

Damn straight. Fire up the Q, baby!!!...JFK

[MinuteGal]

The Cardinal said that Saddam was "being treated like a cow."

We should be so lucky.

Leni

[GirlShortstop]

The Cardinal said that Saddam was "being treated like a cow."

We should be so lucky.

Good one!  

[Bluntpoint]

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[the invisib1e hand]

A little classical Christmas humour.

LO Freakin' L

[Bluntpoint]

Was it lightning or some prank related death?

[Pure Country]

We had this happen on our dairy farm in Ohio when I was young. We lost practically our whole herd when lightning hit a fence. It was a horrible sight. All the cows were flipped on their backs with their feet straight up. Back then we didn't have insurance for this type of thing. I don't know how Dad pulled through it, but he did. I feel for this guy.

[Pure Country]

LOL....I just saw your pic. That's exactly what our whole herd looked like.

[Bluntpoint]

I lost some cows when lightning hit a big mulberry tree and it conducted through the roots and killed the cows within the vicinity of the tree.

[Tamzee]

Cow Superheroes is my FAVORITE