[Troubled Waters]

Please don't shout at me but I have to confess to finding the situation (not the outcome!) very slightly comic, just for the sheer 'you can't make this up' and whimsy of nature.

BUT mostly I feel so sorry for the poor guy and his cows.  Certainly very traumatic!!!
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8100953.stm

[doganjo]

What a shame - poor bullocks and poor farmer.  I wonder if his insurance will cover the loss?  Or is that called an act of this so called god

[HappyHippy]

I saw this on the news and just felt so sad 
It brought back all the feelings from the BSE and foot & mouth outbreaks. It's devastating for the farmers involved when they lose livestock - whether 1 or 100, and the sight of the other cows standing round the dead ones, heartbreaking.
Maybe I'm still reeling with pregnancy hormones, but I personally can't see even the slightest thing comical in the situation(not shouting troubled waters, just disagreeing  )

[sandy]

Brought  tear to my eye,   how sad that they were sheltering, they look so healthy, and what is going through the minds of the catle looking on? I imagine the Farmer is very depressed, hope he gets the support. I was commenting on the thunder and lightening on Sunday and how I remember a bad storm when 2 people were killed, one playing football, Nature is much crueler than man alone!!!

[sellickbhoy]

TW, i know what you mean - if it was politicians/lawyers/traffic wardens sheltering under a tree that got hit by lightning, it would be hilarious

Can't help but feel sorry for the poor guy tho

[Kerrygirl]

Oh My God!  That was terrible  it is such a terrible loss seeing something like that happen to your animals.  The only consolation is that it was probably quick and hopefully there was no suffering.  I wont even go to the mart when we are selling our weanlings as seeing the fellas in the mart hitting our animals would kill me.  I asked my OH could I go and bring a bucket to give them water while they were waiting and he thought I was crazy!  He could see all the farmers (male ones of course ) thinking that he was married to a mad woman, so better thing to do is to just head off to work on that day.

Somehow I think the other bullocks were looking at the vet and the farmer and the fuss going on.  Don't think they were really mourning the bullocks who died, although its a nice though that they were.  I don't think cows/bullocks really have those feelings.  One evening when my OH was out in our slatted unit checking the cows & calves at the end of March when they should have been out, he found one of our best bulls lying dead in the shed.  He called me to come out and help him, we had to drag (the dead weight was too heavy to lift him) him out the door.  Then the normal procedure is to but it up high with the pike of the tractor so that animals couldn't get at him.  I helped get him on to the pike, which was not nice at all.  Once my OH had parked up I just started sobbing.  I'm great in a situation while I am doing it but once its over thats it and the flood gates open!  We reckon that he was attacked by the bull as I saw one of the cows bulling that morning and he must have got in the way.  Cows and calves should have been out but on account of the weather they had to stay in.  Such a shame to see anything happen to your stock.  I really feel for the farmer, there is nothing worse than having to call in the disposal people, especially for 16 fine looking bullocks.  Hopefully he will have better luck for the rest of the year.

[dixie]

Sorry can't share your finding this even mildly amusing, terrible thing to happen

[Roxy]

I wish I had not read this article now. It brought back horrible memories.  My Uncle who farmed this land before us, has twice lost stock to lightening.  Lightening does not strike in the same place they say?  Oh yes, it does.  The cows always sheltered under a big tree when it rained, well away from anything electrical.  The lightening struck and hit one cow.  A neighbour saw it happen, it struggled for a few minutes then was dead.  There were burn marks up both front legs and across its body.

A couple of years later it happened again, in the exact same place. The tree was hit, and the force of the lightening threw 4 beef bullocks right into the river.  All died instantly.  Had to be pulled out with tractor and chains.  Again, all singed.  It was heartbreaking to see them wiped out like that.

As you can understand, I hate lightening now, and worry constantly about my animals, especially if they are in the field where it happened.

[Troubled Waters]

I apologise for any ditress caused.  This was not intentional and my choice of wording did not convey my feelings.  'A sense of irony' would be a better suited turn of phrase I feel. 'Amusement' was not what I was feeling!

We all do our very very best to look after our animals, be they pets or livestock and the fickleness of nature so often detroys our best laid plans. You can't plan for it and you can't legislate against it and it leaves you feeling a little stunned and awed. 

As I originally said I feel so sorry for him and my heart goes out. 

What with this and following the story this week about the collapse of Dairy Farmers of Britian I really admire the fortitude of those that try to provide for nation.  I couldn't do it on that scale. If I can only give those I have the life they deserve then that's a job well done.

[Pigtails]

I feel for this farmer, having once experienced it myself, only with sheep.

Although not responsible for an act of god, the sorrow felt is quite something else.