In Missouri, occasional lightning strikes and thunderclaps are to be expected this time of year.
The area has suffered greatly as a result of recent severe weather and flooding.
Springfield farmer Jared Blackwelder and his wife Misty heard loud crashes on a Saturday morning after feeding the dairy cows, but they didn’t give it much attention.
But when Blackwelder went back to the pasture to gather the cows for the nighttime milking, he saw the terrible scene: his thirty-two dairy cows lying dead on the mulch piled on top of one another.
According to Stan Coday, president of the Wright County Missouri Farm Bureau, “he went out to bring the cows in and that’s when he found them,” CBS News reported.It occurs frequently. It does occur. The sheer quantity of animals impacted was what made this situation the worst.
The local veterinarian who performed the examination informed Coday that lightning was, in fact, the reason behind the cows’ deaths.
The cows might have sought cover under the trees in unison as the storm raged overhead.
Coday stated, “You’re at the mercy of mother nature,” and mentioned that he had lost a cow to lightning a few years prior.
Coday said that although farmers are aware of the possibility, suffering such a loss is extremely tough.
They are not like pets at all. However, I’ve raised every one of the ones I’m milking,” Blackwelder said to the Springfield News-Leader.Because you handle dairy cattle twice a day, they are a little different. It gives you a strong knock.
It’s also a financial debacle.
Blackwelder claimed to have insurance, but the News-Leader said he’s not sure if it will pay for his losses.
He estimates that the worth of each certified organic cow is between $2,000 and $2,500, resulting in a nearly $60,000.
“The majority of producers don’t have insurance,” Coday stated.“You lose everything if you lose a cow.”
In response to inquiries from nearby neighbors, Coday, a breeder of beef cows, would like to make it clear that meat from Blackwelder’s animals could not be recovered.
“Those animals are damaged, and when he found them, they had obviously been there for a few hours,” he remarked.An animal must go through a certain procedure in order to be processed. They wouldn’t have been suitable for ingestion by humans.
Because of Missouri’s gentler climate, Coday also pointed out that the majority of farmers in the state do not own a separate cow barn.
Woman Leaves Newborn on Business Class Plane Seat, Decides to Find Him 13 Years Later
Rhonda’s life was turned upside down when she discovered she was pregnant at 16. Her wealthy father, David Harris, was outraged and gave her an ultimatum: “Abort the baby or leave the house.” Rhonda refused to terminate the pregnancy and left home, only to be abandoned by her boyfriend, Peter. Homeless and heartbroken, Rhonda wandered the streets until she went into labor.
A kind woman named Angela Bamford found Rhonda in distress and rushed her to the hospital. After giving birth to a baby boy, Rhonda, overwhelmed with fear, left her son on a plane with a note naming him Matthew Harris, hoping someone would give him a better life.
Years later, Rhonda, haunted by guilt, sought out her son, now 13 and adopted by Lincy, the flight attendant who had found him. Matthew was furious and rejected her, struggling to understand how his mother could have abandoned him.
Over time, Matthew softened, and they began to rebuild their relationship. By the time he was 23, Matthew forgave Rhonda, realizing her actions were driven by desperation.
Now, Rhonda’s life has come full circle. She has started dating a man named Andrew and reconnected with Angela, who was pleased to see Rhonda’s progress. With perseverance and support, Rhonda mended her relationship with the son she once thought she’d lost forever.
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