Do cows get struck by lightning?

Interviewer: CowboyBenWade, do cows get struck by lightning?

CowboyBenWade: It happens - lightning is a constant threat to every bovine in the world. It's a huge problem. But it's not something you would hear about. Your local news station won't feel the need to tell you about the four cows in a field at the end of the dirt road that lost their lives in the thunderstorm last night.

Interviewer: How does it usually happen?

CowboyBenWade: Cows like to stand under things during rain storms. I like to stand under things during rain storms; I think everyone does. Cows usually have to stand under trees, and that's not too smart to do during a lightning storm. The cows don't understand that, and it's not like you can go out there and bring them inside. They are just too big and there's too many of them.

Interviewer: So the lightning strikes the trees and then hits the cows standing under it for shelter?

CowboyBenWade: They just want to get out of the rain. Sometimes the rain is cold and they just have to take it. Standing under a tree is the only relief they can get, and then bang! That's it.

Interviewer: Have any of your cows been killed in this way?

CowboyBenWade: Not yet, but we do get lots of lightning, and I think about them out there sometimes when they are huddled up under that huge oak tree. I don't think they are scared of the lightning - they probably just don't understand it.

Interviewer: How can we protect cows from lightning strikes?

CowboyBenWade: I've put a lot of thought into this, and I think the best way to reduce the casualties is to plant large trees outside the areas where the cows are. This will draw the lightning away from where the cows are. Lightning strikes the highest thing - so as long as the cow isn't the highest thing then I think it will help.

Interviewer: That's an excellent idea.

CowboyBenWade: This won't work for everyone. Maybe some cow fields are very large, and in many cases you don't want trees planted directly in the field because they draw water away from the grass. For these large farms, there's really nothing you can do. Sometimes the cows is the tallest thing for miles in every direction.

Interviewer: I don't know what to do in that situation either.

CowboyBenWade: Lightning is just a lurking danger, and it kills so many cows each year. Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot you can do about it. Maybe another option is to divide your herds so that they aren't as grouped together. That way if you do have a lightning strike, the damage can be minimized.

Interviewer: I like that idea. How many cows die a year from lightning?

CowboyBenWade: The numbers are in the thousands that are killed each year by lightning. Most bigger farms lose on average one cow every two years to lightning.

Interviewer: That adds up.

CowboyBenWade: Yes it does, and cow farmers have to keep this in mind. It's part of herd mortality. Cows die from a variety of things - not just lightning. But lightning does make an impact, although it is less than other mortality factors. That's great news for anyone worried about lightning strikes harming cattle operations.

Interviewer: How do you tell if a cow got struck by lightning?

CowboyBenWade: It probably won't have big burn marks all over it - it will probably just be lying dead underneath a large tree that does have burn marks or a big split down the middle. That's what lightning does to trees. It's really sad to see a cow go this way, it's just a random way to die.