{"id":11413,"date":"2026-05-24T20:27:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T20:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetwistzone.com\/?p=11413"},"modified":"2026-05-24T20:27:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T20:27:19","slug":"farmers-finds-his-pasture-empty-then-stumbles-upon-all-32-of-his-cows-dead-in-a-pile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetwistzone.com\/?p=11413","title":{"rendered":"Farmers finds his pasture empty, then stumbles upon all 32 of his cows dead in a pile"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Given the unpredictability of the world around us, it\u2019s no great surprise that life is so fragile.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Anyone who\u2019s ever lost anyone close to them will know just how quickly things can change, not to mention just how cruel fate can be.<\/p>\n

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\"\"\"\"Yet few will have experienced the strange turn of events witnessed by Jared Blackwelder, a farmer from Springfield, Missouri and his wife Misty, who fed their dairy cows as usual one Saturday morning, not knowing the rare disaster that was about to befall them.<\/div>\n
The tragedy in question took place in 2017<\/a>, but the bizarre nature of how it unfolded makes it an equally fascinating read yet today.<\/div>\n
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As per\u00a0reports<\/a>, Jared and Misty Blackwelder went out to feed their dairy cows comfortable in the knowledge that the recent flooding in their area had passed.<\/p>\n

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There were storm clouds gathering on the horizon and rumbling to be heard in the distance, but the Blackwelders decided to leave their 32-strong humble herd to graze in their pasture until the evening.<\/p>\n

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Credit \/ Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Little did Jared and Misty know, however, that they would return to a devastating scene just a few hours later.<\/p>\n

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All 32 of their dairy cows were said to have been struck by lightning, killing them all and leaving only a pile of corpses for Jared and Misty to find.<\/p>\n

The Wright County Missouri Farm Bureau posted images of the dairy cows at the time, encouraging readers to pray for the Blackwelders.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a common occurrence. It does happen,\u201d MFB President Stan Cody told CBS News. \u201cThe thing that made this the worst was just the sheer number of cows that were affected.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Credit \/ Facebook \u2013 Wright County Missouri Farm Bureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A local veterinarian inspected the Blackwelders\u2019 herd and confirmed that lightning had been the cause of death. Reportedly, he had never seen a lightning strike kill more than six cows at any one time, though given the circumstances, Jared and Misty\u2019s animals may have been huddling together to shelter from the storm.<\/p>\n

The heartbroken Jared said: \u201cIt\u2019s not like they are pets. But the ones I\u2019m milking, I\u2019ve raised every one of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cDairy cattle are a little different because you mess with them twice a day. It knocks you hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not only that, but with each cow valued at between $2,000 and $2,500, the Blackwelders estimated a total loss of more than $60,000.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Given the unpredictability of the world around us, it\u2019s no great surprise that life is so fragile. 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