[Rockhounds] Cows & earthquakes

[Mark Stanley]

Dear Kreigh:

Yes cows are very sensitive to low level electrical currents.  On our dairy farm we normally have about 6 volts floating around through our milking equipment and water supply.  Actually it is everywhere, but it is easily transfered to the cows through liquid.  We have a special filter that lowers it to less than 2 volts which makes it somewhat tolerable.

One of the reasons cattle are sensitive to low level ground currents is because they are conected to the ground by four feet with out the insulating benefit of rubber or leather soled shoes.

I do not have any experience with earthquakes, but I have seen cows affected by an approaching thunderstorm.  Normally they want to get out of the heavy rains and will quite happily enter the barn at milking time if a storm is present or approaching.  A couple of times they have refused to enter, turned and ran to the far end of the pasture just minutes before the barn was struck by lightning.  Then running back to the barn and entering.  Also if they are in the barn and a storm approaches, they will get very agitated and uneasy just before any close strikes.  Perhaps it has something to do with the electrical charge that builds up on the earth prior to a strike.

I have seen some very amazing results of lightning strikes, as a result I collect Fulgurites.

Mark Stanley
Norwood, Ontario
Canada




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