The discovery of six dead cows in a Susquehanna County farm pond is under investigation by the state Department of Agriculture.
The cows reportedly wandered onto the ice-covered pond in Bridgewater Twp. on a night in January and fell through. By the time Willa Grove Farm co-owner Will Squier discovered them, they were already dead.
The cows were removed earlier this week from the small body of water.
State law requires that dead animals be disposed of within 48 hours, but "obviously that didn't happen in this case," said state Department of Agriculture spokesperson Nicole Bucher.
As part of the investigation, Ms. Bucher said the agency's veterinarian visited the site on Wednesday. She said the investigation into the incident is expected to be completed within the next week.
According to state regulations, dead animals may be disposed of in four ways: burial, incineration, rendering or composting.
Depending on the outcome of the investigation, Mr. Squier could be assessed a fine of $100 to $300 per summary offense. The department may also seek a civil penalty, according to state law.
Ms. Bucher said, "Our biggest priority is to make sure the animals were disposed of properly." If that happened, Ms. Bucher said the agency would likely be satisfied.
Another Susquehanna County farmer, Robert Fearnley, said it's not unusual for cows to wander onto a frozen pond.
"Cows have no concept of ice and where they stand," he said. "We once had a cow go through the ice. But luckily we found out before she suffered hypothermia."
Attempts to reach Mr. Squier and Willa Grove co-owner David Grosvenor on Thursday were unsuccessful.
Contact the writer: swilson@independent weekender.com