“We immediately rang vets to help and were overwhelmed with support, with 20 vets coming in to help, but there was little they could do as some of the cows died quickly,” family spokesman John Murphy said.
“We are now working with MPI to investigate the cause and the attention is focussed on the portable tank.”
Murphy said he was gutted by the loss which accounted for a quarter of the Cook's herd.
“Cows are like a loved one. In this case it is a multiple loved one, so it takes it to a whole new level.
“For everyone involved it was heart-breaking. Disbelief was the word of the day,” he said.
It has taken its toll on the family emotionally and financially. The value of the cows alone is about $300,000 and the loss of production for the rest of the season also needs to be taken into account.
Murphy said the family was overwhelmed by the amount of support it had received.
“We would like to thank South Taranaki vets for their prompt response and also thanks to Fonterra, Federated Farmers, Rural Support and DairyNZ in what is a very distressing time.”
