A Barker farmer made a disturbing discovery Sunday morning when he found one of his dairy cows had been mutilated.

The farmer, a Johnson Creek Road man, told sheriff’s deputies that someone entered his barn overnight and slashed the cow’s throat and back and cut off its hind leg.

The cow had several deep cuts in its neck and back, the report said.

Deputies reported seeing a trail of blood in the barn leading up to where the cow was found.

The farmer said the cow had been chained in its stall Saturday evening.

He told deputies he believed the crime could have been committed by migrant workers who work nearby, the report said.

The incident is under investigation.

The estimated worth of the cow is $2,000, the report said.