New York ? The widow of a New York dairy farmer who methodically slaughtered 51 cows before taking his own life says she wants to figure out a way to keep the farm going.

Dean Pierson, 59, was found dead Thursday on the floor of his barn in Copake, a rural hamlet 115 miles north of New York City. Nearby, half his herd lay in their milking stalls, also dead of gunshot wounds.

Pierson left no explanation for what he’d done, just a simple note on the barn door warning whoever found it not to come in and to call the police.

But there appeared to be a method to his bloody work. He killed only the cows that required frequent milking, letting 50 others live, including heifers and calves.

Neighbors speculated that he was trying to spare his family the burden of caring for the animals.

He left no suicide note, said his wife, Gwynneth.