Dec 1st, 2018: Big Cow

[xoxoxoBruce]

You’ve probably seen pictures of Knickers, they’re all over the internet.
When I first saw them I thought, no surprise, we breed for bigger and bigger meat all the time.
But then I started reading stupid comments like how much milk he can give, until I expected to read someone ask what size eggs he lays.



CNN says “Australian, 7 years old, Holstein-Friesian steer, 194 centimeters (76 inches) tall and weighs 1.4 tonnes (3,086 lbs)”.

ABC Australia says, “tallest steer in Australia, 194 centimetres, 1,400 kilograms(3086 lbs), equals about 4,000 hamburgers.”

But the Washington Post headline says, “Meet Knickers, the giant cow that is neither a cow nor a giant”

For starters, she said, it’s important to note that Knickers is not a cow but a steer, and that males are typically quite a bit larger than females. (Note: Only females that have had at least one calf are referred to as “cows” in cattle circles.) But his breed is also important, Bouwman said.

Male Holsteins tend to top out at just under 6 feet in height, while other breeds, like the wagyu cattle that surround Knickers in the now-famous photos of him, usually come in under 4.5 feet. In other words, Knickers is a large specimen, but he looks larger because he’s standing among a herd of Danny DeVitos, not a herd of Arnold Schwarzeneggers.

The Guardian takes issue with WAPO…

Like it or not, referring to bovines of all sexes as “cow” is widely accepted, and this usage is cited in multiple dictionaries.
And now on to the size. Comparing Knickers to other animals shows that he is, indeed, a very large lad:

Knickers is a mere 8.7cm shorter than the world record holding steer, Bellino, and is 4cm taller than the tallest (female) cow, Blosom.

But Canada says, ours is bigger than yours, neener-neener-neener.
Of course I kidding, Canada wouldn't do that, maybe a passive aggressive mention at most.

When Karl Schoenrock saw the viral photo of Knickers, a six foot four inches tall steer, towering over a herd of cattle, he decided to bust out the measuring tape.

Schoenrock and his wife Raelle run the Kismet Creek Farm animal sanctuary near Steinbach, Man., which is home to another massive bovine named Dozer, who looms large over the farm's other animals — and most of the people, too.
The steer — a castrated bull whose job is to "steer" young cows — came in at just a little taller than 6-5.

I wish the internet and all these high powered news organizations could get this wound up over something that’s actually important.

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