Fluffy Cow: Characteristics, Facts and Figures And More Information

There is a new meme among us: the Internet. It's meaty. It's light and fluffy. It's absolutely adorable. It's called a fluffy cow.

Technically, the thing should be called fluffy bull because the animals in question are mostly male. They are the show steer. But as Farm Progress points out, "fluffy bulls" just doesn't have the same ring to it. Also, the name could be taken to mean "a little demeaning to the bull."

So, what do you need to know about the phenomenon that calls into question so many of our preconceived notions about cattle, coats, and the proper application of hair products? Nothing. But what would you like to know about it? 

A brief explanation follows:

So, exactly what is a fluffy cow?

It's essentially a cow or bull (or a cute, cute calf) that has been primped and pampered into fluffiness. to delightful—and occasionally slightly terrifying—effect.

How do the cattle get so fluffy? Are they bred to be this way?

pampered into fluffiness once more. The creatures' coifs are the result of some time-consuming hairstyling. The amazing hairstyles seen on the fluffy cows were created by ranchers rather than nature. Ranchers are doubling as bovine aestheticians with the help of young members of organisations such as 4-H and Future Farmers of America.

And, like so many successful beauty routines, their strategy requires ongoing maintenance. For the cattle to get their full, fluffy coats, it can take months of "daily care," and sometimes even twice-daily care. There's the laundry. Also, the clipping And the special oils (designed to give cows' coats a touchable, fluffable softness).

Then there's drying with a blow dryer. Plus, there was the hairspray. (Thanks to the hairspray!) "Styling a cow for a show can take about two hours, and you need hairspray to keep all that fur in place and oil to make their coats shine," says one source.

So, hold on. If they're primping for shows, does that mean the fluffy cows will be auctioned off to the highest bidder? They're getting all dressed up just to be sold and eaten?

is done to attract the attention of a judge, who evaluates the animals not only on their appearance but also on their potential to breed (in the case of heifers and bulls) or to provide marketable meat (in the case of market animals).

What Happens After the Show?

Cattle that are two years old are generally too old to compete in most fairs. Some allow older cattle to show with their calf, but most fluffy cows are demoted to just cows after the age of two.

 

They will spend the remainder of their lives in the field, and hopefully one of their offspring will also become a fluffy cow.