‘Super Size Me’ to a Whole New Level
Super Size Me – Beef Cattle Are Growing Larger Than Ever
The Washington Post had an article today with another example of how factory farming has gone awry. Keep eating local!
According to Department of Agriculture data, the weight of the average beef cow hovered around 1,000 pounds until the mid-’70s, when advances in genetics, nutrition and growth-promoting hormones began to produce larger animals. Since 1975, the weight of the average cow at slaughter has increased by roughly nine pounds each year — from 996 pounds in 1975 to a whopping 1,363 pounds in 2016. (“Cow” technically refers to adult females, only, but is used colloquially for cattle in general.)