After the staggering expanse of some of the cows we’ve seen recently, people have been calling out across the world for more bovine content.
Thankfully, the world listened, and here we have for you what is thought to be the world’s smallest cow.
We’ve had Knickers and Dozer, and those guys were undeniably impressive in their stature. But Lil’ Bill is going to be melting hearts everywhere thanks to his diminutive size.
The little fella weights just 4.5kg, which is about the same as a domestic cat, but just a tenth of what other cows his age should weigh.
The calf was taken to the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine by his owners. But thankfully, Lil Bill’ has had the all clear from vets, he’s just a lot smaller than the other cows.
Posting on their Facebook page, the vets said:
Occasionally, we get a case that has us scratching our heads a bit. Lil’ Bill is one of those cases! He was born weighing a little over one-tenth of what newborn calves typically weigh. Stay tuned for more updates on Lil’ Bill!
At the moment, however, the vets have not revealed the reasons why they think Lil Bill is so small, though they are working on a diagnosis.
They wrote:
Rest assured that Lil Bill is still receiving incredible care and lots of love! We are working on a story that will give you all an idea of why he’s so small, what we’re doing for him, and what his prognosis is, so keep your eyes peeled!
The appearance of Lil Bill comes just days after the story of the barnyard behemoth that is Knickers went viral.
Knickers, who lives in Western Australia, stands at 6ft 4inches tall, and weighs in at a whopping 220st. Knickers is what’s known as a ‘coach’ or a ‘steer’ – a castrated male cow that leads other cattle in the herd.
Knickers’ owner, Geoff Pearson, tried to sell the cow at auction last month. However, meat processors at the auction said they couldn’t take him as he was simply too big.
Instead, Knickers will live out his days at Geoff’s farm on Lake Preston, Myalup – around 85 miles south of Perth.
Speaking about how Knickers got his name, Geoff said:
When he was young, when we first got him, we had a Brahman steer [a breed of cattle] which was a friend of his.
So his name was Bra… so we [had] Bra and Knickers. We never thought he would turn into a big knickers.
Massive Knickers, Geoff! However, news of Knickers caught wind, and another cow – called Dozer – challenged the Australian to the title.
Dozer, from Kismet Creek Farm in Manitoba, Canada, apparently stands at six feet five inches – pipping Knickers to the post by an inch.
Dozer is described by his owners as ‘the friendliest animal’, and ended up on their farm/animal sanctuary after being saved from a beef farm by a vegan lady in Alberta.
Who’d have thought 2018’s biggest craze was cow sizes. Can’t wait to see what 2019 holds for us.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk
Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.