Fluffy cows: Old beauty practice gains attention

[June 20, 2013]  ADEL, Iowa (AP) -- Grooming cows so they look like unusually large poodles is a well-known beautification practice in the show cattle industry.

But although it may be decades old, it's just now getting attention on the Internet.

It started with a photo of a male cow named Texas Tornado who had a particularly fluffy coat. "Fluffy cow" photos are now making the rounds.

The practice is meant to help sell livestock for breeding or harvesting.

The cattle go through a beauty pageant regiment: They're washed, brushed and blow dried. Special oils add an extra fluff.

The bull's owner, Matt Lautner of Lautner Farms in Iowa, helps raise many fluffy cows. He's using social media to run with the overwhelming response, and hopes it brings more attention to the industry.

[Associated Press]

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