Once upon a time, everyone hoped that the internet, instead of becoming a bottomless pit of iniquity, would be filled with good and interesting information about large cattle.

And lo, it is.

But the viral photos of Knickers, the very large Australian steer, perhaps the largest steer around, have raised more questions than a leak from the Mueller investigation. The main one being, how did he get to be 6 feet 4 inches at the shoulder, and weigh about 3,000 pounds, so big that he escaped the abattoir. The answer seems to be if you’re a good-sized Holstein steer and you live long enough, you too could be a contender.

What are Holsteins?

They are the Ben and Jerry cows, black and white. They are bred to produce milk. The breed is 2,000 years old and originated in Europe. They are also raised for their meat, and, since Knickers was a steer (a castrated bull), he unfortunately had no future in the dairy business.

How big do cattle usually grow?

It depends on the breed. According to Daren M. Sheffield, production records specialist at the Holstein Association USA, the average Holstein cow is about 4 feet, 10 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs about 1,500 pounds. Steers are usually slaughtered around 15 months at a weight of 1,300 to 1,400 pounds. It is rare for a steer to reach seven years of age.