3 ms·
That's a very good point. I'm currently suspecting that the numbers quoted in Blakewell's article are the "hot carcass" weight (i.e. subtracting bone, head, and
by ccooffee 4y ago
That's a very good point. I'm currently suspecting that the numbers quoted in Blakewell's article are the "hot carcass" weight (i.e. subtracting bone, head, and organs from the total weight). An Aurochs (wild ancestor of domesticated cattle) could reach 1300 lbs in the 1500s (and possibly in excess of 3300 lbs prior to recorded history, according to archaeological finds)[0].
If the numbers are hot-carcass weight, we would be seeing:
1700: 370 lbs, 1789: 840 lbs, 2020: 880 lbs [1]
But, uhh, that doesn't feel right either. I think that wikipedia page could use some additional citations, but I'm struggling to find useful numbers with which to update.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs
[1] https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/2020/how-many-pounds-meat-can-we-expect-beef-animal https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/2020/how-many-pounds-meat-can...