Horns Keep Growing On Unusual Steer
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A steady stream of visitors have been heading to a hobby farm in Arkansas over the past year or so to get a look at a giant-horned steer named Lurch, a Watusi with horns that might be approaching a Guiness Book of World Records listing.
We read about Lurch in a recent issue of Rare Breeds Journal, a publication out of Nebraska that's dedicated to covering exotic animals (for a free sample copy of the magazine, contact: Rare Breeds Journal, P.O. Box 66, Crawford, Neb. 69339 ph 308 665-1431).
Watusi cattle originated in Africa but have been in this country for years (see FARM SHOW's Vol. 10, No. 6), but there's never been another one with horns like Lurch. And owner Janice Wolf, of Gassville, Ark., says they just keep growing.
"A friend of mine was recently in Africa and inquired about the Watusi and whether there are any with big horns. She was told that big horns used to be a common attribute but that those cattle had died off years ago. So maybe Lurch is a genetic throwback to earlier days," she says.
Lurch is not even 4 years old yet but the circumference of his horns is 35 in. at the base. The length of the horns from tip to tip is 61 in. and Wolf says they're solid and heavy, "But he doesn't seem to notice. I suppose he has just gotten used to them gradually," she notes, adding that she never pushed the extra growth with special feed or anything out of the ordinary.
Lurch is actually 7/8 Watusi and 1/8 Texas longhorn. Wolf says he's extremely gentle and she has raised him as a pet. Lately, he's become a big attraction in local parades. Wolf used to saddle and ride him but his horns got so long they would hit her legs when he turned his head.
For now, Wolf just plans to stand back and see how big the horns grow. She hopes he'll end up in the Guiness Book of World Records.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Janice Wolf, 425 County Rd. 1123, Gassville, Ark. 72635 (ph 870 430-5783).
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Horns Keep Growing On Unusual Steer LIVESTOCK Beef 23-5-21 A steady stream of visitors have been heading to a hobby farm in Arkansas over the past year or so to get a look at a giant-horned steer named Lurch, a Watusi with horns that might be approaching a Guiness Book of World Records listing.
We read about Lurch in a recent issue of Rare Breeds Journal, a publication out of Nebraska that's dedicated to covering exotic animals (for a free sample copy of the magazine, contact: Rare Breeds Journal, P.O. Box 66, Crawford, Neb. 69339 ph 308 665-1431).
Watusi cattle originated in Africa but have been in this country for years (see FARM SHOW's Vol. 10, No. 6), but there's never been another one with horns like Lurch. And owner Janice Wolf, of Gassville, Ark., says they just keep growing.
"A friend of mine was recently in Africa and inquired about the Watusi and whether there are any with big horns. She was told that big horns used to be a common attribute but that those cattle had died off years ago. So maybe Lurch is a genetic throwback to earlier days," she says.
Lurch is not even 4 years old yet but the circumference of his horns is 35 in. at the base. The length of the horns from tip to tip is 61 in. and Wolf says they're solid and heavy, "But he doesn't seem to notice. I suppose he has just gotten used to them gradually," she notes, adding that she never pushed the extra growth with special feed or anything out of the ordinary.
Lurch is actually 7/8 Watusi and 1/8 Texas longhorn. Wolf says he's extremely gentle and she has raised him as a pet. Lately, he's become a big attraction in local parades. Wolf used to saddle and ride him but his horns got so long they would hit her legs when he turned his head.
For now, Wolf just plans to stand back and see how big the horns grow. She hopes he'll end up in the Guiness Book of World Records.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Janice Wolf, 425 County Rd. 1123, Gassville, Ark. 72635 (ph 870 430-5783).
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