A giant 2,500-pound bull has left the internet gaping after its owner shared pictures of her giant pet online.
Rancher Chrissy Chin lives in British Columbia, Canada and has a very special bond with Ricky the Ox.
“Ricky is a pet,” Chin said news week. “He’s not being raised for beef — he’s strictly a pet.”
Chrissy Chin
On the family ranch, Chin and her parents keep four cattle as pets and a herd of black and red Angus breed cattle. Despite his experience of raising cattle, nobody expected Ricky to grow so large.
“When I kept him almost eight years ago, I never thought he would grow to this impressive size,” Chin said. “He even shocks ranchers when they come by.”
A bull, also called a Bullock, is a young, castrated male bovine. Raised primarily for beef, they grow into an steer after about two or three years.
Neutered males are more docile, and their average height and weight varies greatly by breed, but generally ranges from 1,000 to 3,000 pounds – which puts Ricky at the top.
Chrissy Chin
“You should saddle him up and ride the prairie,” one commenter joked on Reddit, while another said, “That’s the coolest pic.”
Chin, a big part of the family, says Ricky has a personality of his own. “Ricky is very cute,” she said. “He loves a good cuddle. I could spend hours just hugging him or lying on his back in the field.”
“He loves to hit on the neighbors as they walk by or anyone who pulls up at our gate,” she added. “No matter what cows we bring to Ricky’s pasture, after a week with him they are super friendly.”
“It weighs more than my car,” said one stunned commenter on Reddit.
Another delighted viewer wrote: “His face looks like he has a cute little smile or grin. He looks so happy.”
Although Ricky hasn’t been weighed in several years, it’s safe to assume he weighs at least 2,500 pounds since the ranch’s hydraulic lift, which can measure up to 2,500 pounds, can no longer lift him.
Another commenter shared a similar story, saying: “I have a bottle calf that is now 1,200lbs. He loves my family and especially likes to play with my sons and me. By the time he hit about 600 pounds he was starting to get really dangerous as he has no idea how much bigger he is than us. He will need to go to a processor soon as he is too big and dangerous to keep as a pet.”
Pleased with Ricky’s popularity online, Chin said she loves showing off her animals: “I love sharing my farm life on Reddit,” she said. “I like to see how some people see that they are loving creatures that have the potential to be loving like a pet. It makes me smile to know people heard Ricky’s story.”
