Super Cows are on the way and they will not be recognizable.
Image source: http://www.strangeanimals.info/2010/12/belgian-blue-super-cow.html
I discovered from a friend that ranchers are now have access to DNA testing. This was made possible by a company that has been produces DNA kits since November. The DNA kits are ordered on-line. The rancher takes the sample and mails it to the lab for DNA analysis. This DNA data is provided to the rancher and is being added to a massive database that is growing fast.
The cow pictured above was a result of selective breeding and not from finding traits from DNA testing. It was actually caused by a natural rare genetic mutation that makes the cow grow huge muscles with very little fat. The mutation is that the muscles have double the muscle fibers than they should normally have. This trait is normally recessive, but with selective breeding, this trait was made to be a dominate trait.
Selective breeding is very common, but now add in DNA testing along with a database and you have a game changer. What this means is that normally it takes years to determine if a select bull passes on specific traits. Now cows can be tested and ranked on their full spectrum of genetic traits to pass on before the breeding even begins. Instead of trying to get one or two genetic traits to pass to the next generation, a database allows many traits to be married to get a super cow.
The thought is that cows can be selected to be disease resistant, be able to thrive on selective type of vegetation for the area they are raised, or even bred to thrive in certain environments. The reality is much more than that. The DNA opens up the breeding process to make some real crazy mutations.
It is funny that years ago when people would ask me what I want to do with my life would tell them: "I want to genetically modify a cow to produce strawberry milk." Of course it was a joke. I did this because I liked strawberry milk. Now with DNA testing and database is a reality, fresh strawberry flavored milk or even chocolate milk straight from the cow may be in our future.
What do you think?
Do you think it is right?
What genetic modification would you want in your cow if you had the choice?
Think you could selectively breed one so they pooped watermelons? Would pair nicely with strawberry milk!
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Mmmm. Yummy
I do recall being told not to eat the watermelon seeds because they would grown from within.
https://steemit.com/bible/@oldandintheway/james-4-14-kjv
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I still remember as a kid having a dream about a six-legged cow. I even drew a picture of it the next day. It be like two cows in one.
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Haha. That is great! No need to stop there. Now I have an image in my mind of a hundred legged cow. Call it "centicow".
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It will be true when cow will start gym !
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Genetic manipulation has occurred always. When nature does it, it is generally slow so that there is time for the selected to thrive in the changed environment. Doing genetic manipulation in bacteria to produce recombinant insulin is very useful. Doing it for a short term gains like increasing profit or having a better steak is probably disrespect to life.
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I think that the ranchers are saying to create a healthier cow that in their local conditions and vegetation, but what really would happen is there would be no limit to what they will do to the cow as we know it today. It is like the dog pet modifications. Dogs originally came from the wild and were wolves or looked similar to wolves. Now we have designer dogs that fit into purses. Somehow, I don't think that was right.
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The problem is that increased muscle mass on bones and tendons that are not made for that muscle mass may in fact results in problems for the cow, we would need to select better bones via DNA, etc...
I'll give you the example of chickens, chickens meant for meat grow so fast but so fast and so much that their legs can't withstand their weight sometimes...
I think the future isn't this... the future is to grow steea without the need for animals, probably via microbes, etc... much faster and, in the future, less expensive without the need for large pieces of land dedicated just for cows
And even further in the future a 3D printer that prints out our steea
Another problem with super cows in the near future is that they would need more food, which would mean we would need faster crops, faster rain, which in turn would put a lot of stress on the land, we would need to speed up nature... what we should first try to do is decrease the amount of methane the cows release daily, to decrease pollution
Regarding the strawberry milk part, i would love a chocolate protein shake straight from the cow, imagine how awesome it would be xD but i guess the increase in protein content might solidify in the cows tits and increase the probability of infections
I'm putting so much thought into all this... Overthinking much :P
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Haha, that is OK. I was wondering about the bone thing as well. Many cows are raised in feed lots where there is little to no room to roam which would be even more problematic with the extra weight.
I'm seeing more alternate milk products. They are made from soy, coconut, or almonds. We never had that when I was a child.
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This is interesting, I need to wrap my head around it well, I like the fact the this super cows will have less fat but I'm the type that like natural things to remain natural without alterations.
In general I'm neither against it or for it at this stage but I will definitely do with cows without fats since I don't like fat in my beef.
Maybe we could have your strawberry genetically modified cow in the future... lol !
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I don't like the fat either.
I knew my strawberry cow idea was genius!
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Lol!
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OMG have never seen this before...wow thanks for this @socky
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You are welcome @mcsamm
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For some reason that cow looks like it wouldn't taste very good.
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I wonder how it tastes.
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