The title of World’s Tallest Steer goes to a purebred Brown Swiss named Tommy, who is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs nearly 3,000 pounds. The 13-year-old “gentle giant” is strictly a pet. Each day, he consumes around 30 pounds of dry grain and 75 pounds of hay, and drinks 35-40 gallons of water to wash it down. The mammoth steer has lived with Fred Balawender and his family since he was born. Although he was a large calf, the family never anticipated that he would grow as large as he has. Brown Swiss steer are commonly one of the largest dairy breeds and are sturdy cows that originated in the Alps. Fred purchased Tommy at a large dairy farm in 2010, effectively saving him from going to auction. He named the steer after Tom Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots. Fred says that people joke all the time about eating Tommy, but he insists that Tommy is a pet and will even be buried on the farm when he passes. Fortunately, Tommy loves people and is especially fond of children. He will even put his head down so Fred’s daughter Laurie can pet him. Tommy loves apples, so Laurie makes sure she always has some on hand to reward Tommy.
