Meet the “Claudia Schiffer of cows,” Canada’s $1.2-million superbovine

Popular Mechanics has provided a thorough analysis of why Missy, a P.E.I.-bred supercow alternately known as the Claudia Schiffer or Gisele Bündchen of bovines, sold for a staggering $1.2 million at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto last year. The supermodel comparison is apt, as Missy’s teats and legs are apparently unrivalled miracles of biology. Dairy farmers prefer teats that are perpendicular to the ground, bearing a shape that is compatible with milking machines. Missy’s well-developed legs indicate a healthy heart and chest cavity and provide more room for the udder (ideally, a cow’s udder should be at least eight inches wide, with strong supporting ligaments).

Missy is also a top-notch producer, providing 50 per cent more milk than the average cow, all of it higher in protein. Over the next seven years, Missy could spawn up to 75 supercows that carry her elite genes. Of course, on the downside, mass idolization of Missy’s nearly unobtainable physical attributes can’t be good for the self-esteem of cows worldwide.