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Cows are fully mature at around 24 months old, depending on breed.

They do not have an extended developmental period like humans so the comparison to a 6 year old human based on maximum lifespan is fallacious.

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davidagain@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Even if your numbers were correct, 18 months, the typical slaughter age of cattle, is before adulthood, and a long way before the natural lifespan of between 15-20 years. Male cows are killed young for meat. Female cows are killed once they’re less use for milk.

It shouldn’t be surprising to you. It’s just economics. It makes no financial sense to do otherwise.

I don’t see any point in pretending otherwise and I don’t know why you want to.

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- Cypher@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  
  18 months, the typical slaughter age of cattle, is before adulthood
  
  This is simply not correct, cows are slaughtered at adulthood because they also require time to fully grow and maximise the amount of meat.
  
  Cows reach adulthood relatively quickly. You still seem to be measuring a cows adulthood comparative to a human lifespan which I have already pointed out is useless.
  
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  - davidagain@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    I’m going to repost what @ikidd@lemmy.world said:
    
    I have 320 beef cows, and about that many steers/heifers waiting for market.
    
    18 months on a steer is about 1200lbs, pasture fed then grain finished before slaughter. A non-castrated male can get to 2200lbs after 4-5 years. I’d call that an adult bull. They can breed successfully at damn near any age after 12 months, but I wouldn’t call them developed until about 30.
    
    So full weight is more like 2200lbs, whereas at 18 months they’re only weighing 1200lbs, and aren’t fully grown or adult. Also you can look stuff up on the internet, it’s not hard, you don’t have to make stuff up just because you don’t like the facts.
    
    It’s uneconomic to keep them till they’re adult, the fast rate of growth at the beginning is the profitable bit. Keeping them later costs farmers money they don’t need to spend and can reduce the price of the meat that they’re selling. It doesn’t make any sense financially to let them mature.
    
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- commie@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  male cows are killed at the same age as all other beef cattle.
  
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