Around Christmas time farmers order brassieres as Christmas gifts for their cows. They come in sizes small, medium, large and extra large. Most people know cows are equipped to wear bras, but who knew they really did?
Fresh Cows?
"Most cows come fresh that time of year because the farmer has more time to attend to them and there's less work outside," explained Dorothy Rice.
Fresh? She reported that this means they have their calves then and, since it's a good time, the farmer arranges it that way .
Confused? "That means that, as a result, their milk-producing capacity increases," Mrs. Rice explains.
A cow's udders can weigh more than 100 pounds when filled with milk.
The Udder Woman
She has been teasingly called "the udder woman". Mrs. Rice operated the Franksville Specialty Company in Conover, WI and had cow distributors in Cromwell and Pentwater, MI. She was very serious about cow bras. Her father, William Tamm, invented them in the 1940s and they were known as the Tamm Udder Support.
You see, when Bossy steps on her udders and ruins them, she is a candidate for the slaughter house. Most farmers would rather keep her as a milk producer and that is why they buy the canvas bra, which is not very glamorous--it then had no lace or ribbons.
"It crosses over her back in a V and puts the support there, which is much easier," Mrs. Rice explained.
Protecting the $40,000 Prize Cow
Although the cow bra was invented in the 1940s, it was not until the 1960s that it caught on. After all, there were no ads in fashion magazines to promote how well it did its job. By 1976, however, Dorothy's sales had doubled over the past year. "If a farmer has a $40,000 prize cow, he wants it protected," Dorothy said.
"I've had farmers who bought cow bras tell me that when they go to bed at night they can rest easy knowing that all four faucets are safe in that bag," Dorothy explained.
Cow Bras Now Have Lace
Since Dorothy Rice's days cow bras have come a long way. French artist Florence Lukas has designed a new line of bovine clothing. Her cow bras do have lace! The Franksville Specialty Co. is still around. It has online advertising for "Udder Support" as low as $67.95.
Sources: Dec. 20, 1976 edition of the Detroit News and a story titled "Bras for Cow Fill the Need," which appeared in the March, 1977 edition of The Epistle, a genealogy magazine which includes coverage of the Rice family.
