Adventures in cow tipping-Fiction!

The Time-Honored Urban Activity of Cow TippingFiction!

Summary of eRumor:
The most commonly told cow tipping story involves a group of college students who got drunk one night, went out to a cow pasture, and teamed up to topple sleeping cows by sneaking up on them and giving them a surprise push.  The story is usually told as documentation of the fact that cow tipping really exists.  There are also people who swear that cow tipping was a form of recreation on their farm or in their community, although they never personally participated in it. The Truth:
Cow tipping is the kind of topic that comes up when there isn’t much else to talk about.   When it does, there is frequently dispute between those who believe cow tipping is real and has happened, and those who say it’s nonsense.

The folks at have been looking into cow tipping since the first time it was brought to our attention in the early 1980’s.  Although there is occasionally someone who swears to have participated in it or seen it, we have not found any credible evidence that it exists.

Further, the cow experts we’ve checked with say that although it’s possible that somebody somewhere has toppled a cow, especially a young one, the logistics of cow tipping argue against it being a routine occurrence.  Adult cows weigh several hundred pounds and are built low to the ground.  They have a low center of gravity.  Pushing one of them over would take a lot of muscle power.  That’s if you could get near enough to pull it off.

Rich Buhler, the founder of, is from cattle country in Arizona and says that even though cows have the reputation of being slow, they are actually very aware and very smart and and that it would be tough for someone to sneak up on one, especially at night.  He also says that cows do not sleep standing up.

Sara Brantmeier, editor of America’s largest dairy industry magazine, told the Charleston Gazette in June, 2001, that cow tipping is a myth and the whole idea is stupid, but humorous. contacted her and she confirmed that cows do not sleep while standing up and she’s never known of any authentic cow tipping.