Cows?
Yep, farmers weren't very concerned about the relative consuption of abundant grasslands or cheap feed, and bred cows for more meat per head. Cows actually got bigger during this time.
Oh how times have changed, and even farm animals are starting to change with the times. A new trend, especially on small farms, is the "mini-cow", which is not actually a genetically-modified big cow, but a regular breed that's been here the whole time.
In an LA Times article, they describe the Mini-Herefords, which "consume about half [the feed] of a full-sized cow yet produce 50% to 75% of the rib-eyes and fillets, according to researchers and budget-conscious farmers," he notes. "Farmers who raise mini Jerseys brag how each animal provides 2 to 3 gallons of milk a day." Grass-fed minicows also "reached their mature weight faster, so they could be sold for meat sooner."
They also produce proportionally less methane. Green cows that fight global warming!
