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Farmers want to breed ‘uglier’ cows after hordes of influencers inundate farms to take snaps with cattle: ‘My cows don’t get any peace’

Nypost · · 461 words · By Ben Cost
Tourism Impact on Local Wildlife/Farming Practices
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What to know about Tourism Impact on Local Wildlife/Farming Practices

He’s hoping they “steer” clear of his beautiful bovines.

Claims checked 12
Techniques found 1
Topics 1

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left25%
Center50%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

He’s hoping they “steer” clear of his beautiful bovines.

Why it matters

A fed-up UK farmer has pledged to breed uglier cows to curb the relentless tide of influencers lining up to snap selfies and generally harass his handsome Highland Cattle.

Common ground

“The intention is to make them less photogenic,” Alex Birch, from Derbyshire, told the BBC of his plan to de-beautify his bovines.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/21/lifestyle/farmer-plans-to-breed-ugly-cows-to-stop-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 60% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5
check_circle Corroborated 4
schedule Pending 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
info
Claim 1: “Breeding out the beauty would take about six years, he said.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific timeline of 'about six years' for the breeding process is mentioned in the context of the overall story but is not independently corroborated by the provided web search results.
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web search NEUTRAL — Comprehensive guide to cattle reproduction and breeding. Learn about estrous cycles, artificial insemination, genetic selection, and breeding management for optimal livestock productivity.
https://cattledaily.com/cattle-reproduction-breeding/
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web search NEUTRAL — To do this, producers have traditionally used purebred cattle and subjective assessment, but increasingly they are crossbreeding and hybrid breeding and using sophisticated genetic techniques to selec…
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biolog…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Looking for beef cattle reproduction and gestation information? Read all there is about beef cattle breeds, crossbreeding, artificial insemination, and calving.
https://extension.psu.edu/animals-and-livestock/beef-cattle/…
info
Claim 2: “His grandfather David Thorp, was not thrilled with the idea given that the cattle had been in the family ever since he introduced them to the area in the 1970s.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim regarding David Thorp's unhappiness and the cattle's history since the 1970s is not corroborated by the provided web search results, although the web search results are contextually related to the story.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 general election took place on 4 July 2024. Counting began after conclusion of voting at 22:00 the same day and the results for almost all constituencies were declared in the early hours of 5…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candidates_of_the_2024_United_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of characters who first appeared in the British soap opera Emmerdale in 2009, by order of first appearance. Characters until March were introduced by executive producer Keith R…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Emmerdale_characters_i…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a partial list of notable musicians and musical groups, past and present, from the U.S. state of Oregon. The list is grouped by metropolitan area.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oregon_musicians
schedule
Claim 3: “One Highland harasser claimed that one of Birch’s creatures tried to attack his dog when it allegedly trying to defend its calves.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 4: “To stop the intrusive photo-ops, the cattleman has decided to remove his cows’ good looks by crossing them with the whitebred shorthorn, which he described as a “good, hardy cow” that’s “not photogenic” and doesn’t have horns.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm the plan to crossbreed the cattle with a less photogenic breed, specifically mentioning the goal of removing beauty traits.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jul 26, 2023 · A prominent influencer-dog recently went on (sponsored) Farmer's Dog, the owner made a bunch of posts about how great and fresh and human grade it is. Then the dog got super sick with g…
https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/15ac27w/bad_experienc…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nov 20, 2022 · What is a day in the life of a farmer like? Hi Farmers, I am not a farmer myself but have always been intrigued by what farmers do and the lifestyle they live. The reason for my post is…
https://www.reddit.com/r/farming/comments/z095j1/what_is_a_d…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nov 10, 2019 · the farmer, however, CAN plant crops there. so what you do is you make a small observer clock that is constantly updating the "dark" block. this way the villager plants crops there and …
https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/du80lj/do_farmer…
schedule
Claim 5: “And while Birch was allowed to keep his cattle on his 300-acre land, he worries that he could be subject to legal action if a tourist is injured.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 6: “My granddad still wants me to have the Highland cattle, which we breed for meat,” said Birch, who said he’s not taking the decision “lightly.””
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found for this claim in the provided evidence set.
check_circle
Claim 7: “Alex Birch, from Derbyshire, told the BBC of his plan to de-beautify his bovines.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that Alex Birch, a farmer from Derbyshire, announced plans to breed less attractive cattle, citing social media influence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Cattle farmer Alex Birch, from Derbyshire, told the BBC he was taking action to make the cows "less photogenic" in the future due to a "growing trend" on social media.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rx2v0pkqlo
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Alex Birch, a U.K. farmer, plans to breed his Highland cows with another breed to make them "less photogenic" The farmer claims social media has turned the cows into a tourist attraction ...
https://people.com/farmer-plans-to-breed-less-photogenic-cow…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — UK cattle farmer Alex Birch has announced plans to breed uglier cattle to stop the hordes of influencers from harassing them for social media clout.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/21/lifestyle/farmer-plans-to-bree…
info
Claim 8: “He also had to intervene when group of 30 tourists cornered his herd with flashing cameras so they could upload the pics to social media.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail of Birch intervening when a group of 30 tourists cornered his herd with flashing cameras is not independently corroborated by the provided web search results. The evidence suggests high tourist interaction but lacks confirmation of this specific incident count or action.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thora Birch (born March 11, 1982) is an American actress. She made her film debut with a starring role in Purple People Eater (1988) and won a Young Artist Award for "Best Actress Under Nine Years of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thora_Birch
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The John Birch Society (JBS) is an American right-wing political advocacy group. Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist, supports social conservatism, and is associated with ultraconservative, radical …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birch_Society
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Prisoners is a 2013 American crime thriller film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Aaron Guzikowski. The film has an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoners_(2013_film)
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 9: “The 39-year-old cattle farmer said he’d observed a concerning uptick in gawkers flocking to his farm in Baslow Edge to film viral videos of his animals, which are known as “floofy” due to their thick, shaggy fur, The Telegraph reported.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results corroborate that Alex Birch, a farmer, observed an increase in visitors to his farm, noting the cattle's 'floofy' appearance and the influx of tourists.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — MTL Trust Holdings was an English bus, coach and train operator based in Liverpool, Merseyside. MTL was originally part of the MPTE. To comply with the Transport Act 1985, the bus operations were dive…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTL_(transport_company)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Merseybus was a bus operator running bus and coach services predominantly in and around Merseyside, England. Based at Edge Lane, Liverpool, Merseybus was formed as an "arm's length" operation of the M…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merseybus
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A farmer has vowed to make his Highland cows 'less photogenic' through crossbreeding, in a bid to stop influencers flocking to hug them and take selfies. Alex Birch, a cattle farmer from ...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15742753/Farmer-cro…
+ 2 more evidence sources
info
Claim 10: “Birch recalled seeing “someone filming a yoga video next to them” and even discovered bags of veggies that oglers used to feed his cows.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the general theme of tourists visiting and interacting with the cows is corroborated, the specific details about Birch witnessing someone filming yoga or finding bags of veggies are not independently corroborated across the provided web search results. The evidence is suggestive but not confirmed by multiple sources.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 28, 2015 · Alex，作为一个男名，其起源来自于Alexander，即亚历山大，Alex不过是亚历山大的昵称罢了。 然后Alexander的起源来自于两个希腊文词根alex-和-aner。 alex意为保护，而aner意为男人。整个名字即取“人类的保护者”之意。 人们认为Alex是身强体健有著希腊血统的男子,聪明,和善,是令人喜爱的男子形象 ...
https://www.zhihu.com/question/28426271
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 刚看完直播来回答。 Alex Honnold是徒手攀岩里的老人, 他从小基本上把家附近的建筑爬了个遍，直播前采访里也说，他觉徒手攀台北101受伤概率比美式足球，拳击小太多了，前提是你不掉下去。 先说个人观点，徒手攀登危险性极高，不要模仿！ ！！！
https://www.zhihu.com/question/1998731751263004324
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 9 7 皆醉美天下 热爱生活 维基百科＋我的想法 Alex能够吸收掉个体，得到他们的知识，技能，甚至是他们的外表，这让他能随心所欲地伪装自己。 他可以把他的外形改变，创造出武器攻击敌人，生成盔甲保护他自身，覆盖上其他人的外形来隐藏自己的行踪。
https://www.zhihu.com/question/33476104
info
Claim 11: “Despite reporting TikTok videos of his critters, which he claims encourage other click-seekers to follow suit, the platform allegedly never took them down.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The web search results discuss TikTok generally, but none of the provided evidence specifically confirms that TikTok allegedly failed to remove videos reported by the farmer.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — While TikTok remains accessible to users in most countries, a minority of countries (including India and Afghanistan) have implemented full or partial bans. Many other countries limit TikTok's use on …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TikTok
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — TikTok - trends start here. On a device or on the web, viewers can watch and discover millions of personalized short videos. Download the app to get started.
https://www.tiktok.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — TikTok is the global discovery platform for videos, streaming on LIVE, shopping, and more. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. Over a billion people come to TikTok to share what...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zhiliaoapp…
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Claim 12: “A fed-up UK farmer has pledged to breed uglier cows to curb the relentless tide of influencers lining up to snap selfies and generally harass his handsome Highland Cattle.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results independently report that a farmer plans to breed his Highland cattle to be less photogenic to deter social media influencers.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A farmer has revealed that he plans to breed his Highland cows to be less photogenic to deter social media influencers from filming and hugging them.
https://people.com/farmer-plans-to-breed-less-photogenic-cow…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Derbyshire farmer Alex Birch plans to crossbreed his Highland cattle with less photogenic breeds to deter social media influencers from approaching them for selfies and videos.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/derbyshire-farmer-to-br…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Cattle farmer Alex Birch, from Derbyshire, told the BBC he was taking action to make the cows "less photogenic" in the future due to a "growing trend" on social media.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0rx2v0pkqlo
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.