The price of a cow depends on its weight, breed and location you are buying from. A typical price of a cow ranges from R6000 to R10,000 but it can be a lot cheaper in rural areas in South Africa. A cow is a female bovine. Cows are precious in South Africa as we use them for their milk and meat and also for their leather.
Uses of cows
Cows are a source of:
- Milk
- Meat. We can use meat for human consumption or feed animals.
- Leather is used to make shoes and bags. Leather can also be made into furniture and clothing, but these industries are not as common as they once were in South Africa.
- Manure, which farmers use as fertilizer on their crops when the cow is no longer producing enough milk or meat
Some Popular Cow breeds
akoben
Akoben is a South African breed of cattle, bred by crossbreeding the Bonsmara and Zebu. It’s a good meat producer and is also used to produce milk and leather. This breed is not suited to cold climates but thrives in the hot African plains.
Aberdeen Angus
The Aberdeen Angus is a breed of cow specifically reared for its meat or beef. The cow originates from Angus in Aberdeenshire, North East, Scotland.
Price Factors
To give you a better idea of how much a cow costs, it’s helpful to understand the different factors that influence its price. First, let’s look at weight. There are several breeds of cattle and each one has its size and weight range. Smaller breeds weigh less than larger ones; for example, a Hereford cow could average around 600kg while an Aberdeen Angus might weigh 650kg or more. A second factor is a location: prices can vary wildly from region to region depending on various factors such as supply and demand in that area. For example, if you live in rural South Africa where farming isn’t common practice yet there aren’t many large factories nearby either then it will cost less than if there were more farmers nearby who need animals for their farms!