Cows are large animals that are the basis of agriculture in many countries. And they are appreciated not only because of the large amount of nutritious milk, but also because of their meat. In animal husbandry, the amount of product that an individual can give is very important. Therefore, it is so important for each owner to know how much a cow weighs. And this indicator depends on many factors.
What affects weight
First of all, how much a cow weighs depends on its breed. Representatives of various breeds can weigh from 150 kg to a ton. By productivity, animals are divided into dairy and meat. From the name it is clear that the first cows have high milk yield, while the second are the source of more meat.
In addition to the breed, the weight depends on stress, conditions, animal age. It is worthwhile to elaborate on each item in order to understand how much a cow weighs. This is especially important for those who are going to first acquire this animal.
Dairy breeds
Animals of such breeds give high rates of milk yield, while milk has a high fat content. However, the meat of such cattle is much less nutritious than that of beef cows. In our country, the following dairy breeds are most common:
- Red steppe. How much does the average cow of this breed weigh? About 400-500 kg. An adult bull may weigh up to 900 kg.
- The black-motley breed is no less common, and the weight of these animals is not too different from the previous ones. The female weighs about 500 kg, the male - 800 kg.
- Kholmogorskaya. This breed is one of the very first bred in our country. How much an adult cow of this breed weighs depends on external factors, the average weight of Kholmogory cows is 500 kg. However, individual representatives are known, reaching a mass of 800 kg.
- Holstein. One of the largest cows of the dairy direction. Their average weight is 650 kg. Bulls can weigh about 1200 kg.
Meat breeds
These animals are bred specifically to get tasty and healthy meat. As much meat as possible. It is for this reason that it is so important for the owner of a cow or herd of this direction to monitor how much the cow weighs. In accordance with the indicators, you can change their diet, conditions of detention or decide on the time of slaughter. The meat of these animals has high palatability and is a biologically complete product. The weight of animals, depending on the method of fattening and breed, varies between 650-850 kg in cows and 900-1350 kg in bulls.
The most famous breeds of beef cows : Hereford, light Aquitaine, Russian hornless, Auliekol, Kalmyk, Belgian blue, Kazakh white-headed, Galloway, Kian, Aberdeen-Angus.
Meat and dairy cows
In addition to these, there are intermediate breeds. Animals belonging to them have high rates both in terms of quality and quantity of milk, and in the same parameters of meat. However, according to the best indicators of a specialized direction, they lose.
Thus, a cow belonging to this direction will produce more milk than meat and more meat than dairy. And at the same time, it weighs less than meat and gives less milk than a dairy cow of the same age.
The most famous breeds of this direction: Kostroma, Lebedinsky, Alatau, Red Gorbatov, Simmental.
Stress
Stressful situations greatly affect how much an average cow weighs. And the longer the animal is under stress, the more mass it loses. This is especially worth considering before selling the animal for slaughter, because in this case every kilogram matters.
It is very important to keep in mind that cattle is the owner of an extensive digestive tract. It contains not only food, but also liquid. Thus, how much a cow (live) weighs depends on the fullness of its entrails.
Even during the day, the weight of the animal changes. In the morning, after a night’s sleep, they weigh much less than during the day and evening, after filling the stomach.
Only with manure and urine is lost up to 4.5 kg of animal weight. If the cow is under stress, weight loss can be up to 18% - this is a lot.
Thus, long-term transportation can significantly affect how much an average cow weighs. And an animal with much lower body weight will arrive at the final destination.
Age
Everything is simple and clear here. A young or old animal weighs much less than an adult healthy individual. If the carcasses of young animals reach only 100-150 kg, then the mass of an adult animal will depend on the breed, the way of keeping and feeding conditions.
Feeding and Maintenance
Important for all directions of livestock breeding, but they play a particularly important role in the meat industry. It is clear that even a thoroughbred and promising animal, grazing all day on grass, will not weigh as much as the average cow, whose diet contains cereals, legumes, and vitamin supplements.
In addition, meat walks are not recommended for long walks that contribute to weight loss.
Meat content
A cow is not 100% meat at all. To roughly calculate how much a cow weighs in meat, you need to keep in mind that only the intestines make up about 30% of the total mass. In addition, some parts of the animal that are not of nutritional value should not be taken into account. It is for this reason that it is preferable to sell a cow even for live weight meat.
Record holders
It is clear that bulls weigh much more than cows. Sometimes even more than double. But there are individuals that are much larger than not only cows, but also all their brethren. Some of these animals are even listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
The largest known bull lived in the last century in Switzerland. Donneto weighed 1740 kg, his height at the withers was 190 cm. He belonged to a porcelain breed of cows. Despite its truly gigantic dimensions, the bull was famous for its kind disposition and even received the nickname Dobryak Donneto.
Another prominent bull, Chile, belongs to the Freesian breed, bred earlier from china. As a small calf, he was found near a shelter in Fern (Britain). Nothing indicated that in only ten years he would become a celebrity. Today tourists are coming to him. At the age of ten, the animal weighed 1300 kg, but annually the bull gained more than 100 kg. Like Donneto, Chile is known as a kind and affectionate creature, distinguished, however, by an enviable stubbornness. It is simply impossible to move the bull from its place without his desire.
Another representative of the Freesian breed is Trigger. His height at the withers is 196 cm and weighs 1200 kg. It is curious that they wanted to kill him with a calf, but the neighbor bought it and did not lose it. The length of the trigger from the tip of the nose to the root of the tail is 4.3 m. Currently, the "baby" continues to gain weight, which gives him a chance to get into the Guinness Book of Records. Like many giants, the trigger is good-natured and sweet. He loves to graze in the meadow and eat apples. Despite the good disposition, they cut down his horns so that he would not hurt anyone by accident.
The largest bull these days is Field Marshal of the Charolais breed. Its height at the withers is 190 cm. At the same time, it weighs 1700 kg. This giant was born and lives in England. A good disposition, long hair and furry ears made him a favorite of the whole area. It is curious that this animal eats a little relative to its weight. Almost all year round the bull spends on the pasture. The cows of this rare breed are also unique in that they often bring two calves, which is not typical for cattle.