Content:
Buying cattle is an important event in the life of a farmer. You need to buy such livestock, which is best suited for the specific conditions of keeping. The article will tell you about how much a cow costs and how exactly the price is formed.
When buy and sell
The answer to this question will be required if the farmer is engaged in breeding cattle.
To do this, you need to choose from the following options:
- dairy cattle;
- dairy and meat direction;
- beef cattle.
If the farm is successful, then there is a need to expand it. In this case, the owner may decide that he needs to additionally purchase cows. This can be done in Russia or in Europe.
How much is a young cow
When buying calves, some can be purchased in 2018 for a price that ranges from 5 to 7 thousand rubles. However, there are also such calves, the price for which is equal to 60 thousand rubles.
Such a wide range of prices is explained by the fact that the price of a particular animal may depend on various factors.
The main reason for price discrepancies is the breed of cattle. Typically, young cows fall into one of two categories:
- Pedigree animals that have breeding certificates.
- Commercial calves.
In Central Russia, the Krasstepnaya and Simmental breeds are popular. If there is a need to focus on the production of veal, then it makes sense to purchase Hereford calves, which will cost more than others.
The next factor to consider is age. It should be borne in mind that young calves grow rapidly. In most cases, they are sold between one and a half weeks to two months.
When buying a calf, the price depends on how much weight it has gained by that time. If the animal is two or three weeks old, then the usual price will be about 5 thousand rubles. With good care, the cow will quickly gain weight. For a monthly calf, the price will rise to 6 thousand rubles. If you buy an animal at the age of three months, then because of its fattening, the price of a cow for sale will rise to 8 thousand.
Between three and nine months of age, calves are rarely sold. At this time, the range of possible prices rises to the amount from 10 to 60 thousand. Moreover, the maximum price is already approaching the price of an adult cow.
How much is an adult cow
When buying, you need to form your own opinion about the following qualities of a cow:
- It is necessary to take into account for what purpose it is planned to purchase a cow on the farm. The purchase must be made taking into account the peculiarities inherent in the dairy or meat direction.
- When buying cattle, you need to check if it has signs of the declared breed.
- Cow age is important. It can be a small calf, a cow, which is several months old, or an adult animal.
- It is important to consider that this is a female who has already given birth, or she has not yet had calves.
- When buying, you need to evaluate the external qualities of the animal. Depending on how it looks, you can make a conclusion about the quality of care for it and the health of the cow.
- Not only physical qualities are important, but also the temperament, character of the cow.
- When buying, you need to find out the performance indicators of the animal. Usually, they are interested in live weight, milk yield (for a dairy cow) and the possible yield of the product when the animal is slaughtered.
- What matters is the quality of the milk, how the milking proceeds. In order to objectively evaluate a dairy cow, you need to inquire about the taste of milk, the fat content and the amount of protein it contains if you milk her regularly.
- The animal, before it was put up for sale, acquired certain habits. In order for it to be more productive in a new place, you need to ask what its features of behavior are, and what it is accustomed to. It is necessary to clarify whether the dairy cow is used to the milking machine.
- When buying, it is recommended to first collect information about the seller's reputation. This information will help reduce the risk of buying a sick or handicapped animal.
When purchasing an animal, it is necessary to consider what exactly such a purchase is made for:
- The cow is bought into the household.
- We are talking about the purchase of cattle by a farmer for his business.
The average price for buying a pregnant cow in most regions of Russia averages 60 thousand rubles.
The difference in the price of cow breeds
When buying beef cows, the most significant indicator when comparing prices for different breeds is their beef productivity. The faster such animals gain weight, the more profit they will give. Accordingly, the cost of their purchase will be higher.
However, factors other than just the one mentioned will play a role in determining the meat yield:
- the conditions in which you need to raise the cow;
- the average weight of an animal in adulthood;
- percentage of product yield during slaughter;
- the weight of the bones of cattle;
- taste characteristics.
"Pitfalls" when buying and selling
When buying dairy cows, you need to consider their age. Some owners are eager to buy a very young individual. This is not always justified, because at this age the animal is not yet accustomed to the milking procedure and will kick during the first months during such attempts.
Some experts believe that the best choice when buying a dairy cow is one that has already calved two or three times. It is believed that in this case the cow showed its strength and health and is not yet old. It is assumed that the cow will delight its owner with abundant milk yield.
When you need to buy calves, the buyer relies on a certain age of the animal. An unscrupulous seller may offer a small animal, passing it off as a calf.The buyer will expect that he can still grow, but in reality this is unlikely to happen. Therefore, it must be remembered that the age of calves cannot be determined only by their appearance.
Tips from experienced breeders
When buying dairy cattle, you must carefully examine the udder of the animal. It is not worth buying a cow from which it is saggy.
You can try to invite the cow to treat yourself to a piece of bread. If she shows little interest in the gift and approaches the person slowly and waddlingly, then it makes sense to pay special attention to this animal when buying.
If you milk a cow, then you need to take a closer look at what the stream will be. It is desirable that it is plentiful, and the resulting milk is rich in appearance.
If you try fresh milk, a healthy cow should taste sweetish. If the cow is sick, then in most cases bitterness will be felt when drinking. In this case, it makes sense to refrain from buying such an animal.
Cows get used to the house very much. After they have a new owner, they will be nervous for some time, which can affect milk yield. In order for the cow to quickly get used to a new place, it is recommended to surround her with care.
Purchasing animals can be done:
- at large livestock farms;
- from private farmers.
The second option is much more common, but at the same time it is more risky - you can easily buy a weak or sick animal at a higher price.
Buying a cow depends on many factors that must be considered when choosing. The better the choice is made, the more benefit the acquired animal will bring to the owner.