How Much Does a Male Beef Cow Weigh
An average cow weighs between 800lbs and 1400lbs (approximately 360kg – 635kg), although cow weight varies depending on the brood and age of the moo-cow.
The largest cattle breeds can weigh up to 3500lbs (1600kg). Males tend to weigh more females, and beef cows tend to counterbalance more dairy cows.
In this article, we're going to break down average cow weights across various breeds of cattle, learn how much cows weigh at different ages, and look at some things that influence the weight of cattle.
How Heavy are Cows?
Co-ordinate to the USDA, the average weight of all adult cattle at the point of slaughter was 1371lbs (621 kg).
This figure is a good starting point, but it'south non the whole picture. Cattle are usually slaughtered when their weight is every bit high every bit possible to maximize profits, so this effigy is not a true reflection of the boilerplate weight of all living cows
To find the average weight of all cows, we'll look at the average weight of the most common breeds and work out a crude average weight for all cows based on the popularity of each breed.
Distribution of Beef/Dairy Cattle in the USA
In the U.s., the total cattle inventory for 2021 was 93.6 million head of cattle. Co-ordinate to the The states Dept of Agriculture, around 40.half-dozen one thousand thousand of the total cattle in the Usa are adults, with the residue beingness made upward of calves.
Of the 40.vi million adult cattle in the U.s., there are 31.2 million beefiness cattle and 9.4 meg dairy cattle. This ways that around 77% of adult cattle are beefiness cattle and 23% are dairy cattle.
Cattle Inventory (2021) Table
Source: US Dept of Agriculture 2021 Cattle Report
| Number (Head of Cattle) | Percentage of Adult Cattle | |
|---|---|---|
| Full Adult Cattle | 40,600,000 | 100% |
| Beefiness Cattle | 31,200,000 | 76.8% |
| Dairy Cattle | 9,400,000 | 23.two% |
How Much Does an Average Dairy Cow Weigh?
For the average weight of a dairy cow, we will wait at the weight of the Friesian-Holstein breed, since this item breed makes upwards over 94% of all dairy cattle in the Usa.
According to Pennsylvania State University, the median weight of an adult Friesian-Holstein dairy moo-cow is one,200lbs at 24 months .
Dairy cattle usually weigh less than beef cattle, since dairy cows devote a large part of their energy to producing milk, and their lean, efficient bodies mean they don't take to waste material energy on maintaining large muscles.
How Much Does an Boilerplate Beef Cow Weigh?
According to data from the USDA'due south Germplasm Evaluation Report which is conducted annually, the average weight of developed beef cattle across all breeds is 1,390lbs.
Beefiness cattle are usually larger than dairy cattle because they have been selectively bred for size and muscle, whereas dairy cattle have been selected for milk production and as a outcome have thinner, weaker bodies.
Read More: Practice Cows Similar Being Milked?
According to the data, an boilerplate adult beef cow is around 190lbs (86kg) heavier than an average adult dairy cow.
Average Weight of Cows
Using the boilerplate weight of dairy cows (1200lbs) and beef cows (1390lbs), and the distribution of dairy to beef cattle provided by the USDA, we can work out the average weight of all adult cows.
The average weight of all adult living cattle in the United States is one,345lbs or 610kg. This is fabricated upward of 76.8% beef cattle, which weigh 1390lbs on average, and 23.2% dairy cattle, which weigh i,200lbs on average. This effigy is less than the average slaughter weight of cattle, which is 1371lbs (621kg).
What Contributes to Moo-cow Weight?
Cow weight is influenced by several factors, including the breed of cattle, their diet, whether they are male or female (males tend to be larger), and how onetime they are.
Permit's accept a look at a few of these and run into how they influence a cow'south weight:
1: Breed
Cow weight is strongly influenced past their breed, with some miniature breeds weighing as petty as 600lbs, compared to some breeds specifically bred for draft weighing in at over three,000lbs.
Beef cattle breeds like Angus and Hereford tend to weigh more than than dairy breeds like Holstein and Jersey, only the largest breeds are the typhoon breeds similar the mighty Chianna and Limousin, whose large weight can be attributed to the fact that they accept been selectively bred for generations to increase their strength as much as possible.
| Breed | Average Weight (Cows) | Boilerplate Weight (Bulls) |
|---|---|---|
| Angus | 1210lbs (549kg) | 1870lbs (848kgs) |
| Hereford | 1200lbs (544kg) | 1800lbs |
| Limousin | 1650lbs (750kg) | 2530lbs (1150kg) |
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Cattle_breeds
two: Diet
Cows' nutrition influences their weight, with certain high-density feeds like corn, oats, barley, and soy helping cows to grow more quickly compared to a natural nutrition of grass, which is less nutrient-dumbo.
Read More: Can Cows Eat Corn?
3: Age
It goes without proverb that cows become heavier as they age, simply it'south not always obvious simply how desperate a cow's growth can exist.
According to Penn. State Academy, some cattle can grow at a staggering rate of up to 4.5lb (2kg) every day .
Moo-cow calves are around 90lbs when they are born, and achieve their full adult weight after around two years.
Read More: How Long Do Cows Alive?
four: Sex activity
Male cattle are heavier than female cattle, due to their larger heads, denser bones, and higher muscle to fatty ratio.
Within males, bulls tend to exist larger than steers, and male beef cattle tend to be larger than male dairy cattle.
Read Next: How much does it toll to butcher a moo-cow?
Conclusion
To sum upwards, the average cow weighs between 800 and 1400lbs, although their weight varies drastically by brood and depending on their diet, historic period, and sex.
In the United States, the average weight of a beef cow is 1,390lbs, the average weight of a dairy moo-cow is 1,200lbs, and the average weight of all adult cows is approximately 1345lbs (610kg).
When cows are slaughtered, their weight is higher than the average weight of an developed moo-cow. The average live weight of a slaughtered cow in the US is 1,371lbs (621kg). This makes sense, since cows are normally slaughtered when they are at their heaviest, to maximize the meat yield.
Stuart is the editor of Beast Facts. He edits our writers' work besides as contributing his own content. Stuart is passionate about sustainable farming and animal welfare and has written extensively on cows and geese for the site.
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Source: https://faunafacts.com/cows/average-cow-weight/
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