Let’s examine the animals used by the Israelites in the Bible, listed by economic value, to see how sacrificing affected an individual economically.

Herd animals like bulls are the most expensive because they can pull plows, their skin can be sold as leather, cows make milk, and they are the largest of the kosher farm animals, so they provide the most meat.

Flock animals, such as goats and sheep, are not as large as bulls, but they are still suitable for meat production. Plus, goat’s milk is consumed, and sheep fleece and goat’s wool can be used for clothing.

Birds like pigeons and turtle doves have the smallest amount of meat, and the only secondary products are eggs and feathers. I don’t know how valuable feathers were in the Ancient Near East, but birds are the cheapest of the animals used as livestock.

For the Israelites, Donkeys and Camels are considered unclean and are not suitable for eating or sacrifice, but they are ideal for work, such as carrying equipment and supplies. Donkeys are even used to pull the plow with yokes. These animals are more valuable than birds in the markets, but since they can’t be eaten, sacrificed, or used for clothing, they are considered unclean mammals. Based on the firstborn male sacrifice rules in Ex 13:11-13, Ex 34:19-20, and Num 18:15-17, unclean animals had to be killed outside the camp or substituted with a clean flock animal that could go on the altar. Unclean animals, such as those with leavened bread, cannot be placed on the altar. Human firstborn males were required to be substituted for five shekels of silver.

Male bulls have exceptional value due to their work capacity; they are large and yield the most meat. However, males in general are more expendable than females, since one male can impregnate a whole herd/flock. If the gender ratio is less efficient (i.e., more males than females), then the reproductive output compared to the amount of land the livestock occupies will be a greater loss. Female lambs produce 1 to 3 (let’s say 2) babies on average. So, an average rate of 2 babies per cycle with a male/female ratio of 70/30 makes 60 babies, but the opposite of 30/70 can make 140 babies per cycle. In other words, if you have only enough room on your land for 100 sheep and there are 70 males to 30 females, the males that aren’t making babies are a waste of space, and they may be better off being rented out or sold for their material or meat value in the short term.

Additionally, females produce milk, which is a commodity that can be sold. Males can be used as passive income since they can be rented out to reproduce with people who have mostly females. However, overall, it’s more efficient for the female count to be greater than or equal to the male count. 

Just think about how the value of the animal played into the sacrificial system for the Israelites; this was not an easy decision, as livestock was considered a long-term asset, like stocks today, and those who had less had more to lose. Yet God promised to bless them and provide for them as long as they kept his commands (Deut 28:1-14), so they had to trust God’s promises. Sacrificing a bull was expensive, and flock animals weren’t simple gifts either. In many scenarios, the poor were given the option of sacrificing birds instead (Lev 12:8, 14:21). Unclean animals like donkeys were allowed to be kept by Israel, but they could not be sacrificed on the altar. If they were dedicated as firstborns and killed, it was outside the camp; otherwise, they were substituted like humans. If you want to learn more about the distinction between clean and unclean animals, check out my article on the topic here.