One of which may be more useful than others. The price in that village will rise each time you buy cattle, but the cost will reset after. Cattle can be bought or stolen from Villages, although stealing them will reduce your Reputation with the village. Cattle are small parties of neutral troops that can be driven or brought along with you.
When you have cattle they appear as a separate entity on the map. In addition to increasing the village's loyalty, I believe this also has an effect on its prosperity. One of the quests that you can get from a village is to bring them cattle.
