Livestock

Many people raise farm animals.

These are called livestock. Cows and sheep are common kinds.

Animals give us many things. They give us milk and eggs. They also give us wool and meat. Some animals help people work. Horses can pull heavy loads.

People have raised animals for a long time. It is a big part of life for many. We learn how to care for them well.

Livestock are animals raised by people for many uses.

People keep them for food like meat, milk, and eggs. They also use them for wool, fur, and leather. Some animals help with work. For example, horses can pull heavy loads or be used for racing.

People have raised animals since they began farming long ago. This care is called animal husbandry. It includes breeding and keeping animals healthy. Some animals, like sheep and goats, were raised thousands of years ago.

There are different ways to farm. In some places, animals roam freely on large lands. This is called ranching. In other places, animals are kept in small spaces. This is called intensive farming. Intensive farming can make more products, but it can also hurt the environment.

Farmers must also protect animals from predators. Animals like wolves or lions may try to hunt them. Farmers also work hard to keep animals from getting sick. They use medicine and clean spaces to help.

This helps keep the animals and people safe.

Livestock are animals that people raise in a farming setting.

They provide many different products for people to use. We get meat, milk, and eggs from them. We also use their fur, leather, and wool. Some animals provide labor to help humans with work.

For example, horses can be used for riding or pulling heavy loads. This way of raising animals is called animal husbandry. It is a very important part of modern agriculture.

There are different ways that farmers manage their animals. In extensive systems, animals roam freely or under a herdsman.

Ranching in the Western United States is a good example. In these systems, large herds graze on wide lands. At the other extreme is intensive farming. In these systems, animals are often kept in controlled buildings.

For instance, dairy cows might stay in places where all their food is brought to them. This can increase how much food is produced.

Humans have practiced animal husbandry since they began farming. This happened when people moved from hunting to settled life.

Different animals were domesticated at different times. Dogs were among the first, appearing in Europe about 15,000 years ago.

Cattle were domesticated about 10,500 years ago. Sheep and goats were raised in Southwest Asia between 11,000 and 5,000 years ago. Pigs were raised in the Near East by 8,500 BC. Horses were domesticated around 4,000 BC.

Rules and laws help define what counts as livestock. In the United States, the term can change depending on the law.

The Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999 only includes cattle, swine, and sheep. However, a 1988 law included many more animals. This list included goats, poultry, and even fish used for food. The USDA classifies meat like pork, veal, beef, and lamb as livestock.

They call all of these types of meat "red meat." This helps the government manage food and safety.

Farmers must work hard to keep their animals healthy and safe. They must protect them from predators like wolves or lions.

They also use medicine to help if animals get sick. Good hygiene and feeding are the best ways to help.

When animals are ready, they are moved to markets. Some are driven on the hoof to a town. In many modern places, they are moved by trucks. Farmers even enter their best animals into stock shows to compete.

Livestock refers to domesticated animals raised in agricultural settings.

Humans raise these animals to provide labor and diverse products. These products include meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term can be used very broadly or very narrowly. Broadly, it includes any animal population kept for commercial purposes. Narrowly, it sometimes refers only to farmed ruminants, like cattle, sheep, or goats. The practice of breeding and maintaining these animals is called animal husbandry. This practice is a fundamental part of modern agriculture.

Animal husbandry involves complex management of animal life cycles. Farmers must control breeding and living conditions to ensure domestication. This control changes the collective behavior and physiology of the animals. Traditionally, husbandry helped subsistence farmers produce food, fuel, and fertilizer. It also provided clothing and draught power for transport. In many traditional systems, farmers harvested products while animals were still alive. For example, the Maasai people harvest milk and blood. In some systems, humans practice transhumance. This involves moving livestock between seasonal pastures in mountains and valleys.

Farming methods exist on a spectrum from extensive to intensive. Extensive systems allow animals to roam freely or under a herdsman.

Ranching in the Western United States uses large herds grazing on wide lands. Similar stations exist in Australia and South America. In the United Kingdom, sheep graze mountain grasses untended in spring. At the other extreme, intensive farming uses highly controlled environments. Dairy cows may live in zero-grazing conditions where forage is brought to them. Beef cattle might stay in high-density feedlots. Pigs may live in climate-controlled buildings without going outdoors.

History shows that domestication occurred in many different stages. This process began during the transition from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settled farming. Dogs were domesticated very early, appearing in Europe about 15,000 years ago.

Cattle were domesticated approximately 10,500 years ago. Goats and sheep were domesticated in Southwest Asia between 11,000 and 5,000 years ago. Pigs were domesticated by 8,500 BC in the Near East and 6,000 BC in China. Horses were domesticated around 4,000 BC. Chickens were likely domesticated around 7,000 BC. These changes radically altered the animals' relationship with the natural world.

Legal definitions of livestock vary by country and specific law. In the United States, definitions depend on the specific legislation. The Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act of 1999 defines livestock only as cattle, swine, and sheep. However, a 1988 disaster assistance law used a much broader definition. That list included goats, swine, poultry, equine animals, and even fish used for food. The USDA classifies pork, veal, beef, and lamb as livestock.

The USDA also classifies all these as red meat. Interestingly, the USDA does not include poultry or fish in the livestock category. This is likely because fish are governed by the FDA instead.

Managing livestock requires addressing biological and environmental challenges. Farmers must protect herds from predators like wolves, lions, or jaguars.

They must also manage animal health through hygiene and proper feeding. When animals fall ill, they receive veterinary medicines or vaccines. Some diseases, like foot-and-mouth, affect all cloven-hoofed animals. Intensive farming can increase the risk of parasites, such as sea lice in salmon. Climate change may also make livestock diseases worse by changing temperatures. Furthermore, modern intensive farming has environmental impacts. Beef, dairy, and sheep are significant sources of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Finally, livestock connect to global markets and economic systems. Historically, many animals were driven to market "on the hoof." Today, truck transport is the standard in developed nations. Large-scale processing is vital to the food supply chain. For example, in Alberta, Canada, one Cargill plant processes 4,500 cattle per day. That facility alone represents a massive portion of Canada's capacity. In other regions, livestock are traded in local bazaors or wet markets.

Providing market access can improve livelihoods for farmers in developing areas. In Zimbabwe, organizations have helped farmers maximize their livestock herds for better economic outcomes.