Livestock refers to the set of animals that live on the same land and move and feed together. The term refers specifically to specimens of work or cargo species or those that are exploited by man for their meat, milk, etc.
The idea of livestock, in this way, refers to the group of animals that an individual raises to exploit them and thus obtain economic income . The activity that consists of raising, caring for and marketing livestock is called livestock farming .
Among the synonyms for livestock we find words such as livestock farm, herd, flock, herd of cattle, stud farm or cabin, for example.
Depending on the species , it is possible to differentiate between different types of livestock. Cattle , also referred to as beef cattle , are made up of cows. This animal is raised in many countries for meat, leather and milk.
Porcine livestock , on the other hand, refers to pigs , while ovine livestock is composed of sheep. Equine livestock , meanwhile, is made up of horses and caprine livestock , of goats.
Likewise, we must not overlook the existence of what is known as equine livestock, which refers to horses. This livestock can be of different types, since there are many varieties of these animals: draft horses, saddle horses, oriental horses, western horses...
However, we must not forget that this type of livestock also includes mules, mares and donkeys.
Other interesting facts about the different types of livestock that exist are the following:
-Goat farming is characterised by the fact that its origin is mainly to obtain milk, which will be sold as such or in the form of other already processed products such as milk. However, although to a lesser extent, goat farming is also important for the manufacture of goatskin articles such as wallets.
-Pigs are one of the most important livestock in Spain, as they are the basis for various agro-food industries focused on their exploitation and the production of food with their meat. In particular, it should be noted that the use of pork meat for the production of the famous ham is especially significant.
-Cattle, for their part, are important not only for obtaining milk but also for meat.
-Sheep, on the other hand, produce both milk and wool, which is used to make a wide variety of textile products.
The Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) dictionary mentions other types of livestock according to their characteristics. Live cattle , for example, are those that are for sale and have not yet been slaughtered for consumption.
Small livestock refers to smaller cattle (such as goats and sheep) and larger livestock refers to larger cattle (mules, oxen, etc.). If the cattle have not been domesticated or tamed, on the other hand, they are called wild cattle .
At a colloquial level, finally, the notion of cattle refers to a group of people crowded together : “On this train we always travel like cattle” , “There are leaders who try to drag their followers like cattle” .