Farm animals or livestock are those animals that are kept and rared at home for economic purposes. They provide meat, milk, eggs, wool, hides, skin, and significant human food sources. Farm animals are significant sources of animal proteins in the human diet. Farm animal rearing is one of the ancient professions, and human civilization starts from farming. In this modern age, most of the protein and other vital feed sources come from livestock.
What are Farm Animals Called?
Generally, farm animals are those animals and birds that are kept and rared for economic purposes. The farm animals are reared on established farms or by individual village peoples. Most women of village areas are involved in farming. These animals have an outstanding contribution to the national economy and nutrition of a country. In many counties, farming is the primary source of income. The most common farm animals are cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, camels, horses, pigeons, pigs, chickens, and ducks.
1. Farm Animals: Cattle
Cattle are the most common farm animals globally, and they are found in almost all countries. They provide meat, milk, hides, and skin. The cattle breeds are reared for milk called dairy cattle and for meat called beef cattle. Female cattle are called cows, males are called ox, and the young are called calves. Cattle are the most significant source of animal protein by providing beef, milk, and milk products like cheese, butter, card, chocolate, and many more. Dairy and beef farming is one of the most profitable and sustainable businesses and sources of income for generations in many families.
Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) are larger domestic animals found almost all over the world. There are two types of buffaloes; river buffaloes and swamp buffaloes. There are at lear 175 million buffaloes population and more than 55% are found in India. The animal is also found in Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, South Africa, Europe, Australia, and North and South America. Buffaloes are reared for meat and milk. Buffalo milk is highly nutritious, and meat quality is better.
3. Farm Animals: Sheep
Sheep (Ovis aries) is the most abandoned domestic animal in the world. The population of sheep throughout the world is more than one billion. The male adult sheep is called a ram, the female sheep is called a ewe, and the young sheep is called a lamb. Sheep are one of the anciently domesticated animals that originated from the Mouflon of Europe, Asia, and Iran. The animal is reared for meat, wool, milk, and hides. Sheep meat mutton is one of the most popular meats in all cultures and societies. Sheep have also had a great place in human culture and society from ancient times.
Goats (Capra hircus) are very common and one of the oldest livestock domesticated in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia from wild goats. The animal is under family Bividiae and subfamily Capridae. The antelope is now found all over the world. More than 200 distinct breeds of goats are first domesticated more than 10,000 years ago in Iran. Goat is one of the most populous livestock counts around more than 900 million. They provide meat, milk, far, and hides. Best quality cheese is prepared from goat milk. The adult male goat is called a buck, the female goat is called a nanny, and young kids are called goat kids.
Horses (Equus caballus) are part of human civilization and are one of the oldest domesticated animals in the world. The horses have a significant contribution to human society, culture, economy, transport, sports, agriculture, and mythology. The horses were domesticated more than 4000 years ago. There are thousands of varieties and breeds of horses based on their color, origin, workability, size, and purposes. The adult male horse is a stallion, the female is called a mare, and the young horses are called foals. Horses were used earlier in war and were a major deciding factor in warfare. Now horses are used for sports, competitions, agriculture, transport, equine therapy, police work, and entertainment.
6. Farm Animals: Pig
Pigs are omnivorous livestock animals that were domesticated from the Eurasian wild boars. Pigs are highly social and intelligent animals. The young pigs are called piglets. The pigs are one of the most populous domestic animals, and their population is more than one billion. They are very similar to the human body and are used for human biomedical research. Pigs are mainly raised for meat called pork. Miniature pigs are kept as pets.
Camels are the oldest working animals, especially in desert areas of the Middle-east, Africa, Asia, and America. Camels are known as the ship of the desert. The camels are even-toes animals having a distinct fatty tissue deposition on their back called “hump.” The camels are reared for meat, milk, textile, and transport. There are three varieties of the camel; one-humped Camelus dromedarius, two-humped Camelus bactrianus, and wild camel called Camelus ferus. They have also been used in wars, and the Indian Army has a Camel Regiment for transportation on the Western front.
Chickens or poultry are the most populous domestic birds globally, and their population is more than 24 billion. They are the cheapest sources of meat and eggs throughout the world. Chicken (Gallus domesticus) was domesticated from wild jungle fowl (Gallus gallus). The adult male chicken is called cockerel or rooster, the younger one is called pullet, the female chicken is called a hen, the younger female is called pullet, and the young day-old chicken is called chicks.
9. Farm Birds: Ducks
Ducks are the most common water birds and are reared as farm animals. They are smaller than swans and like to live on the water. They provide good quality proteins by meat and eggs. They are highly prolific, and one duck can lay more than 300 eggs per year. They are highly economical and attain maturity within 3-4 months of age. They are the sources of income in many rural people. There are hundreds of varieties of ducks; some are good for meat, and some are good for eggs. There are many ornamental ducks kept as pet birds.
Pigeons are one of the most popular avian species that are kept as both livestock and pets. There are hundreds of varieties of pigeons. They are kept mainly for meat. The pigeon meat is soft, tender, and nutritious. The pigeon cobs are such delicious dishes. Many people rear pigeons for recreational purposes, sports, and show birds. The birds also have religious values.
Final Talk About Farm Animals
Farm animals are significant sources of animal protein in the human diet. They provide meat, milk, eggs, and many more products. They also provide hides, skin, leather, feather, fur, wool, textile products, bones, ornaments, and many more. Farm animals are one of the essential pillars of the economy of a country. In my article, I have discussed the most common farm animals. Some other animals and birds are kept for economic purposes.