Livestock

Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals, reared quite intentionally in an agricultural set up to obtain production of food, fiber, milk etc from the animal or to use its labor.

Livestock and raising animals for benefits (animal husbandry) can be for subsistence or even for economic profit. Ever since humans have transformed from the primitive hunter-gatherer archetype to the farming mode, livestock has always featured prominently in modern agriculture.

Origins of livestock

Origins of rearing animals can be traced back to man's gradual transformation from going about hunting for their food from place to place, to slowly settling down and taking to farming instead, to provide for themselves. By controlling the breeding habits and living conditions, humans started to domesticate specific animals and began to make use of them profitably. In Asia , sheep and goats were first domesticated back in 8000 BC. In China and the middle-eastern countries pig or swine began to be seen as livestock, in 7000 BC. While evidence of horses being domesticated, ranges back to 4000 BC. Over years such has been the interdependence between livestock and humans, that animals like goat etc are totally unable to go back and live in the wild now.

The economic worth of livestock is attributed by the end purpose, ie, production of food, fiber or being used as labor. The classifications can be as follows:

Meat: as the prime source of protein and energy in the human dietary system.

Dairy Products: Most mammalian livestock can be kept as a source for providing milk, which will in turn increase the production of yoghurt, cheese, butter ice-cream and other milk based food, much loved by humans. The food energy extracted by using the animals this way, rather than the one-time slaughter of it is manifold.

Fiber: A host of fibers or textiles can be produced from animals like, sheep, goat, camels etc. Also their bones, hooves etc can be used.

Fertilizer: The manure or waste from the livestock can be put to use as fertilizer for the crops. This is a prime reason for the cohabitation of agriculture and animal raising right from the beginning. Manure can also be used as fuel or as plaster for walls if need be.

Labor: Beasts of burden like donkeys, mules and horses can be used for mechanical energy, which could aid in ploughing fields, carrying loads or even at times for military purposes.

Land Management: Keeping animals or livestock in agricultural lands, can help keep a check on the weeds, or extra unwanted grass or undergrowth. During forest fires for example, animals like sheep and goat could be used to decrease the amount of combustible grass, in quick time.

Following the outbursts of mad cow disease and other livestock related diseases that are dangerous both for the animals as well as for humans, precaution should be taken as regards the ways of disposal of secondary products arising out of animal husbandry like carcass utilization and reduction of other waste.