Livestock are domestic animals that are used to produce food and many other valuable products. The skins of some livestock provide such important materials as leather and wool. Various organs of livestock supply drugs used by countless people.
Farmers in developing nations use livestock to pull farm equipment and to transport people and materials. Most of the world's livestock are raised on farms and ranches. However, some people raise rabbits, chickens, or other small livestock in their yards.
The chief kinds of livestock raised throughout the world are cattle, hogs, poultry, sheep, and horses. Other kinds of livestock include donkeys, goats, mules, and rabbits. In some countries, farmers raise llamas, reindeer, water buffalo, and yaks. The science of raising, breeding, and caring for livestock is called animal science.
At one time, people wandered from place to place hunting animals and gathering plants for food. Several thousand years ago, people began to domesticate and raise various kinds of livestock. The use of domesticated animals as a source of food and power made it possible for people to settle in one place. They then could begin farming.
Through the centuries, farmers improved their livestock through various breeding methods. Today, many livestock raisers enter their animals in livestock shows. Judges rate the livestock on such points as their size and their yield of meat. In countries with advanced technology, many breeders use a computerized system that provides a genetic analysis of an animal's traits.
