What is livestock? »Its definition and meaning

The term livestock is defined as an economic activity that consists of raising animals for human consumption, this activity is within the activities of the primary sector. Livestock in conjunction with agriculture are activities that man has been exercising for a long time. At first they were made for survival purposes, to cover their needs for food and clothing, among other things, then when the domestication of animals began, it became possible to use them for transporting loads, and agricultural work.

Livestock is classified in:

Intensive livestock farming, is characterized by the importance it gives, to the quality in the technique of raising the animals and the space where they are. The animals are kept in a closed area, generally in conditions of temperature, light and humidity, conceived in an artificial way with the aim of developing production in a short period of time. During the time that the animals last there, their upbringing is based on enriched food, which allows them to grow faster and thus obtain a quality product. This requires a strong investment in technology, in food and in hiring specialized labor.

This type of livestock is worked in countries such as the United States, Canada, China and Central Europe. Today this system has been established near the cities through industrially designed farms, which are mainly dedicated to raising birds, rabbits and pigs. Its main advantage is its high productivity and its great disadvantage is the strong pollution it generates.

Extensive cattle ranching is one that is carried out in large areas, where animals can graze, generally these areas of land, have the characteristic of being natural areas, transformed by man depending on their needs. This kind of livestock is the one that is practiced much more frequently in countries such as Australia, the Pacific Islands and Latin American countries.

In this ranch the animals are raised in natural living conditions, since they themselves look for their food, which allows them to remain healthy and fertile.

Transhumant livestock, is characterized by being a rotating, changing livestock; Since grazing is done according to the seasons, when it is winter the cattle are transferred to the summer fields and vice versa. It is different from nomadism since the places where the animals graze in each season are permanent. This kind of livestock is very beneficial since it increases the fertility of the land since these are favored with the inclusion of manure and other vegetables.

Nomadic herding is that practice described as a type of livestock that consists of moving cattle from one place to another in order to feed themselves. At present this grazing system is the main conservation technique used by many populations on the African continent in order to survive. It is important to note that this kind of livestock has been declared the main agricultural production technique in arid areas located in countries such as West Africa, central Asia, the Scandinavian peninsula and Russia.

As has been observed, livestock is responsible for raising livestock; livestock in turn is composed of the union of animals, which are generally four-legged mammals, whose use and trade is in producing meat and everything that can be obtained from them, with the primary purpose of feeding beings humans.

Livestock is classified according to the type of animal that is raised. Among them are:

Bovine or bovine livestock is that represented by a cluster of cows, bulls and oxen, who are raised by man for their exploitation, that is, these animals are domesticated by man, in order to later satisfy their food or economic needs.. Man can obtain innumerable benefits by commercializing the meat, milk and skin of these animals, so this type of livestock turns out to be a great investment for those who want to venture into the world of livestock.

The sheep, is one composed of sheep, being one of the oldest species in terms of domestication. The sheep are used by man in their entirety, their meat, their milk and mainly their skin since the production of wool is basic for making cloth. Their diet is herbal and they can live up to 20 years. This type of livestock is best used in arid areas and in those ecosystems where raising other types of livestock such as cattle would be a bit difficult.

The pig cattle, is the one that is integrated by pigs, originally the raising of these animals arose in the Middle East, however, at present their domestication is practiced in most of the world. A characteristic feature of this species is that it can adapt to any ecosystem, however it is related to those areas that produce corn for breeding, since this is the ideal food to increase the weight of pigs.

Goat cattle are those cattle made up of animals known as goats. The goat is a ruminant mammal from which meat, milk, skin and manure can be used; they are very productive animals since they can reproduce all year round. Goats generally adapt to almost all types of climates and geographical areas.

Dual-purpose cattle are those in which an animal is exploited, at least, in two productive characteristics. For example, in the case of cattle, meat and milk are used.

Poultry farming, on the other hand, is that activity that consists of raising birds as domestic animals, focusing not only on breeding, but also on the conservation of their habitat. Taking care of birds promotes their reproduction, in order to take advantage of their meat and eggs.