Farm Animals are known as those species whose breeding is done intensively to produce more meat, milk or eggs for human consumption. Likewise, farm animals are the varieties that are used as a means for agricultural production or the care of such establishments.
Farm animals
Farm animals are domestic creatures that are used by humans to avail themselves of the help of their physical strength or to be used as providers of food such as their meat, milk or eggs. In remote times they were an essential piece for the abandonment of nomadic life and adaptation to the sedentary life that we still lead today.
A farm is a space of rural land in which agriculture or livestock is practiced, and can include various structures, which are dedicated to the production and management of food (vegetables, grains or livestock), fibers and , in other cases of fuel. The farm is considered as the basis of the food production process.
There are farms of a public or private nature and they are usually operated by a single individual, or by a family, community or company. The size of a farm is very variable, and can measure from a portion of a hectare, to several thousand of them.
Farm Types
The farms are classified according to the use to which they are destined, being able to be for an eminently agricultural production or for breeding, or serve as places of learning or dedicated to commerce. Here we refer to some of its uses:
Commercial
The so-called commercial farms are those that are traditionally used to produce different types of food to be consumed by humans such as meat, milk or eggs and other types of animal origin such as wool or skins. It is known of the existence of other farms with a less traditional use, which are used primarily for the production of meat or exotic skins.
Among the most curious are the crocodile farms in which meat is produced and their skins are separated for the elaboration of certain articles. The most important farms of this type are located in the United States, Australia, South Africa, Mexico and the Philippines. The ostrich is also raised on farms in Australia and its meat is used for human consumption as well as its eggs, its feathers are extracted for the production of decorative or luxury items.
Fish farms
Fish farms have been designed for the breeding of fish in captivity, and are established mainly in rivers and seas, being classified into two types: continental and marine. In continental-type fish farms, eels, salmon and trout are raised, while in sea-level fish farms turbot, sea bream or sea bass are raised.
Farms for Bees
Thanks to all the knowledge developed by the scientific activity known as beekeeping, bees have been raised in farm-type facilities, through which various products such as honey, pollen, jelly, propolis, wax and natural cosmetics.
Farms Schools
School farms are those spaces that have been designed so that people, primarily children, have the opportunity to acquire knowledge about the care and maintenance of domestic animals. The people who make up its students learn to be respectful of the environment, to attend to the various animal species and to give the appropriate handling to the various products generated on a farm.
Self-sustainable farms
In recent times, so-called self-sustaining farms have gained a lot of interest, in which both solar and wind energy, produced by the winds, are mainly used. The productive activity of this type of farm is oriented towards ecological products of high quality and limited quantity. Fertilizers or artificial insecticides or those that have any potential danger to health or the environment are not used in obtaining them.
Use of Farm Animals
The animals we now recognize as domestic were once wild. It was human need that promoted the search for means to support farm work, in such a way that certain animal species were domesticated to take advantage of them as resources, workforce or transportation.
Farm Animals for Protection and Work
The dog is used on farms to protect other domestic animals from potential predators such as wolves or foxes. They are also used to control herds when they are guided from the mountain/meadow to the corral. Just like the dog, cats are used to defend themselves against other smaller farm animals such as mice or other vermin.
Farm Animals for Work
In ancient times, this category of animals was an essential element on farms, but today they have been replaced by machines that provide greater efficiency. Even so, there are still certain farms, perhaps the smallest ones, that continue to use animals and reject the use of machines. The animals most used for these activities were the donkey and the horse, which had great strength for the tasks of transport and plowing of the field..
Farm Animals for Production
This group includes those animals that are used for the production of the items indicated below:
- Milk: It is obtained from cows and goats, and is considered a great source of calcium for humans.
- Eggs: Obtained primarily from chickens, although quail or ostrich eggs are also produced for human consumption.
- MeatFood: It is obtained from pigs, sheep, chickens, cows, ducks.
- Textile products: The wool of the sheep is obtained for the elaboration of clothing pieces
- Derivative products: This group includes products classified as charcuterie, which are obtained from pork or other animal meat.
- Fertilizer: The fertilizer for agriculture is obtained from the excrement of certain animals.
Farm Animals List
Below we show you a detailed list of the farm animals that can be obtained most frequently in these establishments:
Butter
The donkey (Equus africanus asinus) or ass has been a domestic animal since about 5.000 years ago, originating from the Somali wild ass (Equus africanus somalicus) native to northeast Africa. Its domestication spread rapidly throughout the world given its immense utility for that time, it could carry heavy loads and merchandise over long distances.
The donkey is a vertebrate animal that belongs to the class of mammals and its size varies according to the breed and the use that is given to it. The height at the withers ranges from 79 to 160 cm and its weight from 80 to 480 kg. Donkeys subjected to heavy work in poor countries see their life expectancy reduced to 12 or 15 years, while in richer countries they can live from 30 to 50 years.
Horse
The horse (Equus Caballus) has existed for about 50 million years, and throughout that time its evolution has continued. Primitive horses had numerous toes on their feet while today's beautiful horses only have one toe. The modern horse has been tamed by humans over the centuries for transportation purposes or to be used in battles.
It is part of the vertebrate animals and its height is determined by its withers, that is, the point where the neck meets the back. Light horses usually measure between 142 and 163 centimeters and weigh between 380 and 550 kilograms, those of the largest saddle can reach 157 to 173 centimeters and weigh from 550 to 700 kilograms, while the largest breeds measure from 163 to 183 centimeters and its weight ranges between 700 and 1000 kilograms.
Goat
The goat (Capra) is a species of the mammal class of robust build with horns and cracked hooves. They are members of the Bovidae family, which also includes antelopes, cattle and sheep. Other members of Capragenus are the ibex, the markhors, and the turs, which are sometimes called mountain goats.
When thinking of a goat, the image of a domestic farm animal possibly comes to mind. The domestic goat (Capra hircus) that we see today, however, is the result of the taming of the mountain goat (Capra aegagrus). Wild goats still exist throughout Eastern Europe and central and southwestern Asia, and although they are similar to their domestic counterparts, each has its own identity.
Zebu
The zebu (Bos Primigenius Indicus) is a vertebrate mammal used as livestock. It is native to the jungles of South Asia, and is considered to be the only variety of cattle that can be adapted to the hot tropics. Their unique hump makes them also be recognized as the "hunchbacked cattle". It is estimated that there are more than 75 varieties, more than half are located in Africa and the rest in Asia.
The zebu is an animal whose adult height is just over a meter with a weight equivalent to half that of the adult cow. This makes it one of the smallest cattle species in the world. Its size is believed to be what allows it to survive in hot climates where other cattle cannot.
Pig
The pig (Sus Scrofa Scrofa) is a mammalian vertebrate animal. It is estimated that it was tamed in 9.000 BC from the wild boar, which was found in Asian and European forests. Currently, meat and leather are obtained from the pig, and its hair is used to make brushes. It is distributed throughout the world and is raised by the millions for the production of meat, bacon, sausages, ham and chops.
It has a fairly large head and a long snout that is reinforced by a particular bone called the prenasal and by a ring of cartilage at the tip. It uses its sharp snout to locate and dig for food.
Rabbit
The rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is a modest mammal with a moderately robust body, a curved back, a short fluffy tail, whiskers and long and conspicuous ears. There are more than 30 varieties on the entire planet, and although they live in many different environments, they have many things in common. It also has powerful and extensive hind legs.
Although domestic varieties come in many different colors, wild specimens usually have brown or a darker shade of fur. This color prevents predators from locating them easily, in contrast to the white, dark black or spotted fur of certain domestic breeds.
Goose
The goose or gander is the current name given to large wild and domestic swimming birds linked to the duck and the swan. It has a very large orange beak, while its legs and fingers have a flesh tone. There is presence of spots in most of the adults, while the young ones are not characterized by it and their legs are greyish. The length of a mature bird is about 80 centimeters and its weight can range from 2,5 to 4,1 kilograms.
domestic cat
The cat (Felis silvestris catus) is a domestic creature that dates back to the times of the Egyptian civilization, when they were considered sacred animals for the gods, and therefore they were revered by everyone in Egypt. Since then they have been the company of humans and have become a member of many families around the world.
They are very similar to other felines and have a height of 23 to 25 centimeters and about 46 long (head and body only) and about 30 tail. Its weight ranges between 4 and 5 kilograms, although certain breeds have registered about 11 kilograms and street cats with less access to food than domestic cats are usually lighter with less than 2 kilograms for adults in extreme cases. The world record for the heaviest cat is 21 kilograms.
Calls
The llama (Lama glama) is a mammal from South America, a member of the camelid family, Camelidae (order Artiodactyla). Meat, wool, skin are obtained from it and it is used to transport heavy loads. It can reach a height of 1,7 to 1,8 meters at the top of its head and about 1,2 meters to its shoulders. Its weight can be between 130 to 200 kilograms. A newborn calf weighs from 9 to 14 kilograms. A llama of about 114 kilograms can carry 45 to 60 kilograms and can travel an average of 25 kilometers a day.
Mula
The mule (Equus Mule) is the product of the cross between a male donkey and a mare. Its appearance is very similar to that of donkeys and it is difficult to differentiate them, unless we look at the tail. The mule is a hybrid creature created by humans, since it does not exist, by itself, naturally. Its creation was the result of human initiative for exclusive use as beings to mount, load and plow.
Sheep
Sheep (Ovis orientalis aries) are animals of the medium-sized mammal class that feed on herbs and plants. It is native to Central Europe and Asia and is basically raised to extract meat and wool, but also to obtain its milk (despite the fact that its milking is not as frequent as that of the goat or the cow). Their height and weight vary according to breed. Their growth is an inherited characteristic that is chosen by humans for breeding purposes. They usually weigh from 45 to 100 kilograms and rams from 45 to 160 kilograms.
Turkey
The turkey (Meleagris) is known in other nations as turkey or pisco. The wild turkey is a bird of enormous size and round in shape, its legs are long and skinny with three toes on each foot that serve to maintain its balance.
They have up to 1,17 meters in length, making them the largest birds in the forests. In the wild, the male has a weight of 8 to 10 kilograms and the females weigh half that of the males. In domestic turkeys the weight is greater, males weighing up to 15 kilograms through genetic selection
Dog
The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) also known as domestic dog or can. People primarily use dogs to protect hunters and guard property. Their size and stature are highly variable, even within the same breed.
The smallest adult dog ever known was a Yorkshire Terrier that was just 6,3 centimeters tall, 9,5 centimeters long and weighed about 113 grams. The largest known dog was an English Mastiff whose weight was 155 kilograms and had a length of 250 centimeters (from snout to tail) and the largest dog was a Great Dane with 106 centimeters in height.
Pollo
Chicken (Gallus Gallus) is considered to come from the red jungle fowl and gray jungle fowl, which are found in the hot forests of India. It has been estimated that there are about 25 billion chickens around the world, being the largest population of a bird in the world. The chicken usually has an average size of about 40 centimeters in height and, despite being a bird, it has never been able to fly efficiently, since its longest flight was recorded for about 13 seconds and as far as 90 meters.
common mouse
The common mouse (Mus musculus) is a modest rodent that is found throughout the globe, including some regions of Antarctica. It is quickly recognized by its pointed snout, huge round ears, and long bushy tail. The common mouse has a length that ranges between 7,5 and 10 centimeters (from snout to tail) and a tail extension of 5 to 10 centimeters, while its weight ranges from 40 to 45 grams.
Cow
Cows are huge mammalian animals with legs that culminate in hoofs. The extension of their horns varies between species, but there are no cows without horns because they have become extinct due to scrupulous genetic selection. They spend the day in groups of 40 to 50 cows, eating from grasslands and bushes.
Its weight varies according to the type of species. The more modest Dexter and Jersey adult species weigh 270 to 450 kilograms, while the larger varieties such as Charolais, Marchigiana, Belgian Blue and Chianina can reach a weight of 635 to 1.150 kilograms. Bulls of all varieties are somewhat larger than cows by a few hundred extra kilos.
Other articles that may interest you are:
- Land animals
- Mammals
- Marine animals