What Is Livestock?

In simple terms, livestock refers to the animals kept on a farm. Some farms will have a variety of livestock such as chickens and pigs, whereas other farms will restrict themselves to one specific type of livestock. The livestock is reared for commercial purposes.

Livestock raised in an agricultural setting are sold to gain money. The livestock can be later used for food, animal husbandry or farm labor. The amount of livestock that a person or company has can contribute to their net worth in a similar manner to physical property.

Livestock can be a key component in commercial agriculture that depends on animals for various purposes. When raised in an agricultural setting, the livestock can be grown and sold by the farm to raise money. For example, a chicken farm can raise and sell live chickens, sell chicken meat or sell eggs.

Some examples of common livestock include cattle, horses, chickens, sheep, goats and pigs. Some smaller farms will also use the livestock meat for their own dinner.