Long, long ago, when people first began settling in villages, they started keeping animals to meet their basic needs. That practice (called animal husbandry) is why farm animals exist. Over thousands of years, people kept the animals that were most useful for meat, milk, carrying loads, and companionship, which is why the farm animals list grew so long. Different animals serve different purposes, and the sections below will help you see which animal is kept for what.
Types of Farm Animals
Farm animals can be sorted into a few main groups. Dairy animals (cow, buffalo, and goat) are kept mainly for their milk. You can find them in almost every part of the world. Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, and goose) are the farm's birds, valued for their eggs and meat. Working animals such as the horse, donkey, yak, and llama carry loads and pull carts. And then there are the companion animals: dogs and cats. Dogs are famous for being loyal and easy to train, and they help the farmer by herding and guarding the flock. Cats quietly keep the grain store free of mice. The full list below covers all of these groups and more.
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List of Farm Animals
| Farm Animals | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Alpaca | milk, transportation, fiber, meat |
| Buffalo | muscle, meat, milk |
| Banteng | meat, milk, muscle |
| Cow | meat, milk, leather, muscle, soil fertilization |
| Cat | eating mice, meat, companionship |
| Chicken | meat, eggs and feathers |
| Common Carp | meat |
| Camel | meat, dairy, transportation, leather |
| Donkey | transportation, muscle, meat |
| Dog | hunting, shepherding, herding, companionship, meat |
| Duck | eggs, meat |
| Emu | meat, feathers |
| Goat | milk, meat |
| Gayal | meat |
| Guinea pig | meat, companionship |
| Goose | feathers, meat, eggs |
| Horse | transport |
| Honey Bee | honey, wax, pollination |
| Llama | transportation, muscle, meat |
| Pig | meat, leather, companionship |
| Pigeon | meat |
| Rhea | meat, eggs, oil |
| Rabbit | meat, fur |
| Sheep | wool, meat, milk, leather, vellum |
| Silkworm | silk |
| Turkey | feathers, meat |
| Yak | milk, muscle, meat, wool |
| Zebu | meat, milk, leather, muscle, soil fertilization |
Hybrid Farm Animals
Within a single species there can be hundreds of breeds. For example, there are over 800 breeds of cattle. They are all the same species, but small genetic differences in each breed make one better at giving milk, another better at putting on weight for meat, and so on. The same is true of almost every farm animal. Sometimes farmers breed two different breeds (or even two different species) together on purpose. The offspring is called a hybrid, and it often inherits the best traits of both parents. Here are some of the most interesting hybrid farm animals.
| Hybrid Animal | Crossed Between |
|---|---|
| Beefalo | American bison and a domestic cow |
| Botswana | Sheep and Goat |
| Black Rock chicken | Rhode Island Red and Barred Plymouth Rock |
| Mule | Female horse and male donkey |
| Yakow or Dzo | Domestic cow/bull and a yak |
| Yakalo | Yak and buffalo |
| Żubroń | Cattle and wisent |
Now you know the main farm animals and some of their most interesting hybrids. Use the list above whenever you need a quick reminder of which animal is kept for what purpose, and check out the links below to go deeper on your favorites.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main types of farm animals?
Dairy animals (cow, buffalo, goat), poultry (chicken, turkey, duck), meat animals, and working or transport animals such as the horse, donkey, camel, yak and llama.
What is a mule?
A mule is a hybrid animal, the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey.
How many breeds of cattle are there?
There are over 800 breeds of cattle, all the same species but with small genetic differences.
Which farm animal makes silk?
The silkworm spins a cocoon of silk thread, which people unwind to make silk cloth.
Fun fact for today!There are over 800 different breeds of cattle alive today, all the same species, yet a tiny dairy Jersey and a giant Texas Longhorn look like completely different animals!