Livestock

Cattle usually referred to domesticated animals in agriculture, especially the entire animal population in a farm or on a different set of farm animals ( eg, " the cattle on the pasture " ), sometimes an individual farm animal.

Range of meanings

With cattle are often meant cattle, which is also reflected in the designation of certain breeds (eg, Simmental, Brown Swiss, Gelbvieh ), but also other types of livestock are expected to cattle (see below: Large and small livestock ). Poultry is counted for small livestock and poultry occasionally called, but farmed birds are not considered livestock.

There are many types of animals that do not belong to the cattle. For example, working dogs, honey bees or laboratory mice breeds, but they do not belong to the cattle.

With a livestock can be meant in the vernacular also some animal. The vernacular form of creature has pejorative character.

With transferred use, livestock or creature can on an "animal ", uncultured people relate.

Cattle and sheep

• Among livestock refers to Central Europe in general, cattle, horses and pigs ( see also livestock unit ).
• For small animals include sheep, goats, poultry and rabbits.
• Sometimes, pig, sheep and goat are summarized as means cattle.

Classification by type of use

According to the priority use of cattle is divided into beef cattle and slaughter cattle ( for meat production ), dairy cattle (cattle for milk production ) and draft animals or beasts of burden (eg, horses, oxen ). Höhenvieh is a collective term for mountain breeds of cattle.

As Fasel cattle you still around 1800 described the cattle intended for breeding, in contrast to beef cattle. Since it is fed only provisionally, Fasel cattle often meant at all lean, ungemästetes cattle. Municipal ordinances committed households for holding the Fasel cattle.