Pastoralism is a form of animal husbandry where domesticated animals are released onto large vegetated outdoor lands (pastures) for grazing, historically by nomadic people who moved around with their herds. The animal species involved include cattle, camels, goats, yaks, llamas, reindeer, horses, and sheep.
A catt of the Bakhtiari people, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran.
Saharan rock art from the Pastoral Period at Tassili n'Ajjer in the central Sahara, showing numerous pastoral scenes with cattle and herders
Khoikhoi dismantling their huts, preparing to move to new pastures. Aquatint by Samuel Daniell (1805).
Mongol pastoralist in the Khövsgöl Province
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting in order to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals who are raised for consumption, and sometimes used to refer solely to farmed ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, and goats. Horses are considered livestock in the United States. The USDA classifies pork, veal, beef, and lamb (mutton) as livestock, and all livestock as red meat. Poultry and fish are not included in the category. The latter is likely due to the fact that fish products are not governed by the USDA, but by the FDA.
Cattle on a pasture in Austria
Sheep in Écrins National Park (France)
This Australian road sign uses the less common term "stock" for livestock.
Image: Nokota Horses cropped