Livestock are useful animals raised or kept on a farm.
1700 Ioway FarmIn 1700, the Ioway tribe did not have livestock. They hunted wild animals for food. However, many Native American tribes did keep dogs for help in hunting and pulling travois—a type of sled to carry heavy things when traveling long distances.
1850 Pioneer FarmThe pioneer farmers that settled in Iowa around the year 1850, raised cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and other animals for food. The pioneers relied on oxen for farm power.
1900 Horse-Powered FarmIowa farmers in 1900 also raised many kinds of animals, all on the same farm. Instead of oxen, farmers in 1900 had horses to do the heavy farm work. They may have also raised cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and other animals as well.
Today, farmers tend to specialize in growing one kind of animal. A farmer may raise only pigs, or only chickens, or only turkeys, or only cows. Even farmers that raise cattle (cows) can specialize. Some might raise cows for milk (dairy farmers) and some might raise cows for meat (beef farmers).
(Source: 2012 State Agriculture Overview – Iowa, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service)
Ioway: Native American tribe residing in Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri.
Travois: A type of sled formerly used by Native American to carry goods, consisting of two joined poles dragged by a horse or a dog.
Livestock: Useful animals raised or kept on a farm.
Oxen: Large cattle that have been trained to work as draft animals.