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From Mammals to Insects. Which Animals Do Humans Farm?

  • Writer: The Young Vegan
    The Young Vegan
  • 23 hours ago
  • 4 min read

When people think of farming animals, they picture cows roaming fields, lambs bounding through the grass, pigs rolling in mud. However, not only is this idyllic image a fantasy in more than 90% of cases, it only covers a fraction of the animals that humans use.


Humans farm a variety of animals for meat, eggs, leather, wool, fur, and even for products found in makeup and cleaning supplies. Understanding which animals are farmed and how they are used sheds light on the scale of animal exploitation and the challenges faced by those seeking cruelty-free alternatives. Below, we take a look at just how expansive this use is.


Which Animals do Humans Farm?


Mammals Farmed by Humans

Humans have been farming mammals for thousands of years, but in the last 75 years, practices have become increasingly intense.


Aerial view of four rectangular salt fish farming ponds beside palm trees, with pink, polluted water and grassy embankments at sunset.
Fish farming is often forgotten in conversations about agriculture.

Cattle

  • Meat (beef, veal)

  • Milk and dairy products

  • Leather

  • Gelatine

  • Tallow (fat)

  • Breeding stock

  • Draft power (in some regions)


Water Buffalo

  • Milk

  • Meat

  • Leather

  • Draft power


Sheep

  • Meat (lamb, mutton)

  • Wool

  • Milk

  • Leather

  • Lanolin (from wool grease)


Goats

  • Meat

  • Milk

  • Fibre (cashmere, mohair)

  • Leather


Pigs

  • Meat (pork, bacon, ham)

  • Leather

  • Gelatine

  • Medical products (heart valves, insulin historically)


Horses

  • Meat (in some countries)

  • Milk

  • Transportation

  • Labour

  • Recreation and sport


Donkeys

  • Labour

  • Transportation

  • Milk

  • Meat (some regions)

  • Hide products


Camels

  • Milk

  • Meat

  • Wool/fibre

  • Transportation

  • Labour


Llamas

  • Fibre

  • Meat

  • Pack animals


Alpacas

  • Fibre

  • Meat (occasionally)


Reindeer

  • Meat

  • Milk

  • Hides

  • Transportation


Yaks

  • Meat

  • Milk

  • Fibre

  • Labour


Rabbits

  • Meat

  • Fur

  • Wool (Angora rabbits)


Guinea Pigs

  • Meat (primarily in parts of South America)


Deer

  • Meat (venison)

  • Velvet antlers

  • Hides


Fur-bearing Mammals

Examples include:

  • Mink

  • Foxes

  • Chinchillas

  • Raccoon dogs

Farmed for:

  • Fur

  • Breeding stock


Laboratory Mammals

Examples include:

  • Mice

  • Rats

  • Guinea pigs

  • Hamsters

Farmed for:

  • Scientific research

  • Medical testing


Birds Farmed by Humans

Chickens

  • Meat

  • Eggs

  • Feathers


Turkeys

  • Meat

  • Feathers


Ducks

  • Meat

  • Eggs

  • Down feathers

  • Foie gras (some regions)


Geese

  • Meat

  • Eggs

  • Down feathers

  • Foie gras


Quail

  • Meat

  • Eggs


Pigeons

  • Meat (squab)

  • Racing and breeding


Guinea Fowl

  • Meat

  • Eggs


Ostriches

  • Meat

  • Leather

  • Feathers


Emus

  • Meat

  • Oil

  • Leather

  • Feathers


Rheas

  • Meat

  • Leather

  • Feathers


Pheasants

  • Meat

  • Hunting preserves


Partridges

  • Meat

  • Hunting preserves


Laboratory Birds

Examples:

  • Chickens

  • Quail

Farmed for:

  • Research

  • Vaccine production


Fish and Aquatic Life in Farming


Aquaculture, or fish farming, has grown rapidly to meet the demand for seafood. This sector includes a variety of species farmed for meat and other products.


Fish (Bony Fish)

Salmon

  • Meat

  • Fish oil


Trout

  • Meat


Tilapia

  • Meat


Carp

  • Meat


Catfish

  • Meat


Cod

  • Meat


Haddock

  • Meat


Sea Bass

  • Meat


Sea Bream

  • Meat


Tuna

  • Meat (limited farming)


Milkfish

  • Meat


Pangasius

  • Meat


Eels

  • Meat


Barramundi

  • Meat


Sturgeon

  • Meat

  • Caviar


Ornamental Fish

Examples:

  • Koi

  • Goldfish

  • Guppies

Farmed for:

  • Aquariums

  • Ponds


Cartilaginous Fish

Sharks

  • Meat

  • Fins

  • Liver oil


Rays

  • Meat

  • Aquarium trade


Crustaceans

Shrimp/Prawns

  • Meat


Crayfish

  • Meat


Lobsters

  • Meat


Crabs

  • Meat


Freshwater Prawns

  • Meat


Molluscs

Oysters

  • Meat

  • Pearls


Mussels

  • Meat


Clams

  • Meat


Scallops

  • Meat


Abalone

  • Meat


Snails

  • Meat (escargot)


Octopuses

  • Meat (limited farming)


Squid

  • Meat (experimental farming)


Reptiles Farmed for Leather, Pets and Meat


Reptile farming is less common but significant in certain industries, especially for leather.


Crocodiles

  • Leather

  • Meat


Alligators

  • Leather

  • Meat


Snakes

  • Leather

  • Meat

  • Venom extraction


Lizards

Examples:

  • Iguanas

  • Monitor lizards

Farmed for:

  • Meat

  • Leather


Turtles and Tortoises

  • Meat

  • Traditional products

  • Pet trade


Amphibians

Frogs

  • Meat (frog legs)


Salamanders

  • Pet trade

  • Research


Insects Farmed for Food and Other Uses


Insect farming is gaining attention as a sustainable protein source and for other products.


Honey Bees

  • Honey

  • Beeswax

  • Royal jelly

  • Propolis

  • Pollination


Silkworms

  • Silk


Black Soldier Flies

  • Animal feed

  • Waste processing


Mealworms

  • Animal feed

  • Human food


Crickets

  • Human food

  • Animal feed


Grasshoppers and Locusts

  • Human food

  • Animal feed


Cochineal Insects

  • Carmine red dye


Lac Insects

  • Shellac resin


Arachnids


Spiders

  • Silk research

  • Venom extraction


Scorpions

  • Venom extraction

  • Traditional medicine


Mites

  • Scientific research


Other Invertebrates


Earthworms

  • Vermicomposting

  • Fishing bait


Sea Cucumbers

  • Food

  • Traditional medicine


Jellyfish

  • Food (in some countries)


Sea Urchins

  • Food (roe)


Animals Most Commonly Farmed Globally


By number of individuals, the most heavily farmed animals are:

  1. Chickens

  2. Fish (especially carp, tilapia, and salmon)

  3. Shrimp and prawns

  4. Ducks

  5. Pigs

  6. Sheep

  7. Goats

  8. Cattle

  9. Rabbits

  10. Turkeys


Collectively, humans farm hundreds of animal species across every major animal group except a few small groups that have little economic value. The purposes include food, milk, eggs, fibres, leather, fur, labour, research, medicine, ornamentation, pollination, and industrial products.


Reflecting on Animal Farming and Choices


If we counted each species that is farmed, the total would number over 200 species. For example, cattle, sheep, sharks and salmon all include numerous species. This is the most exhaustive list that we could compile. As long as it is, there are bound to be more creatures being exploited for what humans can gain, with no regard for the wants or needs of the individual being used.


Farming animals spans a wide range of species and products, many of which involve significant exploitation and raise an array of ethical concerns. For those seeking cruelty-free lifestyles, understanding the sources of animal products is crucial. Vegan choices extend beyond diet to include avoiding leather, wool, and animal-derived ingredients in cosmetics and cleaning supplies. This can make animal-based products more difficult to avoid, but using animals is a choice.


For the vast majority of us, eating, wearing and using animals for what we can gain from their bodies is a choice. We can make better choices, and a better future, for them and ourselves, starts with us.


Go vegan.



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