Five kinds of livestock
The five kinds of livestock
Horse, camel, cattle (and yak), sheep and goat: the whole nomadic economy.
Origins
Mongolian herders speak of the tavan khoshuu mal, the "five snouts": horses, camels, cattle (including yaks), sheep and goats. For centuries these five kinds of livestock have provided almost everything a nomadic household needs, from food and clothing to transport, shelter and fuel. Families usually keep a mix of species, because each one grazes differently, copes with different conditions and supplies different products, and a mixed herd spreads the risk of a hard winter.
What each animal provides
- Horses carry herders and their loads and are central to Mongolian identity, festivals and racing. Mares give the milk for airag. Horse hair is twisted into ropes and used for the strings and bow of the morin khuur fiddle.
- Camels, mainly the two-humped Bactrian camel, are the transport animals of the Gobi. They give milk, meat and warm wool. Ömnögovi province has the most camels.
- Cattle and yaks supply milk for cream, butter and cheese, meat and pulling power, and yaks thrive in high, cold pastures. Dried dung is a common fuel for the stove.
- Sheep give meat, milk and wool, and wool is pressed into the felt that covers the ger. Mongolian sheep store fat in their broad tails, which helps them survive winter; the cooked back and tail, the uuts, is the centrepiece of the Tsagaan Sar table.
- Goats give meat and milk, and their soft winter undercoat is the source of cashmere, an important Mongolian export.
How it works today
Herding remains a large part of the economy and of rural life. According to Mongolia's National Statistics Office, the country counted about 64.7 million head of livestock at the end of 2023: around 29.4 million sheep, 24.6 million goats, 5.5 million cattle, 4.8 million horses and 474,000 camels. The severe dzud (a winter disaster of deep snow, extreme cold and lack of grazing) of 2023 to 2024 killed millions of animals, and the end-of-2024 census recorded about 57.6 million; camels were the only species to increase.
What visitors should know
- Herd animals are a family's livelihood. Give them space, drive slowly past grazing herds and never chase or startle them for a photograph.
- Animals carry ear notches or brands that show ownership; they are not wild even when unattended.
- Ask before entering a corral or touching young animals.
- Different regions favour different animals: camels in the Gobi, yaks in the mountains of the Khangai and the north, horses everywhere.