What animals did they keep on farms in the medieval times?

Answer:
Pretty much the same sort as are farmed today, although the breeds were different and some of the rarer breeds have since either died out or are endangered. They included cows, sheep, pigs, ducks, geese, chickens and goats. Oxen were also widely kept, for use as draught animals- these tended to disappear from Britain early in the 19th Century, although they remain in use to this day in remote parts of rural France, Spain and Italy. Horses were rare on Mediaeval farms- they were kept mainly for riding, cavalry use in the military, and as draught animals for the wealthy landed elite, and most ordinary farmers could not afford them. Turkeys were introduced from the Middle East in Elizabethan times, but were a great rarity before this period. Bee-keeping didn't really become perfected until shortly before the English Civil War; prior to that, honey was obtained from wild bee's nests, and was a delicacy. But as I said before, the sorts of breeds used were quite different from the sorts of animals that have been being farmed in the West over the past 200 years or so- sheep and pigs tended to be smaller, hardier and stockier, and the cows were mostly regional breeds with thick, wiry coats. Special rare breed survivial societies exist today, to keep the few remaining examples of such livestock alive and flourishing.
First answer by Helva. Last edit by Helva. Contributor trust: 96 [recommend contributor recommended]. Question popularity: 3 [recommend question].