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Home / Animal Groups / Farm Animals

Animal Group: Farm Animals

Farm animals make up less than 0.5% – less than one half of one percent – of animals in biomedical research. Species include dairy and beef cattle, sheep, goats, swine, poultry, and horses. These animals are needed for a variety of studies including neurological research, development and testing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, reconstructive surgery research, and medical education. The most common farm animals studied are pigs and sheep.

Did you Know?

The 1st tissue-engineered whole-organ transplant was performed in 2008 following preclinical studies in pigs.

The sheep was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell - Dolly is the world's most famous clone.

Insulin from pigs was needed to treat diabetes until the 1980s

A sheep was one of the first-ever successful blood donors.

‘Bioprosthetic’ heart valves from pigs are transplanted into some of the 60,000 heart valve patients/year

Explore Farm Animals by Species

Pig Thumbnail

Pig

Pigs serve as invaluable models for understanding heart function, disease, and treatment due to their anatomical and physiological similarities with humans. Their resemblance aids research in nutrition, drug absorption, renal function, wound healing, and diabetic studies. Read More →

Sheep Thumbnail

Sheep

Sheep, sharing physiological similarities with humans and susceptibility to similar diseases, are crucial in respiratory and fetal development research, contributing to medical breakthroughs like steroid injections and surfactant therapy for premature babies. Additionally, they've aided in developing artificial womb technology to address extreme prematurity. Read More →

Horse Thumbnail

Horse

Horse research under the One Health initiative advances both equine and human health. Studies on horse diseases, obesity, aging, genetics, and regenerative medicine inform treatments benefiting both species. Read More →

Chicken Thumbnail

Chicken

Ovarian cancer, affecting 225,000 women annually, is often diagnosed late, leading to high fatality rates. The chicken, mirroring human ovarian cancer, provides a crucial model for early detection research, potentially saving lives. Read More →

Animals in Research

Love Letter Series - Liviya

Liviya (2016) is part of the Love Letter Series which connects the inspiring and impactful stories of patients’ lives and legacies with animal-based research.…

Animals in Research

Pony Selfie Break

A pony named Memory is helping researchers develop treatments for osteoarthritis. She’s also involved in a study to better understand the healing…

Animals in Research

Dash the birthday boy

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a disorder that causes itchy, red, cracked skin that is also prone to infections and thickening. Currently there…

Animals in Research

Elle the sheep

Meet Elle.  She is a Crossbred sheep who is pregnant with twins. Elle is part of a maternal nutrition study focused on…

Animals in Research

Minipigs Foraging in Their Pen

Minipigs needed for research are fed on the floor so that they can root and forage for their feed using their snout. …

Animals in Research

Mother sheep with lambs

These lambs are part of a maternal nutrition study. Whenever possible, lambs involved in research studies are raised with their mothers where…

Animals in Research

Ernest Loves His Head Scratched

Ernest is a ram and father to lambs needed for a maternal nutrition study. He lives in the same flock room as…

Animals in Research

Research Sheep Colony

Sheep thrive in social groups of at least five members. Research facilities strive to design housing that best meets the needs of…

Animals in Research

Holly the Research Pig

Holly is a laid back pig who loves people.  She got a back scratch daily along with treats and was trained to…

Animals in Research

Pig playtime

Pigs are smart, social animals that like to nibble and root.  Balls and puzzle toys are provided to engage them in rooting…

View More Farm-animals

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