Farm Animals
Agriculture is an essential part of Montana's economy. It contributes more than 2.4 billion dollars to the state annually. Of that 2.4 billion, livestock contributes about half. The primary type of livestock in Montana is cattle. There are 2.6 million beef cattle in Montana and about 18,000 dairy cows. Sheep are the second most numerous type of livestock. Montana ranks sixth in the nation for sheep production. Montana's sheep provided 4.4 million pounds of wool to the nation in 1995. Additional livestock include swine, llamas, and horses. But not all livestock have four legs! Montana has about 15 billion bees producing nine million pounds of honey a year. That makes Montana the fifth largest honey producing state in the nation