40d:Domestic animal

(If you're looking for domestic skills, see Skills)

Domestic animals are creatures that can be used by dwarfs one way or another without taming or training, usually for security or food. Technically, they have the [domestic] tag in the Raws. They can be bought at embark, or traded for with caravans. Wild versions of domesticated animals (horses, muskoxen, etc) can be tamed, as can almost any wild animal.

Every fortress expedition starts with two free domestic draft animals (any of the below except dogs and cats) which pulled their wagon to the fortress site. Fortresses have no use for a wagon after, except to break it up for wood, so these two animals can be slaughtered, or kept for breeding and making your dwaves happy.

While any animals of the same species bought at embark always alternate male/female/male/female (in that order), the two free wagon animals are not guaranteed to do so. It's possible to get a breeding pair, but the odds are heavily against it, or even guessing which species/gender either will be.

Domestic animals include:

• cats
• dogs
• horses
• cows
• muskoxen
• donkeys
• mules
• bactrians
• dromedaries