Livestock

Livestock. . , Throughout the history of Magnolia Plantation, the LeComte-Hertzog family relied on livestock for a variety of purposes. As early as 1765 Jean Baptiste LeComte owned eight cattle, four horses, and eight pigs. By 1787 his livestock included 90 cattle and i 29 horses. Cows, pigs, sheep and chickens provided fresh meat, milk, eggs and wool. Hogs became a mainstay of the enslaved worker's diet. Mules and oxen were used as draft animals on plantations. , In the tough economic years after the Civil War raising and selling livestock was a good investment. Cattle were typically auctioned off twice annually. Although Magnolia continued to be a cotton plantation, poor cotton markets in the 20th century led to an increase in livestock holdings. The 800 head of cattle in the 1940s doubled to 1600 head in the 1960s. Raising livestock contributed to the survival of the plantation.