Herding, as a mode of production, emerged late, socio-historically. Horticulturalists, and then agriculturalists, had invented and developed the domestication of animals. However, herders would come to live off domestication as their primary source of food production, engaging in only minimal horticultural production. Herding provided an excellent food source, because not only could meat be produced, but blood (through bleeding animals without killing or even harming them severely), milk, cheese, and butter could provide nutritious food sources.