NAICS 115210 Quarterly Industry Report
Support Activities for Animal Production
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 115210Sector: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 115210 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing livestock support service businesses. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[8], U.S. Census Bureau[9].. Data is sourced from USDA NASS[6] livestock production statistics, USDA APHIS[7] animal health program data, and SBA size standards[10] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for animal production support enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the support activities for animal production industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Support Activities for Animal Production (NAICS 115210) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in performing support activities related to raising livestock, including breeding services, pedigree record services, horse boarding, dairy herd improvement activities, livestock spraying, sheep shearing, and companion animal breeding services. These specialized service providers work on a contract or fee basis for livestock operators across cattle, dairy, equine, swine, poultry, and companion animal segments. The U.S. Census Bureau[5] classifies these support services separately from the livestock production operations themselves and from veterinary services (NAICS 541940), recognizing the distinct production support function.
Livestock support services address critical production management needs that many animal operations outsource to specialists with focused expertise and equipment. Artificial insemination technicians, breeding service providers, and genetic evaluation companies serve cattle and dairy operations seeking herd improvement. Horse boarding and training facilities serve the equine industry with stabling, exercise, and competition preparation services. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service[6] tracks livestock inventory and production data that drive demand for these support services, while the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service[7] regulates animal health and disease prevention activities that overlap with production support functions.
Business valuations for animal production support operations depend heavily on the specific service segment, with breeding service enterprises valued based on semen inventory, genetic merit credentials, and established producer client bases, while horse boarding facilities are valued based on real estate, barn and arena infrastructure, and boarding capacity. Appraisers must evaluate service-specific revenue models, customer concentration patterns, specialized equipment and facility investments, and the transferability of professional relationships and brand reputation to new ownership.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for livestock support service operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across breeding services, horse boarding, livestock handling, dairy herd improvement, and companion animal segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 115210
- Comparable transaction data from recent breeding service sales, horse boarding facility transfers, and livestock support company acquisitions
- Market analysis covering artificial insemination services, genetic evaluation, equine boarding rates, and livestock handling service demand
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for breeding technicians, barn managers, livestock handlers, and equine care professionals
- Industry risk assessment including livestock market cycles, disease exposure, customer concentration, and facility maintenance requirements
- Regulatory compliance overview covering animal health regulations, breeding record standards, and facility licensing requirements
- Capital expenditure profiles for breeding laboratories, semen storage tanks, boarding barns, riding arenas, and livestock handling equipment
- Production metrics including services per technician, boarding occupancy rates, conception rates, and revenue per animal served benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 |
| Subsector | Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry | 115 |
| Industry Group | Support Activities for Animal Production | 1152 |
| NAICS Industry | Support Activities for Animal Production | 11521 |
| National Industry | Support Activities for Animal Production | 115210 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 541940 | Veterinary Services | Veterinary services providers delivering animal health care, reproductive management, and disease diagnostics that complement production support activities for livestock operations |
| 112111 | Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming | Beef cattle ranching and farming operations that contract with breeding service providers, livestock handlers, and other support activity specialists |
| 112120 | Dairy Cattle and Milk Production | Dairy cattle and milk production operations using dairy herd improvement services, artificial insemination technicians, and genetic evaluation providers |
| 112920 | Horses and Other Equine Production | Horses and other equine production operations that overlap with horse boarding, training, and breeding support services in shared facilities |
| 114210 | Hunting and Trapping | Hunting and trapping establishments including game preserves that use livestock management support services for wildlife habitat and game species programs |
| 424520 | Livestock Merchant Wholesalers | Livestock merchant wholesalers and auction companies that coordinate with breeding services and livestock handling providers during animal marketing events |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 11.1% | 542 |
| 2 | Florida | 9.0% | 440 |
| 3 | Texas | 7.2% | 350 |
| 4 | New York | 5.6% | 276 |
| 5 | Washington | 3.3% | 162 |
| 6 | Colorado | 3.3% | 161 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 3.3% | 160 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 3.1% | 151 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 3.0% | 147 |
| 10 | Minnesota | 2.9% | 144 |
% Of Establishments
0%
11%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
384
Total SBA Loans
$217.9M
Total Loan Volume
$567K
Average Loan Size
12 yrs
Average Loan Term
9.78%
Average Interest Rate
1,472
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: The SBA[11] classifies Support Activities for Animal Production (NAICS 115210) with a size standard of $11.0 million in average annual receipts. Most livestock support service providers are small specialized enterprises that qualify for SBA-backed lending[12], government contracting preferences, and USDA agricultural programs through the Farm Service Agency[13]. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[14] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[15] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 16 | $57.0M | $3.6M |
| 2 | Live Oak Banking Company | 8 | $40.0M | $5.0M |
| 3 | Plumas Bank | 8 | $23.0M | $2.9M |
| 4 | Peapack Private Bank and Trust | 8 | $21.0M | $2.6M |
| 5 | Gibsland Bank & Trust Company | 8 | $9.3M | $1.2M |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for animal production support?
Support Activities for Animal Production is classified under NAICS code 115210, covering livestock support services including breeding, boarding, and herd management per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for animal production support?
The SBA[11] sets the size standard for NAICS 115210 at $11.0 million in average annual receipts, qualifying eligible livestock support service providers for small business lending programs.
What services are included in NAICS 115210?
Services include artificial insemination and breeding, pedigree record keeping, horse boarding and training, dairy herd improvement, livestock spraying and dipping, sheep shearing, and companion animal breeding per U.S. Census Bureau[5] NAICS definitions.
How are livestock support service businesses valued?
Valuations depend on service segment, focusing on client relationships, specialized equipment, facility infrastructure, semen inventory for breeding operations, boarding capacity for equine facilities, and professional staff expertise per USDA NASS[6] livestock data.
What drives demand for animal production support services?
Livestock producer demand for specialized expertise, genetics improvement goals, outsourcing of non-core activities, and growing equine and companion animal populations drive service demand per USDA NASS[6] livestock inventory and production data.
What regulations apply to animal production support?
Requirements include USDA APHIS[7] animal health and disease prevention regulations, state breeding and artificial insemination licensing, companion animal breeding standards, and facility inspection requirements for boarding operations.
What risks affect animal production support businesses?
Major risks include livestock market cycle impacts on producer spending, disease outbreaks disrupting service demand, customer concentration among a few large operations, facility maintenance costs, and liability exposure from animal handling activities.
How large is the horse boarding segment?
Horse boarding represents a major segment within animal production support, serving millions of horses in the U.S. with stabling, feeding, exercise, and care services, with boarding rates varying by region and facility quality level.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service nass.usda.gov
- [7]USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service aphis.usda.gov
- [8]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [9]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [10]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [11]SBA sba.gov
- [12]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [13]Farm Service Agency fsa.usda.gov
- [14]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [15]504 loans sba.gov
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