Carmen is not a professional anthropologist, but strictly a laywoman.

In unctuous cones of kindling coal, Or smoke upwreathing from the pipe’s trim bole, His [the poet’s] gifted ken can see Phantoms of sublimity.

O ! as thou art bonny , be prudent and canny, And think on thy Jamie wha dotes upon thee

At a time when the very poor were desperate to recover their few animal assets they also took on animals from wealthier households on a share-herd basis (that is, a contract where in exchange for herding the poor share in herd offspring usually on a 50/50 basis), permitting the best off households to avoid labour and feed costs while reaping gains in herd growth.