 The economic situation improved with the arrival of cattle in the colony . It is unknown when the first cattle arrived , but the division of land for the grazing of cattle in 1627 represented one of the first moves towards private land ownership in the colony . Cattle became an important source of wealth in the colony ; the average cow could sell for £ 28 in 1638 ( £ 3 @,@ 400 in 2010 , or $ 5 @,@ 200 at PPP ) . However , the flood of immigrants during the Great Migration drove the price of cattle down . The same cows sold at £ 28 in 1638 were valued in 1640 at only £ 5 ( £ 700 @.@ 00 in 2010 , or $ 1 @,@ 060 at PPP ) . Besides cattle , there were also pigs , sheep , and goats raised in the colony . 
