The increase in greenhouse gas emissions is the main cause of global warming, and animal husbandry is a significant contributor to these emissions. In order to promote the development of animal husbandry and effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Qinghai Province has actively promoted the construction of an ecological animal husbandry industry, aiming to integrate and coordinate ecological protection with the sustainable development of the animal husbandry sector. However, it remains unclear whether ecological animal husbandry can effectively promote carbon emission reduction while maintaining economic efficiency. To address this uncertainty and facilitate the low-carbon development of animal husbandry, this study analyzed the evolutionary characteristics of CO₂ emissions from animal husbandry in Qinghai Province from 2008 to 2018. Additionally, it employed the Tapio decoupling elasticity and log-mean Dee's index (LMDI) model to analyze the decoupling relationship between animal husbandry economic efficiency and CO₂ emissions, along with their driving factors. The results indicate that: (1) Despite the increasing trend in both animal husbandry CO₂ emissions and the value of animal husbandry output amidst the vigorous implementation of ecological animal husbandry policies in Qinghai Province, there has been a notable decrease of 48.05% in the intensity of animal husbandry CO₂ emissions. It suggests that the animal husbandry industry was gradually transitioning towards high-quality development in a green and low-carbon manner. (2) The relationship between livestock CO₂ emissions and livestock economic benefits demonstrated a desirable state dominated by weak decoupling. However, this relationship is vulnerable to regional natural endowments, adjustments in ecological protection policies, and market prices. It suggests that the low-carbon development of animal husbandry in Qinghai Province holds greater potential, and it is recommended to continuously strengthen the construction of ecological animal husbandry to enhance resilience against risks. (3) In the context of ecological conservation policies and the development of ecological animal husbandry, the technical efficiency of animal husbandry, industrial structure, and the proportion of rural population were important factors driving the decoupling of CO₂ emissions from economic benefits in animal husbandry. In order to achieve high-quality development of animal husbandry, this study proposed corresponding suggestions for promoting low-carbon development of animal husbandry in Qinghai Province. It is hoped to balance the economic benefits and carbon reduction of animal husbandry, provide scientific basis for the formulation and decision-making of relevant policies for the development of ecological animal husbandry, and is of great significance for promoting the sustainable development of green low-carbon animal husbandry in China.