Wondering
where to start with raising animals on your small farm, hobby farm or
homestead? Here are some easy animals to start with, complete with all the
information you'll need to learn about and decide which ones is the perfect fit
for you.
Laying
Hens:
Chickens
are a terrific way to start raising animals on a small farm. They're hardy,
easy to take care of, and don't cost much in terms of setup. A small flock can
easily produce enough eggs to meet all a family's egg requirements, and a flock
of a few dozen can generate a nice little egg business. Plus, hens eat food
scraps and provide great compost for the garden. On the downside, they're a
free chicken dinner for every predator out there, so you'll need to keep them
safe and secure to prevent losses.
Honey
Bees:
Honey bees are another great
choice, especially if keeping bees appeals to you. Honey crops can be abundant,
and you can also harvest beeswax for lip balm, candles and other products.
Bonus:
they help pollinate your crops.
Negative: they cost a good bit
to start up, and while they don't require a lot of hands-on care in terms of
sheer hours, they do require timely care
and attention, and take a while to get the hang of.
Goats:
Goats are hardy, useful
animals that can browse stands of small trees and shrubs, clearing land for
you. They're very adaptable to poor pastures. They produce a ton of milk-okay,
not a ton, but one to three quarts per day! If your family can't drink that
much, you can make and sell cheese, or feed the milk to other farm animals. On
the downside, goats require strong fencing.
Turkeys:
Like chickens, turkeys are pretty easy keeping. They can be a
bit difficult to raise from poults, but once established, they do well. The
market for Thanksgiving turkeys can be a big one, making them a great
value-added product for a small farmer.
Pigs:
Pigs
are also great browsers and famous rot tillers. They can churn up whatever area
you want, quite easily. They are also great eaters of food scraps and producers
of manure.
Pigs can be vicious, so you'll want to think long and
hard before getting them, especially if you have small children, and just plan
to be safe around them.
