cattle herd

Best Farm Animals: How to Populate a Healthy Farm

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Last Updated on October 10, 2024 by Alice Benny

Many hobby farm animals could be classified as the best farm animals. It really depends on your space, the condition of your property, how much room you have, the vegetation that is growing, how much money and time you have to care for them, and overall, what your goals are.

If you want a farm, look into the best farm animals for your situation. This will vary according to your land and property as well as your goals. Other factors to consider are how much you can handle with daily care and maintenance. Are you looking for personal enjoyment and/or profitability?

Before deciding which animals to raise, be sure to consider your overall goals and lifestyle. Taking the time to learn all you can from the start will enable you to learn what to expect before the animals are in your care. 

Some want to earn money and profit off of their animals. Others may want to keep them as family pets. Knowing the ins and outs of the different types of farm species you can raise can help you to get started, especially if you have a specific plan in mind for your farm.

From urban farms to rural developments, the options are vast when it comes time for you to start shopping for the perfect farm animals for your family. A lot depends on how much property and time you have as well as what your purpose for raising animals is: meat, milk, livestock guardian animal, etc.

What Is the Most Profitable Farm Animal?

Raising animals can be expensive. When it comes to what animals are profitable, remember that even if you don’t sell anything, you may be able to use them for your own family. This means these are less things you will have to buy for yourself.

Whether you intend on raising and selling your animals or want to make the most out of the products they produce, such as eggs, meat, milk, fleece, hides, etc., know your goals.

Livestock and other animals can be great companions and may also be family-friendly.

Some animals, such as cattle, sheep, alpacas, and goats, will help manage your pasture, including eating grasses and weeds. Some animals will help control insects and pests.

Cattle

best farm animals cattle

By far, raising cattle is one of the most profitable types of livestock farming that you will find in North America for several reasons.

Farmers will be able to get a substantial amount of money per animal that they raise. What’s more, cattle can produce both milk and meat over their lifetime.

Also, it’s important to note that they require very little maintenance. This means that you can put less time and money into raising them leaving you time to focus on other homesteading activities.

Milk and beef are products that are available from your cows, which covers a vast market. You may also consider making cheese or butter, etc.

Also, you don’t need a significant amount of space to raise them, especially if you choose miniature cattle breeds. This is especially true if you take advantage of rotational grazing on your property. This is ideal for farmers who want to raise their cows organically.

It’s important to note that cattle raised on an organic diet and kept in a well-maintained farm are likely to garner more money for their milk and meat than animals raised conventionally. Learn about Mini milking cows

Chickens

best farm animals chickens

If you look into any farm in your area, they likely have a coop of chickens, if not more, because they produce an incredibly valuable item, eggs.

Eggs are one of the most regularly-used ingredients for preparing many meals, from breakfast scrambles to birthday cakes. This means the demand for fresh farm eggs will continue.

Also, chickens provide incredibly delicious and lean meat.

Chickens are small farm animals that can be profitable for small farmers, especially if you have minimal space to raise animals. They do well free ranging or in a chicken run. They will help manage insects, slugs, worms, and snails, etc.

It’s a good idea to consider raising your animals organically, particularly if you sell the eggs at a local farmers market.

Overall, maintaining chickens requires minimal effort. They will be a fantastic animal to keep on a family-friendly farm to teach your children about how animals provide sustenance for humans.

best farm animals chickens and roosters
You will need to decide if you want to keep a rooster. Some reasons are to protect your flock and to hatch chicks.

Chickens are one of the best farm animals for beginners. Start with 4 – 6 hens. Be sure to choose easy-going breeds to have a harmonious pecking order. Be sure to figure out your goals before bringing chickens home. Do you want eggs? Meat? Both? Choose friendly chicken breeds if you are new to raising chickens.

The best chicken breeds are a fantastic option for small farms. They don’t take a lot of money to keep on your property, even if you don’t have an existing coop built. Some to consider are:

  • Rhode Island Red
  • Australorp
  • Buff orpington
  • Bantam chickens if you have only a small area though they hatch smaller eggs and aren’t good for meat

Even a flock of a few chickens can produce eggs to feed your family for several months while they are in their prime egg-laying years (2 – 3 years). Note, most hens won’t reliably lay eggs in the winter months.

Another benefit to raising chickens is they can eat some table scraps in moderation and do well when able to free range.

There are even suburban homes that have small chicken coops in their backyard because these animals require far less space than what many people would expect.

Learn about pros and cons to keeping a rooster, what is required and if it’s right for your situation. 

Bees

best farm animals bees

Although bees are technically an insect rather than an animal, they can be incredibly valuable item to have on your farm, especially if you aren’t afraid of them.

Honey bees are important because they pollinate flowers and crops. They also produce honey that is used in a wide array of products, from bread spreads to facial scrubs and body lotions.

Also, they are low maintenance once you have already set their housing up, and they have established their colony.

There is an opportunity to produce locally-sourced honey if there is a farmers market in your area. Raising bees is also a hobby and there may be opportunities to teach others how to do it.

Goats

Another farm animal that may be profitable are goats. They are fairly adaptable animals. They are social, so it’s important to raise at least two together. Goats love to romp, explore, and play. This means, they need space to do so. 

In return, depending on the breed, you can enjoy milk and by-products to make goat cheese or soap, if that’s of interest. Another option is to raise meat goats. 

Sheep

The last animal I feel is worth mentioning are sheep. Depending on the sheep breed or breeds you choose, you can raise them for their fleece, hair, or meat. It’s important to know your goals before buying lambs or sheep to raise.

What Farm Animal Is Easiest to Take Care Of?

When you first start with owning farm animals, you will want to make sure you choose species that are easy to maintain, especially if you have little-to-no experience.

Some animals require more maintenance than others in terms of healthcare, living conditions, and the food that they eat. On the other hand, others seem to be specifically designed for beginners.

Top of my list are:

  • Goats
  • Rabbits
  • Ducks
  • Alpacas
  • Chickens
  • Sheep

Goats

best farm animals goats

Do not raise just one goat. You must raise two or more.

Although many goat breeds have been quite popular since the 1800s, they’ve never been more popular than they are now. This is what helps to make goats some of the most profitable farm animals in the world.

They are natural browsers and will forage on grasses and other vegetation. Some goat breeds need less supplemental feed than others and because you will save money, you will have a better ROI.

Whether you live in Europe, Africa, or North America, every continent sees several benefits from having goats on their farm because they produce meat and milk, similar to cattle.

You’ll also appreciate the fat content of goat’s milk, which helps to produce high-quality cheeses and kinds of butter that you will be able to sell. One exception is the Toggenburg goat which products milk low in butterfat. It is good milk for drinking but not for making butter and cheese. However, this is one of several goat breeds you can raise for milk or meat.

Some dairy goat breeds are better for milk than others. Consider the Alpine goat if you want a heavy milker. 

Many groups suggest that goat’s milk, cheese, and butter is far healthier than that of cattle, which is a popular market that you can tap into if you are interested in raising goats for profit. If you can designate your goat products as organic, you may have additional opportunities.

Also, many hobby farm owners lease their goats to other farmers as they are ruminants who love being able to eat away hardy vegetation on properties, helping to save costs on renting farming equipment.

With the ability to profit off of your goat’s by-products, and their capability to graze on land so that it can be used more efficiently, there are several ways you may be able to make money off your goats. Some are good as pack animals, such as wether Alpine goats. 

best farm animals goat

There are many different types of goats in the world. Some will require more maintenance than others, which is why you will want to consider breeds such as Boer or Alpine goats.

Choosing goats for your farm

As an animal that is known to have a relatively broad diet, ranging from hay to alfalfa or plants that grow in their pasture, there are many affordable things that you can use to keep your goats healthy and happy.

You’ll also find that many breeds produce a decent amount of milk. You can use it to make cheeses, different kinds of butter, goat milk soap, and more.

Goats are adaptable to their climate and changing environments. They are also fairly hardy. Often, they prefer to find their food in areas that are hardier than what cattle would prefer to browse in, for example.

Rabbits

These social animals can be great to raise around children. However, if you are choosing them for meat, it may be difficult. It’s important to set clear goals before bringing rabbits to your homestead.

Rabbits are suitable for family farms and provide a sustainable source of meat. However, the meat from each animal is less than other, larger animals.

Ducks

Another opportunity to consider is raising ducks. They provide eggs and meat. Their eggs are larger than chicken eggs and are ideal to use in baking.

Ducks are intelligent animals and easy to care for when you have the proper shelter and systems in place for caring for them. They don’t need a lot of space but they do need access to water to submerge their heads in which means you’ll need a small kiddie pool or something similar.

Alpacas

You must raise more than one alpaca. They operate in herds. Do not bring plan to bring just one alpaca onto your property.

Another farm animal that’s easy to raise are alpacas. They are fairly docile animals, and they make good guardian animals for your other, smaller livestock. They are great to raise if you have predators. In addition, they are good for companionship.

They also don’t require a lot of space.

Sheep

best farm animals sheep

As another one of the best farm animals for beginners, sheep are relatively easy to maintain on different sized farms. Similar to goats, there are many different species of sheep to think about before deciding whether you want them or not. Difference between sheep and goats

Some sheep require more maintenance than others. One of the most considerable benefits of this animal is that their milk is often regarded to be superior to goat and cow milk, especially when it comes to making cheese.

Another benefit of owning sheep is that when their wool is sheared, it can be sold along with their milk and meat over time. Some sheep breeds have fat tails. You can cook with the fat from fat tailed sheep which is another benefit when slaughtering the animals.

Some sheep breeds to consider raising:

Also, they don’t require a lot of space. Raising sheep on your homestead may be able to provide a good return as long as you have enough space and quality pasture. Learn how many sheep per acre for a healthy flock.

Can Farm Animals Be Pets?

Many hobby farm animals can easily be transitioned into pets, especially if you don’t intend to sell their meat in the future.

You might even find that if you don’t start with the intention of maintaining your animals as pets, they’ll quickly become a part of your family only because you’ll be spending so much time together as you care for them.

Below, you’ll find all of the top recommendations for farm animals that also double as pets.

Rabbits

best farm animals rabbits

There are many categories that rabbits fall under because they offer several benefits. They are small and can be profitable. They breed quickly. They are friendly and great for keeping your kids entertained on the farm.

These fluffy and adorable animals are easy to take care of. Their family-friendly nature might have your children outside more often, helping to raise them.

You’ll also love how social rabbits are. This can allow you to create strong bonds with the animals over a short period. This will help them become an addition to your household quickly.

If you are raising one or two, you can also keep them inside. 

Ducks

best farm animals ducks

You may want to consider raising ducks. As a highly intelligent animal that you will love having on your farm, ducks make fantastic pets as well. 

Because duck breeds are intelligent, if you raise them from a young age, you may be able to train them to do a few things.

They are also one of the best low maintenance farm animals. Ducks require minimal space.

People raise ducks for meat as well as eggs. When considering duck eggs vs chicken eggs, many prefer duck eggs for baking.

How to Build a Duck House – Helpful Guide for Beginners

Alpacas

best farm animals Alpacas

The main thing to remember with alpacas is they will require other alpacas to be housed with them because of their herd mentality. You should never rear one alpaca alone. You need at least two.

Even though alpacas aren’t the most relaxed animal to maintain on this list, they can be a fantastic addition to your farm. Alpacas have a naturally docile temperament and are very child-friendly in comparison to llamas. Learn more: alpaca vs llama

You’ll find that alpacas are one of the most popular animals in petting zoos. This is because they can be calm around children and other small farm animals.

Another advantage of these animals is that they don’t require a lot of space. In fact, they can be kept in a backyard and still feel like they have a considerable amount of space.

However, you’ll want to make sure they have at least 0.40 acres. This will ensure they have enough space to move around freely and feel more comfortable with their environment. Pasture rotation is important when raising grazing animals. Learn what do llamas eat if you want to keep alpacas and llamas together.

Raising alpacas can be profitable if you shear them yearly for their raw fiber. Learn about starting an alpaca farm and what it entails.

Apart from being one of your children’s most valuable friends on the farm, alpacas can also be quite useful for moving heavy loads and acting as a livestock guardian animal for some smaller animals, such as ducks and chickens.

Best Farm Animals

Whether you’re a veteran farm owner or someone who is just starting, with the help of this guide, you can easily find low maintenance animals.

These are animals to consider. Be sure to consider what sounds pleasant for you to do. Do you want to handle milking animals? Do you prefer low maintenance animals? Will you be able to use the meat from animals you have raised?

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