Which animals are best suited for a small farm?

[baloyi]

It is a discussion that never ends, but that gets better every other time. When talking about a small farm, chickens, honey bees, sheep, goats and rabbits are easy animals to raise. Which others would you add to this list?

 

[Petal to the Metal]

Bees can be great producers on a small farm. Raising bees, chickens, and rabbits are doable, just about anywhere. Goats might require more caution because they will get out and cause trouble when not happy, so a good, tall fence is a must with them. You can minimize how much space you'd need for the goats by going with one of the smaller breeds. That's true for most livestock, though.

 

[Kyle M]

You have to have a farm dog. One that doesn't mind sleeping in the barn and is good at keeping the wild animals away. And a barn cat for the mics.

 

[greg]

Bees can be great producers on a small farm. Raising bees, chickens, and rabbits are doable, just about anywhere. Goats might require more caution because they will get out and cause trouble when not happy, so a good, tall fence is a must with them. You can minimize how much space you'd need for the goats by going with one of the smaller breeds. That's true for most livestock, though.

I was going to talk about goats, but you beat me to it @Petal to the Metal . I would add pekin ducks, pigs and cows (though they require a large amount of space) to the list.

 

[Andrew T]

I would include a dog or cat or two on the list, too. Our dog helps herd the cattle, but even if your dog doesn't do that, they can be helpful, keeping you company while you're doing chores and such. Barn cats can be great for keeping the mouse population down.

 

[baloyi]

Bees can be great producers on a small farm. Raising bees, chickens, and rabbits are doable, just about anywhere. Goats might require more caution because they will get out and cause trouble when not happy, so a good, tall fence is a must with them. You can minimize how much space you'd need for the goats by going with one of the smaller breeds. That's true for most livestock, though.

I think goats are generally naughty, whether or not they are happy. Choosing specific animals to raise can be a difficult decision, as there are a lot of suggestions already. Again, raising a lot of them at a go can be a hit or miss.

 

[Logan]

We have a couple of barn cats that help keep the mice away around here. Chickens are surprisingly easy to raise. We were not expecting them to be so easy to care for when we first got ours.

 

[Chickadee]

Bees are also good for small farms. I started keeping a hive a couple of years ago. The fresh honey is awesome! And beekeeping is actually more enjoyable than I thought it would be.