When considering animals for a beginning homestead, it’s essential to choose species that are relatively easy to care for, provide valuable resources, and have a gentle temperament. Here are five animals that are often recommended for beginners:
CHICKENS: My personal favorite!! Chickens are a popular choice for homesteaders due to their ease of care, low cost, and the valuable resources they provide. They produce eggs regularly, which are a great source of protein for the homestead. There are so many different breeds to choose from. I will do a post about that soon! Additionally, they can help control insects and weeds in the garden if allowed to free-range. They’re such a fun animal to have on your homestead! There all so many different options for coops and brooders on Amazon or you can find a few different options at your local farm store.
Goats: Goats are excellent for clearing brush and weeds from your land. They are browsers and will eat a wide variety of plants, making them useful for land maintenance. Dairy goats can also provide fresh milk, which can be used for drinking, cheese making, and soap production. Plus they’re so adorable! We love bottle babies on our farm, so cute!
Ducks: Ducks are hardy and easy to care for, and they lay delicious eggs that are often considered richer than chicken eggs which make them great for baking! They are also excellent foragers and can help control pests in the garden. Plus, they’re fun to watch! We buy the little kiddie pools for them to swim in and I could watch them for hours! Even better if you get a pool with a drain plug for easier cleaning.
Bees: Keeping honeybees can be a valuable addition to a homestead. Bees play a crucial role in pollination, which will benefit your garden and increase crop yields. Moreover, they produce honey and beeswax, providing sweet rewards and potential products for sale or personal use. My kids don’t love the bees but I think they’re pretty awesome! You can buy a bee keeping starter kit on Amazon!
You can buy a bee keeping starter kit on Amazon!
Rabbits: Rabbits are sooo cute to raise!! They’re friendly and acclimate pretty well. We raise our baby bunnies with our chicks and they do great! Or you can buy them a cute outdoor hutch to raise them in. Amazon or your local farm store will have some great options. Either way, they’re relatively low-maintenance animals that can provide a sustainable source of meat. They are efficient breeders and can quickly multiply their numbers, making them an excellent option for meat production.
