Best Animals to Have
on Your Homestead
Curious about the best animals to have on your homestead?
Whether you’re interested in eggs, milk, meat, or natural fertilizer, choosing the right animals can make a big difference in your homesteading success.
Choosing Which Animals To Have Matters
When starting a homestead, selecting the best animals to have is crucial.
Each animal has unique needs, and not all are ideal for beginners.
Choosing the right animals based on your goals, space, and experience level ensures that your homestead animals contribute positively without overwhelming your daily workload.
Key Factors in Choosing the Best Animals
- Purpose: Decide what you want from your animals. Are you looking for egg production, milk, meat, or help with composting? Each animal offers specific benefits.
- Space Requirements: Some animals need more room than others. Chickens and rabbits, for example, can thrive in smaller areas, while goats and sheep require more extensive space and secure fencing.
- Daily Care Needs: Consider how much time you have for daily animal care. Some animals are low-maintenance, while others need hands-on care, like milking or regular grooming.
By choosing the best animals to have for your specific needs, you’ll set yourself up for a productive and enjoyable homesteading experience.
Top Choices To Have
Here are some of the best animals to have on a homestead, especially for beginners.
Each has its unique benefits, space requirements, and care needs.
Chickens
Chickens are among the best animals to have on a homestead.
They are easy to care for, provide a steady supply of fresh eggs, and take up minimal space.
Chickens also help with pest control, as they love to scratch and forage for insects.
Benefits of Raising Chickens
- Eggs: Fresh eggs are one of the main reasons people choose chickens as the best animals to have on a homestead. Depending on the breed, hens can lay an egg almost every day.
- Fertilizer: Chicken manure is rich in nutrients and, when composted, makes excellent fertilizer for your garden.
- Pest Control: Chickens eat insects, weeds, and even food scraps, which helps reduce pests and waste on the homestead.
Basic Care Requirements
- Housing: Chickens need a secure coop with nesting boxes and roosting bars. A fenced run area or pasture for foraging is also ideal.
- Feeding: Provide chickens with fresh feed, water, and access to grit for digestion.
- Predator Protection: Chickens are vulnerable to predators, so ensure their coop and run are secure.
Chickens are an excellent choice for any homestead, providing fresh eggs, natural pest control, and easy-to-handle care routines.
Rabbits
Rabbits are another great choice for small homesteads and are among the best animals to have if you’re interested in meat production or high-quality compost.
They are quiet, take up little space, and their manure is garden-ready without composting.
Benefits of Raising Rabbits
- Meat Production: Rabbits are prolific breeders and are raised by many homesteaders for lean, high-protein meat.
- Fertilizer: Rabbit manure is a great addition to the garden and can be used immediately, unlike other manures that require composting.
- Compact Space Needs: Rabbits can be raised in hutches or a colony setup, making them ideal for smaller homesteads.
Basic Care Requirements
- Housing: Hutches or cages that protect rabbits from predators and weather are essential. If space allows, a fenced colony setup lets rabbits graze and dig.
- Feeding: Rabbits thrive on hay, pellets, and fresh greens. Avoid high-sugar fruits, which can disrupt their digestion.
- Health: Check teeth and nails regularly, and be mindful of heat, as rabbits can overheat easily.
Rabbits are one of the best animals to have for those with limited space who want to produce meat and improve their garden soil.
Ducks
Ducks are a fantastic alternative to chickens, especially if you’re interested in eggs and live in a colder climate. They are hardy, excellent foragers, and less prone to disease than chickens.
Benefits of Raising Ducks
- Eggs: Duck eggs are larger and richer than chicken eggs, making them a favorite for baking.
- Pest Control: Ducks love slugs, snails, and other garden pests. They are excellent foragers and can even help reduce weeds in your garden.
- Cold-Hardy: Ducks handle cold weather better than chickens, often continuing to lay eggs through winter.
Basic Care Requirements
- Housing: Ducks need a secure shelter to protect them at night and access to water for bathing. A kiddie pool or small pond works well.
- Feeding: Provide ducks with fresh feed, water, and access to forage if they’re free-ranging. Avoid medicated chicken feed, as it can harm ducks.
- Mess Management: Ducks love water and tend to make muddy areas around their pools. Consider adding gravel around water areas to reduce mud.
Ducks are one of the best animals to have if you need a hardy egg producer and natural pest controller, making them a versatile addition to your homestead.
Goats
Goats are highly versatile and among the best animals to have if you’re looking for milk, meat, or natural weed control.
Goats are curious, social animals that bring a lot of personality to a homestead.
Benefits of Raising Goats
- Milk Production: Goats produce milk that can be used for drinking, making cheese, yogurt, and soap.
- Weed Control: Goats are natural foragers and can clear brush and weeds from your property.
- Manure: Goat manure is nutrient-rich and can be composted for garden use.
Basic Care Requirements
- Housing: Goats need a secure, weatherproof shelter with good ventilation. Fencing must be sturdy, as goats are skilled escape artists.
- Feeding: Goats need a balanced diet of hay, clean water, and mineral supplements. Limit kitchen scraps, as they can disrupt their digestion.
- Social Needs: Goats are social animals, so plan to keep at least two together to meet their companionship needs.
Goats are a larger commitment than other animals but are among the best animals to have if you want milk and weed control on your homestead.
Bees: Honey Makers and Pollination Heros
Bees are an incredible addition to any homestead, offering the dual benefits of delicious honey and increased pollination for gardens and orchards.
Honeybees are hardworking pollinators, essential for fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers, enhancing the productivity of your crops naturally.
As they buzz around, they help increase the yields of plants, making them invaluable members of the homestead.
Benefits of Keeping Bees
- Honey Production: The most popular reason for keeping bees is, of course, honey! Fresh, raw honey is not only delicious but also has health benefits, including antibacterial properties and antioxidants. Honey harvested from your bees has unique flavors reflecting local flowers, giving it a one-of-a-kind taste.
- Beeswax and Other Byproducts: Aside from honey, bees provide beeswax, which can be used to make candles, lip balms, and other DIY products. Propolis and royal jelly are additional beneficial byproducts valued in natural health.
- Pollination Power: Bees play a vital role in pollinating crops, especially for fruits, berries, and some vegetables. Adding bees to your homestead can improve garden yields and help sustain local ecosystems.
While bees are relatively low-maintenance, they do require specific care, particularly in ensuring a safe, suitable hive environment and managing the hive through the changing seasons.
Beekeepers will need to learn basic skills in hive care, honey extraction, and pest management to keep their colonies thriving.
Adding bees to your homestead provides a rewarding, sustainable source of honey and enhances the overall health of your garden, making them one of the best animals to consider for a well-rounded, productive homestead.
Choosing the Best Animals to Have Based on Your Goals
When deciding on the best animals to have, consider your homestead goals and the space and time you can dedicate.
Here’s a quick breakdown to help you decide:
- For Eggs and Fertilizer: Chickens and ducks are ideal, providing regular eggs and manure that benefits your garden.
- For Meat Production: Rabbits are easy to manage in small spaces and have rapid reproduction rates. Goats are another option if you have more land and want to produce both milk and meat.
- For Garden Support: Chickens and ducks are great for pest control, while goats provide natural weed control on larger properties.
By choosing the best animals to have that align with your goals, you’ll create a productive and manageable homestead setup.
Setting Up for Success with the Best Animals to Have on Your Homestead
Each of these animals offers unique benefits, and by selecting the best animals to have based on your needs, you’ll set yourself up for a rewarding and fulfilling homesteading experience.
Start small, learn as you go, and gradually add new animals to your homestead as your skills and confidence grow.
Remember, the best animals to have are the ones that meet your homestead’s unique needs and bring you joy.
Whether it’s the daily collection of fresh eggs, the satisfaction of raising healthy livestock, or the companionship animals provide, each step brings you closer to a self-sufficient and rewarding homestead.
If you want to learn more, click here for a really great book on the different type of animals you can raise.