First Farm Animal Recommendation?

[sal64]

I've always wanted to raise some kind of farm animal. Particularly chickens. Now that I live in the (more or less) country and have some land (couple acres), I'd like to start on that. Or rather start planning for doing it this next spring.

I'm not so sure about chickens anymore though. The neighbors on both sides have them. So I could trade something with them for their eggs if I had something else. Still, chickens are the front runner.

My neighbor also has rabbits. Seriously big rabbits. And tasty rabbits. Problem is they just stay in their cages and are kind of boring. Still, they're quite tasty.

I can't handle anything large. Something cheap and easy to take care of is obviously a plus. I don't mind milking something as I love milk but I couldn't handle having to milk something every morning at 5am.

Turkeys? Do you eat their eggs?

Are goats used for meat too or just milk?

Can you raise sheep just for meat? Is there sheep's milk?

Animals I'm not thinking of? Are there small pigs that don't cost $2000?

Thanks!

i have raised everything you menthend, turkeys egg for cooking only they dont tast to good, goats and sheep require lot of work and are expencive to feed not really worth it in my oppinion. chickens are the easyest and best to start out with also somthing to consider if you go on vacation you need some one to tend to the animals every day, were chickens you can leave for a week if you are pend up and give them plenty of water and food.

 

[beppington]

... goats and sheep require lot of work ...

What work are you referring to?

... and are expencive to feed ...

I assume you have many per acre rather than just a few per acre?

... if you go on vacation you need some one to tend to the animals every day, were chickens you can leave for a week if you are pend up and give them plenty of water and food.

We have no problem taking off for a week. The goats just eat the grass/ weeds/ leaves & drink from the well-fed trough.

 

[sal64]

What work are you referring to?



I assume you have many per acre rather than just a few per acre?



We have no problem taking off for a week. The goats just eat the grass/ weeds/ leaves & drink from the well-fed trough.

i guess work im mean water in winter i had to carry it then break ice every morning.

 

[branman1971]

We have guinea fowl and love them. They can be loud but that's why they make good watch dogs, and they eat ticks, scorpions, kill snakes, and are funny to watch. Pretty easy to maintain Love em.

 

[LoPresti Lawnscape]

How about a couple Ostriches.

 

[Loren49]

Nice photo!

Loren

 

[DJ4wd]

We started out 4 years ago with chickens, and our family fell in love with them. Now we have 25 in the coop and 15 about to come out of the brooder. We have $500 in the coop which is built on an old coal trailer so we can move it around and have a premier electric netting around it. We let them free range during the times where home. We have a gutter on it and a 55gal drum to catch water, and a creek nearby for the winter time. For $65 you can order 25 day olds and brood them yourself and in 21 weeks fresh eggs everyday. They cost us around $30 a month to keep and sell the extra eggs in town for $2.50 a dozen. PLus our kids take them every year for 4H and have placed high every year and we get to take em back home to boot.
I have pics of my set up if anyone wants to see them.

 

[dcyrilc]

How about a couple Ostriches.

Ostrich are OK, but I'd recommend Emu or Rea as a starter first.