You don’t have to be a scholar to know that farming changed the course of human history in a way that’s hard to overstate. One might say that raising farm animals is quite literally in our DNA.
If you’ve ever thought it might be nice to have a farm but don’t want to make such a drastic lifestyle change, there’s good news. There are many farm animals that are easy to raise in your own backyard.
Here are four easy farm animals that can turn your house into a quaint homestead.
1. Chickens
If you’re looking to get into the backyard farming game, chickens are an awesome place to start. They’re fairly easy to take care of but will still provide you with a good foundational experience upon which to build.
One reason chickens are a good starter animal is that they require very little real maintenance. They eat nearly anything. From store-bought feed to food scraps, it’s hard to go wrong with their diet.
The other obvious bonus is that a small flock will provide enough eggs to feed your whole family. All they require is about four square feet of space per hen, a fenced and covered area, and fresh water and food. With such a low-cost and low-effort animal, it’s hard to go wrong.
2. Rabbits
For anyone with children, rabbits are an awesome choice for obvious reasons. They’re cute as heck and kids love them, making them a great option for a backyard farm.
Like chickens, they also require very little maintenance. They eat hay, veggie scraps, or store-bought feed. On top of that, they provide some of the best compost for your garden.
For shelter, they’ll most likely require a hutch. Although it’s entirely possible to raise them free-range if you prefer. There are a lot of options in terms of how you want to manage them, and that flexibility makes them a perfect candidate for this list.
3. Goats
When it comes to backyard farm animals, goats can do it all. They don’t take up nearly as much space as something like a cow, but they’re still an awesome source of dairy and meat if that’s your thing.
Goats can produce up to one gallon of a milk a day. Their milk is also more digestible than cow’s milk, so you can replace store bought milk altogether by having a few of these in your backyard.
They’re also not too expensive and they’re easy to get your hands on. Look somewhere like Australias Livestock Exporters if you’re interested in adding a few goats to your homestead.
4. Honeybees
Many people don’t think of raising bees, but they should. As far as the effort to reward ratio is concerned, honeybees are at the top of the list.
Beyond their housing, bees require almost no maintenance. They thrive off of simple water and watered-down sugar, and they forage for the rest of their food. They’re also not at all aggressive like hornets or wasps.
All you need is a bee suit, housing, food, and water to raise these awesome creatures. The reward comes in the delicious and nutritious fresh honey you’ll be able to harvest from their hives.
These Easy Farm Animals Will Get You Started
With any of these easy farm animals, you’ll get an awesome start to your backyard farm. Who knows, you might even like it so much that you decide to take the plunge and go all in on farm life!
If this article has your interest in farming piqued, don’t stop here. Keep reading for awesome tips on how to get your own small farm off the ground.