The Best Animals For Homesteading Beginners
If you are anything like us when we started out homesteading, you want to do it all and you want to do it all yesterday! I have been there and unfortunately done that. While I can relate to the desire to do all of the things, I encourage you to walk before you run when it comes to homestead animals as they require more commitment and long term care than some other homesteading ventures. In this article, I am going to share with you the best animals for homesteading beginners and what you need to know before you bring them onto your homestead.
Understanding Your Homesteading Goals
Before you start committing to all of the animals, it is important to understand what your goals are for your homestead. If your goal is to feed only your family, then you likely do not need a whole herd of cattle. If you hate mutton, you are likely not going to raise sheep, unless you are raising them for fiber use.
Goals should evolve over time and it is important to understand both your long term and short term goals. By understanding what you want out of your homestead both today and tomorrow, you set yourself and your family up for a much more enjoyable experience.
Understanding Your Capacity
This was a big one for me to nail down. I have always been a plate overflowing kind of gal. I love being busy with things I love to do, and homesteading activities are typically something I really love to do. But I had to also take into account that my husband was also a part of this journey and we both work full time jobs.
It is important to be realistic with yourself when it comes to the capacity you have available. You may want that milk cow today, but your schedule may not support that yet (this is my real life conundrum).
I have really had to reign in my desires to do it all to make homesteading more manageable for our family. Trust me, it is hard, especially when you look on Instagram or Pinterest and everyone seems to be doing all the things you want to do! Give yourself permission to start small and grow from there and know those people you follow were once beginners to. You are more likely to stick with this lifestyle change in the long run, if you give yourself some grace and plan to your family’s capacity.
Now that you have your goals and you understand your capacity, you are better prepared to choose the best animals for your homesteading journey. Here are our favorites!
What are the Best Animals for Homesteading Beginners? Our Pick for Overall Best!
Our pick for the overall best animals for homesteading beginners is the dual purpose hen!
Chickens are a great starting point for new homesteaders and a good sturdy dual purpose hen is the way to go. She will give you eggs for many years which will fuel your kitchen explorations and potentially even your bank account if you are looking to sell eggs at farmers markets. Once she is no longer laying, dual purpose birds are slightly larger and can be butchered to be used as meat. Note: all chickens can be butchered, however the smaller breeds tend to yield less meat and roosters can be a little tough, but chicken is chicken!
Chickens are relatively easy and inexpensive to care for, especially if they are allowed to free range for part of the day. You will experience some upfront cost with the birds as they will need a sufficient shelter, but don’t overthink it. We repurposed an old building on our property and let the birds free range all day, which cuts down on costs tremendously.
Pinterest and Instagram have some beautiful photos of extravagant coops, but your chickens do not need a palace regardless of what social media wants you to think. They only need a secure area that keeps them safe from predators and dry from the elements.
Learn more about how to care for your flock and check out our chickens’ favorite treats!
What are the Best Animals for Homesteading Beginners? Our pick for Runner Up!
Rabbits are our pick for Runner Up for the best animals for homesteading beginners. Rabbits are so adorable, low maintenance, and the meat is delicious. They are also very quiet and require very little space which makes them great for Urban Homesteaders!
Again, the biggest cost with rabbits is the housing, but we have repurposed old wood and dog kennels reinforced with chicken wire to house our bunnies and they are perfectly safe and content. Rabbits, depending on breed, can yield a significant amount of meat and each litter can be between 2 to 12 kits!
I much prefer butchering rabbits to chickens as they are easier to clean and are just cleaner animals overall. Rabbits typically have one area of their hutch where they will use the bathroom a majority of the time while chickens just kind of go wherever they want.
The other great thing about rabbits is their manure is not hot and great to put directly on your garden!
What are the Best Animals for Homesteading Beginners- Honorable Mentions
While Chickens and Rabbits are our top picks, there are so many great animals that all bring something special to the homestead, are relatively easy to care for, and take up minimal space. Check out our Honorable Mentions for the Best Animals for Homesteading Beginners!
Pigs
Pigs require little space and are wonderful for eliminating food waste. They are easily trained to electric fence and who doesn’t love bacon!?
On the downside, they root which can tear up landscaping and they can be stubborn escape artist. Also depending on your set up, you will have to clean their pen frequently to keep the smell at bay. Pigs also prefer to come in pairs so you will need a minimum of 2 to keep them happy.
Sheep
Sheep can be a great addition to any homestead especially if you plan to use the fiber or if you enjoy mutton. They are typically sweet and docile making them great choices for homestead with kids.
Sheep can be loud however making them less suitable for some homestead set ups.
Other Poultry
The nice thing about starting out with Chickens is that it makes it really easy to add other types of poultry as well. I have seen people be successful adding a turkey or two, ducks, geese, pheasants, quail, and guinea fowl to their existing chicken flocks. Each type of poultry has some specific needs (especially ducks and geese) but it is easy to adapt your set up for these other birds.
Choose the Best Animals for Your Homestead
Regardless of your homesteading goals, you can’t go wrong with adding one, some, or all of these amazingly beneficial animals to your homestead! Just remember to stay true to your homestead goals and aspirations, plan carefully, and do not overcommit too soon.
Have questions? We would love to answer them! Leave us a comment below and don’t forget to check us out Instagram for more homesteading content!
