Farm animals are not only profitable, they add spices to a farm and make it more entertaining and pleasant to live on.
There are however things to put in place before one can have them and one of them is “a large space”.
Farm animals usually require a lot of space to be raised and reared.
This makes them more comfortable, less prone to diseases and more profitable. But what if your farm is small?
What if you don’t have a lot of space but you still want to raise farm animals?
Well, there are farm animals that require less space and do well even on a small farm. Let’s take a look at 10 of them.
1. Chickens
When working with limited space, poultry birds are the ideal farm animals to have.
Chickens especially do not need a lot of space to grow and thrive.
You will profit from their meat and eggs while still managing space on your farm. Their small size makes them ideal for a small farm.
A minimum of a square meter per chicken is advisable. So you can buy as many chickens as your farm can take.
Chickens do not need a large farm to forage or exercise.
They only need an area they can easily scratch and eat insects during the day.
2. Bees
If you don’t have a lot of space and you want to raise farm animals, then you should really consider bees.
Bee farming which is called apiculture is keeping of bees and their hives. You get raw honey, beeswax and royal jelly from raising them.
It is a very profitable business. Bees do not require a lot of space at all. All they need is their hive and a 7 feet space around their hive where they can live and work easily.
You can have as many hives as you want depending on the space you have.
A small yard with some plants and flowers planted is really all they need.
3. Pigs
Raising pigs on a small farm is quite possible as they do not need a lot of space.
Pigs are farm animals raised mainly for their meat. They are quite profitable because they reproduce well and require minimal space.
The space they require depends on how you’ll be raising them; whether it’s in confinement or free range.
If you’re going to be raising them within a confined space then there isn’t a problem.
To thrive , all they need is protection from sun, wind and rain. If you’re working with very limited space, then you would need to control their breeding so you don’t have more pigs than you can care for.
4. Rabbits
Rabbit farming is quite becoming popular because rabbits are easy to take care of and require less space to thrive compared to other animals.
Hundreds of rabbits can be raised in an average backyard in a year if planned well.
They grow to butcher weight in just 12 weeks so you can easily get rid of a batch and bring in new ones.
Even in a small backyard, you can make a lot of profit from raising rabbits.
They require smaller pens, less feed and fencing compared to other animals and many can be raised in a small area.
5. Turkeys
Turkeys like other poultry birds do not require a lot of space.
They can be reared in your average backyard with limited resources. Some farmers even raise them in coops all round.
They do not let them out or allow them free range. They raise them to butcher meat inside coops and sell them off.
You have to make their coops bigger than usual for this but this doesn’t require a lot of space.
If you want to free range them, it is still possible even if you don’t have a lot of space.
A small yard with pasture is enough for them to roam and exercise.
6. Goats
Small goat breeds like the Nigerian dwarf goat and pygmy goat can be raised in a small yard.
They do not require a lot of space because they are small and stockily built and do not grow to be bigger.
These mini breeds are also profitable. You can get up to an half gallon of milk from an adult Nigerian dwarf a day and pygmy goat produce quality meat.
They need to roam, exercise and graze but they can do this on a small piece of pasture.
All they need is enough feed and water to grow well. Apart from the Nigerian dwarf and American pigmy, there are other smaller breed of goats you can think of adding to your farm which also do not need a lot of space.
7. Dexter cattle
Raising cattle require a lot of space because of their big sizes.
If you however do not have a lot of space on your farm and would like to still raise cattle, then you can go for miniature breeds like Dexter cattle.
Dexter cattle are the smallest of the European cattle breeds.
They are about 1/3 of the size of Holstein milking cows. They are reared for their meat and milk and are profitable.
These cattle do not need a lot of space to live and roam unlike the usual cows. They are docile and do not graze pastures to the ground.
8. Southdown Sheep
Southdown sheep are small sheep raised on farms for their meat and fleece.
Raising Southdown sheep is best for those who want to rear sheep on a small scale.
Southdown sheep because of their sizes, do not need a lot of space.
They basically just need a shelter that can protect them from rain, snow, wind and summer sun.
They are docile and do not have horns.
They are easy to handle and do not require an elaborate housing or feeding.
Other sheep breeds like the babydoll southdown sheep are also good for small scale farming.
They do not need a lot of space and can thrive on a small piece of pasture.
9. Pekin ducks
Pekin ducks are a great addition to the farm if you’re looking for farm animals that do not need space.
You should consider them because, not only do they require less space, they are profitable and will yield much income.
They are raised for their meat and large eggs and they are friendly.
They do not scratch like chickens so your gardens are safe.
If you don’t have a pond on your farm where they can swim, you can make a kiddie pool available for them.
They are suitable for raising in a small backyard and on a small farm. You can have as many you can handle starting with two.
10. Quails
Quails are wonderful additions to livestock on the farm.
This is because they are profitable, low maintenance and do not need a lot of space to grow.
They are raised for their meat and eggs and their small size makes them easy to nurture on a small farm or yard.
This is why most people consider it suitable for urban farming.
Quails can be raised anywhere and the chicks can even be raised in a brooder.
That’s less space than you can imagine. Quails are also quiet creatures so raising them in the balcony of your urban apartment is possible.
