Which means that no one will know you’re producing tons of high quality meat in your backyard. Plus they are low maintenance and taste amazing!Īnd as an added benefit – your neighbors will barely notice them since there’s a good chance they’re used to seeing pigeons around anyway. Pigeons are great for both eggs and meat. I bet you’ve never thought of pigeons as a valuable addition to your homestead. The last thing you want is to get stung! 5. Not only do you get honey – which is a great incentive in and of itself – but you also get resident pollinators for your garden!Īnd I, for one, will take more pollinators and beneficial insects any day.Īs a word of caution, though – it might be worthwhile to find a corner of your property that doesn’t get too much foot traffic. However, adding them to your homestead can be a great idea. When we hear the word bees, we think of honey and the painful, sometimes severe stings.īut most people wouldn’t consider adding them as pets. Oh and don’t forget those rabbit hide gloves after butchering! 4. Which means that you can use basically every part of the animal – even it’s poop! So if you have both female and male rabbits, chances are you’ll have quite a few bunnies really soon – like 30ish days soon!Īnd did I mention that rabbit manure is a great fertilizer? It’s what we call a cold fertilizer, meaning that you can put it directly onto your plants without composting it first. Plus, rabbits reproduce – well, like rabbits. I mean, that’s insane for meat production! And the turnaround time is only 8-10 weeks! One rabbit can produce between 3-4 pounds of meat.

They are so freaking cute!īut rabbits have so many other uses on a homestead.įirst of all, rabbits are good for eating. Rabbits are common pets in this country – and for good reason. You can watch our quail journey over on our YouTube channel 🙂 3. Oh and did I mention most city regulations don’t specifically ban quail? So perfect if you’re not allowed to keep chickens! So if you don’t have a lot of space to allocate to livestock, quail are a must on your list. Plus, they are super quiet and don’t cost a ton to feed! They take up way less space than chickens, and lay almost an egg a day. We raise quail for meat and eggs, plus dog food. Not only are they adorable and have funny personalities, but quail eggs are also an excellent source of protein.Īnd, quail go from hatching to maturity in only 8 weeks – which means meat production is super quick! Quail are some of my favorite animals for urban homesteading! So if you’re looking to get started with backyard livestock, hens should be at the top of your list!Īnd don’t forget to check out our articles all about getting started with chickens. Plus, they have so many uses – pest control, garbage disposal (yes, we feed our chickens table scraps), compost maker, and garden cleaner. And oftentimes, roosters don’t make the cut!Īnd while roosters can be super noisy, your neighbors probably won’t even know if you have chickens – they are actually super quiet! Not all chickens.īecause chances are if you live in the suburbs, there’s some sort of regulations on what type of animals you can keep. An average hen can give you 4-5 eggs per week!Īnd when that chicken’s egg laying slows down around the 2-3 year mark, you have a great meal for the table.īut notice I did say hens, specifically. Hens are the most popular livestock for urban homesteading because of how productive they are. Below are the best animals to raise in a small space! 1. And what better way to do that than to raise your own meat?Īnd just because you don’t have tons of space to work with, doesn’t mean you can’t raise livestock. Homesteading is all about being self-sufficient and living sustainably. If you purchase a product through one of our affiliate links we make a small commission from the sale at no extra cost to our readers. So here are the absolute best livestock for urban homesteading! Best Livestock for Urban Homesteadingĭisclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Which is why choosing the right types of animals for city living is crucial. In Suburbia, there are so many rules and regulations when it comes to what types of animals you are or are not allowed to keep. And most of my neighbors would never know that I hatch out chicks year round in my kitchen.

If you live in the suburbs, there’s a good chance that not too many people around you have farms in their backyard.

Unique hobby farm animals