5 Indispensable Farm Animal Species
Do you know the indispensable farm animals? A farm is an ecosystem in which each species plays a role in the food chain.
For your land and business to thrive, consider these 5 farm animals.
The ducks, the farm’s best friends
Ducks – in the photo that opens this article – are the easiest birds to keep and take up less space.
When they are chicks, just keeping them in an enclosure in the back garden will keep them safe. Once they have grown up, it will be enough to install a small house where they can take refuge at night.
The main drawback is that they require more food than the hens. Despite this, their eggs are larger, their meat more flavorful and, in general, they respect both the soil and the surrounding plants, unlike the hens.
Defenders and detractors of the farm rabbit
Rabbits are animals that can be tamed, don’t need a lot of care, and are relatively inexpensive to keep. Furthermore, in many countries their meat is appreciated for its flavor and texture.
For defenders of rabbits as a farm species, these small mammals are a natural source of soil fertilizer. In addition, a small house will be enough to protect them from the cold.
For rabbit detractors, the main problem is that rabbits multiply out of control.
These give birth to more than 6 puppies at a time, and the gestation period lasts only one month.
Traditional farm hens are a safe investment
The main advantage of raising chickens as farm animals is that they produce a lot of eggs, a lot of meat and a lot of fertilizer, all cheaply and without too much effort.
A traditional chicken coop can occupy, depending on the number of specimens, up to an entire plot of land.
The feeding of the hens is very varied: they can eat grass, fruit, leftovers, compost or feed.
Each breed produces a different number of eggs, so find out before setting up a chicken coop.
In the following list we will give you an idea of the most affordable farm chicken breeds:
- Babcock hens are famous for their gigantic sized eggs. Their quiet nature has made them the most popular.
- The black Castilian hen can only be found in Spain. It hatches more than 220 eggs a year and its origins date back to the 15th century.
- The Asturian Painted Hen is famous for its meat and its eggs. Its importance for the economy of Asturias is such that since 2003 the association of breeders of this breed has been involved in conserving the species.
The important role of goats on a farm
The goat is an animal that provides milk, meat and even an unexpected gardening service. Did you know that it can produce between 2 and 4 liters of milk per day?
Its diet includes grass, hay, bark, small branches from bushes, vegetables and feed. You can leave it in the pasture to let it graze the dry grass. However, this animal must be guaranteed shelter in winter, as it is prone to suffering from diseases.
Farm animals: the pig, the most important
Despite its reputation as a dirty animal, the pig maintains a fairly decent level of hygiene if you let it run freely instead of letting it stay in an enclosed space. The quality of the meat will also improve considerably.
Pigs can eat almost anything: milk, bread, corn, compost, or whatever else you have leftover in the house that you want to throw in the trash.
For this, it is more convenient for them to stay in the open air to feed themselves.
Not doing so requires a major expense. Also consider that, being strong animals, the fence must also be resistant.
