If you and your family always love visiting a farm or petting zoos, simply because you’re all animal fans and baby goats and lambs and pigs are wonderful creatures, why not bring some of that energy to your own home?
After all, you’ll no longer have to travel to spend time with animals like these, and that can make everyone’s lives easier! Not to mention just how many other benefits keeping domestic livestock can have – but to help you prepare for making a move like this, here’s what to think about first.
Think About Suitable Animals
The first thing you need to do is think about the kind of animals you’ll want to keep, depending on the time, space, and budget you’re currently working with. Chickens are always a good bet, of course, because they’re small and relatively easy to manage.
However, there is a wide range of animals you can bring into your home; sit down with the kids and ask them about what they’d prefer. Most tend to plump for a baby goat or a lamb, thanks to their small size and incredibly cute nature!
Make Some Space
You’re going to need space, above all else, if you’re going to keep a farmyard animal. Nothing too big, of course, such as a cow or pig, but even just a couple of sheep or GB Alpacas could fit into your garden! If you’ve got an acre or two to spare, this is going to be the easiest part of bringing a domestic farm animal into your life!
However, clearing an entire ‘normal’ sized garden doesn’t have to be hard either. Of course, you’re going to be working with smaller animals, such as chickens, ducks, and even micro pigs, but it’s doable. You just need a space for them to roam, a space to sleep, and something to guard them against outside predators and the weather. Draw up a plan right now!
Try Out a Local Farmer’s Market
And finally, it’s time to scope out where you’re going to be selling any and all of your animal produce. Any sheep you bring home are going to need shearing every now and then, and you’re not going to use all of those chicken eggs yourself! So, why not think about getting some money back for your efforts, and pitching a stall at a local farmer’s market?
Do some research; what will a pitch cost you? How often do you need to attend? And what kind of produce do you think you’ll be working with? You don’t have to get into selling anything your animals produce as soon as you get them, but be sure to keep a track of the yield. How many eggs, on average? Is there any spare milk? Could you even substitute the numbers with a vegetable patch?
If you love farms, why not make a little one of your own? It could be lucrative, and it’ll certainly be a very enjoyable learning experience!
