Many people in the world got tired of living in urban places. They would rather choose to sell their house and build up a new one somewhere in the village. However, many factors do not allow us to do this. For example, your kids are going to school; your job is in an urban place, etc. Still, that doesn’t mean that some sort of a solution does not exist.
Many of you probably have a pet at home. Well, imagine that you have an urban farm that is full of animals. Does this sound like a solution that you were looking for? If you can’t go to live on a farm, then the farm can come to you.
Yet, that doesn’t mean that you can do all the things that people usually do at farms. Living in an urban place requires a different method of maintenance of the farm. That is the reason why education is necessary before you even start planning to have an urban farm. Because of that, we suggest you find a good source of information and improve your knowledge about this subject.
Anyway, we are here to give you a little support. In this article, you will find out 5 farm animals to have on your urban farm. We know that your options are limited and that’s why we want to give you some valuable pieces of information.
Let’s get started.
Chickens
Well, we had to put chickens in the first place of our list. They are the most obvious and popular choice for this type of farm. First of all, these animals are relatively quiet. Despite that, it would maybe sound silly, but chickens are “multi-practical” animals.
The reason why we say this is simple. There are three things that chicken will bring to you – eggs, meat, and more chickens. You are probably wondering if keeping chicken at your urban farm is legal. Well, we do not know where you live, but this becomes completely legal in most of the cities.
There is one more reason why we say this. Chickens are creating nitrogen-heavy manure. This is a great natural fertilizer when you mix it with soil or compost.
If profit is your main priority, then you do not have to worry. You can sell eggs and meat. Urban farmers have the chance to make a decent profit.
Rabbits
When you look closer, not many urban farmers are raising rabbits. People usually consider them as pets. However, they can also be profitable for farmers. Logically, rabbits can be used for breeding and fiber. However, that is not the main thing that will bring you profit.
The most profitable rabbit profit is their meat. Still, this is probably the main reason why people avoid raising them. We assume that many people are intimidated to haul it off to slaughter.
Raising a rabbit is affordable and that is another reason why we suggest it to people. For example, let’s compare them with some other larger animals. You can count on less fencing, less feed, cheaper breeding stocks, and smaller pens. Despite that, you won’t have to ensure a huge space to keep these animals. As you know, they are relatively small.
Ducks
As we said, we are not quite sure where you live. However, did you know that you can get $1 for 1 duck egg? The price varies constantly, but we can say that raising ducks can be quite profitable.
Still, there is one small risk that you need to be aware of. Duck doesn’t always produce a lot of eggs. This especially counts when you compare them with chickens. Yet, the difference is not big. Despite that, the eggs are not the only source of profit. You can also earn a decent amount of money thanks to duck meat and duck fat.
Pygmy Goats
It is hard to find a farm animal that is cuter than a pygmy goat. These animals can create great dairy and meat animals as well. Still, there is one thing that we have to say. It might be tough in urban places to keep the larger dairy and meat breeds. The main problem will be – lack of space.
Yet, that doesn’t mean that these cute animals are not good milk producers. Believe it or not, they produce from 1 pint to 2 quarts of milk per day. Logically, this depends a lot on the quality of feed that you use. Despite that, it also depends on the type of goat.
Finally, there are some sorts of goats that we would want to recommend. Have you ever heard about dwarf fiber goats? For example, this includes sorts like Nigora and Pygora. Well, this sort produces nice angora wool. This can bring you an additional profit.
Quail
Well, we need to say that quail are underrated animal. The most common breed is the Bobwhite. Believe it or not, this breed can mature in only 16 weeks. Despite that, it also starts laying after 24 weeks tops. This type of animal can live in relatively small areas. Logically, this is important for every urban farmer in the world. However, it is necessary to keep that area covered and clean. For instance, 2’ + 2’ + 8’ would be enough to keep between 20 and 25 quail.
Still, this time, you will have to invest some additional money if you plan to make some profit from them. It would be necessary to have an incubator to profit from your endeavor. There are some breeds like Coturnix that can produce between 4 and 6 eggs per week. The price of only one egg is around 50 cents.
Dexter Cattle
Properties at urban places are not big enough to keep cattle. Still, when we talk about Dexter cattle, things are a bit different. This sort of cattle is naturally small. They have an excellent feed conversion rate and you can expect from them to double as milk producers.
The requirements for raising this animal are not big. For example, it would be enough to have around ½ acre of good free grass per animal. If you ensure them good conditions, they can produce up to 3 gallons of 4% butterfat milk per day. Despite that, it can also produce around 500 pounds of meat. Doesn’t this sound like a good opportunity?
